Trifles - The reed-pen, being hollow, makes a noise

The pearl is used to the ways of the sea. What can it know about the millstone that grind grain? The reed-pen, being hollow, makes a noise; the pencil, being solid lead, makes none. I am one who has walked around the Harem with an idol under my arms. I am one who has shouted Allah’s name when idols were in front of me. My heart still wants that I should go on seeking, though I have set foot on a path thinner than a hair.