In Poem 21 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the speaking rose questions the purpose of its continuous suffering. It lists three distinct torments: wounds from its own thorns, humiliation by the wind scattering its petals to the dust, and the ultimate trial by fire at the hands of the rosewater-maker (golabgar).

This progression of suffering culminates in an existential plea, where the rose asks what crime justifies such harsh purification. The poem serves as a mystical allegory for the human soul, which endures both worldly hardships (represented by the thorns and wind) and spiritual trials (the fire of the rosewater-maker) while struggling to understand the divine reasoning behind its sorrow.