M3:538 — تلخ از شیرین‌لبان خوش می‌شود / خار از گلزار دلکش می‌شود

This beyt appears in a section describing a merchant and his children's joyful journey to a village. Despite the potential hardships of travel—the sun's heat by day, navigating by stars at night, and rough roads—their destination, a beloved village, transforms their perception of the journey. The preceding lines mention how 'the ugly road became beautiful' and 'the path became like paradise out of joy for the village.'

Here, Rumi uses two vivid metaphors to reinforce this idea: first, 'the bitter turns sweet from those with honeyed lips' (شیرین‌لبان, literally 'sweet-lipped ones,' implying beloved individuals whose very presence sweetens anything). Second, 'the thorn, from a rose garden, becomes desirable.' A thorn, normally something to avoid, takes on a certain charm when it is part of a beautiful rose garden, a place of delight and beauty. The thorn's inherent unpleasantness is overridden by the context of the beloved garden.

In a broader Sufi context, this speaks to the transformative power of love (ishq). When one's heart is filled with love for the Divine, or for a spiritual guide, even the trials and tribulations of life (the 'bitter' or the 'thorn') become bearable, even desirable, because they are experienced within the context of that overarching love. The difficulties are no longer perceived as obstacles but as part of the path to the Beloved.