Chokhamela was a 14th c. CE mystic and poet of Maharashtra. He was a follower of the bhakta movement and a student of the legendary Namdev. He was a member of a caste considered to be untouchable, and worked as a labourer, killed in fact by the collapse of a wall he was helping to build. The following was his response to being condemned for his caste.
A sugarcane may be crooked, and yet its juice is not crooked.
A bow may be curved, and yet the arrow is not curved.
A river may be winding and yet the water has no winding.
Chokha may be untouchable, but his heart is not untouchable.
Wow, thank you, Nawab -quiet strength, dignity and purity imbue each line of his response.
Dear Howard, thank you for your response. No doubt his thought has been passed from one person to another numerous times, and has also undergone the re-incarnation of translation – but we still feel all the qualities you mention.