صبر تلخ است ولیکن بر شیرین دارد
sabr talkh ast vali bar shirin darad
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet
Meaning
Enduring difficulties with patience eventually leads to positive and rewarding outcomes.
Cultural Background
Poetry is the 'national religion' of Iran. Even people who haven't finished school can quote Saadi. Using this proverb shows you respect this literary heritage. This specific proverb is one of the most popular subjects for 'Nasta'liq' calligraphy. You will see it framed in offices and homes as a reminder of resilience. In Sufi philosophy, 'Sabr' is a stage on the path to divine love. The 'bitterness' is the ego's struggle, and the 'sweetness' is spiritual enlightenment. The metaphor of 'bar' (fruit) reflects the Iranian love for pomegranates and pistachios, which take years to yield high-quality crops.
Impress your Persian friends
Use this when someone is complaining about their Persian homework. It shows you're not just learning words, but also the soul of the language.
Don't modernize 'valikan'
Even though 'vali' is more common today, keep 'valikan' when quoting this proverb. Changing it makes it sound 'broken' rather than 'modern'.
Meaning
Enduring difficulties with patience eventually leads to positive and rewarding outcomes.
Impress your Persian friends
Use this when someone is complaining about their Persian homework. It shows you're not just learning words, but also the soul of the language.
Don't modernize 'valikan'
Even though 'vali' is more common today, keep 'valikan' when quoting this proverb. Changing it makes it sound 'broken' rather than 'modern'.
The 'Bar' confusion
Remember 'bar' here means fruit. If you say 'miveh', people will understand, but the poetic magic is lost.
Test Yourself
Complete the proverb with the correct words.
صبر ______ است ولیکن ______ شیرین دارد.
The standard proverb is 'Sabr talkh ast' (patience is bitter) and 'bar shirin darad' (has sweet fruit).
In which situation is this proverb MOST appropriate?
A friend is crying because they lost their keys and are in a hurry.
The proverb is for long-term endurance, not short-term urgent crises where it might sound dismissive.
Match the Persian word to its role in the proverb.
1. صبر, 2. تلخ, 3. ولیکن, 4. بر
Understanding the grammatical components helps in memorizing the structure.
Choose the best response to complete the dialogue.
پسر: 'پدر، من خسته شدم از تمرین پیانو. خیلی سخته.' پدر: 'پسرم، ناامید نشو، ...'
The proverb is the perfect encouraging response for a long-term skill like learning an instrument.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
The Contrast of Patience
Practice Bank
4 exercisesصبر ______ است ولیکن ______ شیرین دارد.
The standard proverb is 'Sabr talkh ast' (patience is bitter) and 'bar shirin darad' (has sweet fruit).
A friend is crying because they lost their keys and are in a hurry.
The proverb is for long-term endurance, not short-term urgent crises where it might sound dismissive.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Understanding the grammatical components helps in memorizing the structure.
پسر: 'پدر، من خسته شدم از تمرین پیانو. خیلی سخته.' پدر: 'پسرم، ناامید نشو، ...'
The proverb is the perfect encouraging response for a long-term skill like learning an instrument.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsYes, absolutely. It is one of the most frequently quoted proverbs in both formal writing and daily conversation.
Yes, it is very appropriate for a professional setting to show you are committed to long-term goals.
It is an archaic/literary form of 'but'. It's rarely used in spoken Persian except when quoting poetry.
While it aligns with Islamic values of patience, it is a literary proverb from a poet, not a religious scripture.
It rhymes with the English word 'bar', but with a shorter 'a' sound like in 'bat'.
Related Phrases
گر صبر کنی ز غوره حلوا سازی
similarIf you have patience, you can make halva from unripe grapes.
صبر ایوب
specialized formThe patience of Job.
عجله کار شیطان است
contrastHaste is the devil's work.
پایان شب سیه سپید است
similarThe end of a black night is white.
