THE STORY OF JOSEPH

IN ARABIC VERSE
THE LEEDS ARABIC MANUSCRIPT 347

EDITED WITH A TRANSLATION AND NOTES

BY

R. Y. EBIED AND M. J. L. YOUNG

SUPPLEMENT III
TO THE ANNUAL OF LEEDS UNIVERSITY
ORIENTAL SOCIETY

LEIDEN
E.J. BRILL
1975
 ISBN 90 04 04178 8

© Copyright 1975 by Leeds University Oriental Society

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm or
any other means without written permission from the publisher
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface IV

Introduction 1
I. The Manuscript 1
II. The Text 2
III. The Language, Style and Metre of the Poem 3
IV. Contents of the Poem. 4
V. Sources of the Poem 6

Text 8
Translation 27
Select Bibliography 58

Plates
 PREFACE

This Supplement to the Annual of the Leeds University Oriental

Society presents a hitherto unknown work of classical Arabic literature,
which has survived in an apparently unique manuscript preserved
in the collection of the Department of Semitic Studies in the University
of Leeds. This work is a long anonymous poem which retells the history
of Joseph and his Brethren, according to the Muslim version of the
story to be found in the Qur'an and elsewhere. Unfortunately several
leaves have been lost from the manuscript, but the bulk of the poem
has survived. We here present for the first time the edited text,
together with an English translation, of this most interesting work.
Attention was first drawn to the existence of this manuscript in
a paper given by the present writers at the XXIXth International
Congress of Orientalists in Paris on the 18th July, 1973. The text of
this communication has appeared in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society (1974), No. 1, pp. 2-7.
This text deserves publication both for its presentation of the popular
Muslim view of a venerated Biblical figure and for its own literary
merits.

Leeds R. Y. EBIED
April, 1974 M. J. L. YOUNG
 INTRODUCTION

I. THE MANUSCRIPT

The text of the present work is taken from an Arabic MS preserved

in the library of the Department of Semitic Studies of the University
of Leeds. It is among the remaining uncatalogued MSS of this collec-
tion, and has been provisionally allocated the number Arab. 347.
It was acquired for the University of Leeds together with a large
number of other oriental MSS in the 1950's; the bulk of this collection
has been listed by Professor J. Macdonald. 1 It is hoped that a detailed
catalogue of the remaining uncatalogued Arabic MSS 2 will be published
by the present writers in the near future.
The MS is unbound and consists of 32 unnumbered loose folios,
written in a clear naskhi hand. Three or four words have been inserted
above the line. The MS possibly dates from the thirteenth or fourteenth
century, but this is uncertain. There are a number of leaves missing,
as is indicated by catchwords at the foot of some pages which do not
correspond with the first word of the following leaf.
The leaves are badly worn at the edges, but the broad margins
have preserved the text intact on each leaf. The last leaf bears the name
of an earlier owner, 'Umar al-Naqib, both on the recto and the verso;
on the recto we read the following :
a [ ~]j'.J :t,.__j'.J ~JI :t.:... ~ I / _t,:W I l!l\..
From a note in a different hand on the verso of the leaf we learn
that the MS subsequently passed into the possession of al-Amir
Qasim Jalabi, son of Shahin Kashif. It reads as follows:

1 Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts, vols. I-VI [(Nos. 1-300, Leeds (1958-62)]; vol. IX
[Nos 1-50 (Persian MSS), Leeds (1960)].
2 There are over sixty of these, covering many different subjects, including law,
theology, lJ,adith, mathematics, biography, poetry, etc.
a = A.D. 1687 /88.
2 INTRODUCTION

This is preceded by a short mawwal in the same hand which begins:

••• ~Ai::.. J! ~4 ~ - The remainder is unfortunately illegible.
Fol. 31 v and fol. 32r bear the illegible impression of a seal.
The MS measures approximately 150 mm. X 105 mm., with 15
lines to a page. The text is partly pointed. The second hemistich
of each bayt is written beneath the first hemistich, and each hemistich
is marked with a red apostrophe. A thick red stroke has been added
above certain letters as a form of decoration.
The first two verses of the poem are missing, but have been restored
in a different hand at the top of what is now the first folio.
The leaves of the MS have been kept by a previous English owner
between a single sheet of stout paper, 4 folded once, with a water-
mark showing a crown and the words 'Papyrus Regia'. On one side
of this sheet this owner has jotted a few observations about the con-
tents of the MS.
Since the title page of the MS is missing, the author of the poem
remains unknown to us. Internal evidence throws no further light on
the question of authorship, beyond the fact that the author was a
Muslim. The place where the MS was written is not certain, although
several textual features of the poem discussed below indicate an
Egyptian provenance.

II. THE TEXT

The MS has preserved 469 verses of what was originally a somewhat

longer composition. It is impossible to say how many verses have been
lost, but judging from the number of lacunae (6), and the fact that each
folio contains 15 verses, the number of missing verses is at least 90.
The lacunae are marked where they occur in the present edition by
five asterisks ( * * * * *).
The text is in general unambiguous, although one or two readings
have presented difficulties. These have been indicated in the notes.
The place of composition of the work would seem from internal
evidence to have been Egypt. This is indicated by the occasional
use of a colloquial Egyptian word, e.g. <.S~ [=inside] (verse 222),

