M1:128 — تا زمین و آسمان خندان شود / عقل و روح و دیده صدچندان شود

Translation: So that the earth and sky may become laughing, / And intellect, soul, and vision may increase a hundredfold. Meaning: This verse expresses how the recounting of profound mystical experiences can evoke such joy and expansion that not only the listener's intellect, spirit, and perception grow manifold, but even the earth and sky are moved to laughter and delight.

This verse presents a profound demand voiced by Mowlana's own jān (soul or spirit); a demand to hear about the 'sweet states' (khosh-hālhā) and bounties received from Shams-e Tabrizi. The jān calls upon Mowlana to fulfill the haqq-e sohbat (right of companionship), a right that establishes itself between two companions, even between Mowlana and his own deepest self. This 'right of companionship' is not found in legal texts and cannot be enforced, yet it is so morally potent that its violation is considered a great disloyalty. Mowlana, after years of association with Shams, is now the recipient of this inner plea: 'Recount some رمز (mystery/secret) from those sweet states.'

And what is the outcome of such recounting? Mowlana offers a pervasive and cosmic image of the impact of these words: 'So that the earth and sky may become laughing, / And intellect, soul, and vision may increase a hundredfold.' This expression is, undoubtedly, a hidden autobiography; it describes Mowlana's own condition, for it was after encountering Shams that he himself became khandān (laughing/joyful). He, 'whose very essence was laughter, whose whole being was joy and efflorescence,' experienced an unprecedented expansion and broadening after this momentous meeting. His intellect (aql), soul (ruh), and vision (dideh) increased a hundredfold, meaning his insight and perception were remarkably enriched and amplified.

However, this efflorescence is not confined to Mowlana himself. He extends his inner states to the entire cosmos. It is as if his words about those 'sweet states' bring forth such freshness and a new spring that nature itself benefits. The earth and sky, this green dome and this earthly sphere, also break into laughter upon hearing these secrets, spreading the season of spring and renewal throughout the world. This laughter is not one of frivolity or carelessness, but a deep, cosmic laughter that can even be 'mouthless,' as Mowlana himself sings: 'You are a lover with laughing lips, I have laughed without a mouth.' This existential expansion, this hundredfold increase of intellect, soul, and vision, signifies the attainment of a new expanse of awareness and a perception of the Divine Presence, where veils are lifted, and the world, not just through our eyes but with its entire being, becomes joyful. This is precisely the 'polish of griefs' (jalāʾ al-aḥzān) that the Masnavi promises; not merely the removal of sorrow, but its replacement with cosmic joy and expansion.

Key takeaways

• The verse represents the soul's plea to Mowlana, urging him to fulfill the right of companionship with Shams.
• Recounting Mowlana's profound mystical experiences with Shams brings joy not only to his own soul but to the entire creation.
• The 'laughter of earth and sky' symbolizes a cosmic expansion and flourishing that arises from these spiritual secrets.
• The 'hundredfold increase of intellect, soul, and vision' reflects Mowlana's exponential growth in gnosis and insight after meeting Shams.
• This cosmic laughter is an embodiment of Mowlana's 'light-souled' nature and the jalāʾ al-aḥzān, transforming sorrow into spiritual expansion.