تعجبت دُرُّ من شيبي فقلت لها

تعجبت دُرُّ من شيبي فقلت لها

لا تعجبي فطلوع البدرِ في السُدَفِ

لا تعجبي فطلوع البدرِ في السُدَفِ

Durr marveled at my gray hair, so I said to her:

Durr marveled at my gray hair, so I said to her:

Do not marvel—the full moon rises amid the darkness.

Do not marvel, for the full moon rises in the darkness.

وراعها عجباً أن رُحتُ في سَمَلٍ

وراعها عجباً أن رُحتُ في سَمَلٍ

وما دَرَت دُرُّ أنَّ الدرَّ في الصَدَفِ

وما دَرَت دُرُّ أنَّ الدرَّ في الصَدَفِ

And she was wonder-struck that I went about in my threadbare garment;

And she was struck with wonder that I went about in a threadbare garment,

but Durr did not know that the pearl lies within the shell.

Yet Durr did not know that pearls are in shells.