Ch 02 The Morals Of Dervishes Story 19

A caravan having been plundered in the Yunan country and deprived of boundless wealth, the merchants wept and lamented, beseeching God and the prophet to intercede for them with the robbers, but ineffectually.

                  When a dark-minded robber is victorious  
                  What cares he for the weeping of the caravan?  

Loqman the philosopher being among the people of the caravan, one of them asked him to speak a few words of wisdom and advice to the robbers so that they might perhaps return some of the property they had plundered because the loss of so much wealth would be lamentable. Loqman replied: ‘It would be lamentable to utter one word of wisdom to them.’

                  The rust which has eaten into iron  
                  Cannot be removed by polishing.  
                  Of what use is preaching to a black heart?  
                  An iron nail cannot be driven into a rock.  
                  Help the distressed in the day of prosperity  
                  Because comforting the poor averts evil from thyself.  
                  When a mendicant implores thee for a thing,  
                  Give it or else an oppressor may take it by force.