4 Enclosed within this cover were found three small pieces of pa.per. One of these
is pa.rt of a. sheet of notepaper bearing the impression of the Roya.I Coat of Arms and
the words 'Board of Education', and carries a. few written words in the same hand as
the sheet of pa.per covering the 1\18.
 INTRODUCTION 3

or spelling, e.g. u~ for uJu (verse 357), and the obvious pleasure
the poet takes in his allusions to the 'blessed Nile' (e.g. verses 299,
335), which is frequently mentioned.
The Cairo Dar al-Kutub MS No. C. 9205 may possibly contain the
text of a poem similar to ours. We have however been unable to con-
sult this MS, and the only evidence we have of its contents is the brief
notice given of it by Fu'ad Sayyid in his Fihris al-Makhtutat. 5

III. THE LANGUAGE, STYLE AND METRE OF THE POEM

The language of the poem is Classical Arabic, but there are occa-
sional grammatical anomalies which suggest Middle Arabic influence,
s
e.g. i.)'::.- .. (verse 24), G.J.>....... :.i..Jli.. (verse 120) and O.J_r,l&. (verse
269, in reference to a preceding dual subject). Perhaps the odd phrase
yt::s::ll l!.\).j' (verse 257) might also be mentioned here.
Somewhat more frequent than these occasional divergences from
classical grammar and syntax are divergences in the orthography
of certain words, a feature which once again suggests a slight Middle
Arabic influence. We find for example ta' maftu"IJ,ah for ta' marbii,tah
(verse 243); dal for dhal, e.g. J.i..... for J.'.6. (verse 121), _r,.:i for r~
(verse 352); ta' for tha', e.g. J l:i for J lJ (verse 374); and the occa-
sional slight irregularity in spelling such as oj.:J I.J for o~ 1.J (verse 272).
Other variations can in most cases be construed as normal poetic
licenses. The use of two slightly different forms of the name of Poti-
phar's wife (Zulaykha and Zulaykhah) can perhaps be included here.
The style of the poem is of a pleasing simplicity, with little use of
the rhetorical devices of jinas, tibaq, etc. There are occasional excep-
tions to this, e.g. verse 323 has an example of jinas between the two
words 01..r.,'- and ..r.,'-, and we find occasional instances of hendiadys
(e.g. verse 70, verse 144).
The poet employs a number of striking similes: for example he
compares a fast-riding caravan to a herd of ostriches stampeded by
horses (verse 434); a defiant manservant is compared to a refractory
colt whose bridle has been lost (verse 216); the honeyed words of
Zulaykha to the king are compared to strings of pearls (verse 213).
A notable feature of this use of simile is the poet's fondness for com-

5 Al-Qism al-Thiini (sh-1), Cairo (1962), p. 206.

4 INTRODUCTION

paring things of beauty or even abstract notions, such as 'good fortune',

to the moon (cf. verses 162, 192, 195, 207, 302, 349, 417).
Striking metaphors are somewhat fewer in number, but we may
notice the soothsayers' describing their perplexity as 'a sea to which
we can discern no shore' (verse 314), the description of Joseph's re-
uniting of the members of his family as the restringing of a necklace
which had been scattered (verse 441), and the poet's allusion to his
composition as 'a robe with variegated hems' (verse 466).
Much of the action of the story related in the poem proceeds by
means of the direct speech of the protagonists, which lends colour
and vividness to the various episodes. The poet disposes of a very
considerable vocabulary; this is sufficiently shown by the fact that
nearly 500 verses are made to rhyme with the same letter, and that
this has not been achieved by undue padding with superfluous lines.
The primary interest of the poet in the story of Joseph and his
Brethren is throughout a religious and moralizing one, and the pro-
phethood of Jacob and Joseph is constantly emphasized, together
with the ever-present providence of God.
The metre of the poem is (aw'il, and the rhyme throughout is in ra'.

IV. CONTENTS OF THE POEM

The poem begins with an invocation by the poet of God's help.

His narrative proper then commences with a short description of
Joseph and his family, and then after mentioning the brothers' jealousy
proceeds to tell the story of J oseph's dream.
The brothers' plotting is recounted largely through the vivid use
of direct speech. In reply to their attempts to persuade Jacob to let
Joseph go with them, Jacob relates a dream which suggests that
Joseph is in danger of being killed by a wolf. Joseph at length persuades
his father to let him go with his brothers, but as soon as they are out
of sight of Jacob, the brothers begin to tease and torment him.
At this point occurs the first of the six lacunae referred to above
(seep. 2). The text as we have it resumes with words of the archangel
Gabriel to Joseph in the well. This shows that the missing verses
must have described Joseph's being cast down the well and the bro-
thers' return to their father.
The scene of the story then returns to Jacob's house, and the false
report of Joseph's death by the brothers. When Jacob refuses to believe
 INTRODUCTION 5

the story that a wolf had devoured Joseph, Simeon advises the brothers
to make their story more convincing by catching a wolf and presenting
it as the slayer. Accordingly they capture a wolf and bring him to their
father, but they have not reckoned with the fact that Jacob, as a
prophet, can understand the speech of animals, and the wolf explains
to him that he is entirely innocent of any slaying, and had in fact
been engaged in a search for his long-lost brother.
At verse 150 the narrative returns to Joseph in the well, and the
episode of his rescue by the passing caravan. At this point the brothers
appear on the scene again, although their departure from Jacob's
house is not described. They start to negotiate the sale of Joseph
to the members of the caravan, but the story of this transaction is
interrupted by the second lacuna.
As the text resumes with the discovery in the house of Joseph's
master in Egypt that his shirt had been torn from behind, it is clear
that the verses missing from the second lacuna must have described
Joseph's being taken to Egypt, his sale there as a slave, and the attemp-
ted seduction by Zulaykha. Potiphar, her husband, is nowhere men-
tioned by name (in Arabic Qitfir), although allusion is made to him,
and his title ''Aziz' is mentioned later (verse 358). It is probable that
the name 'Qitfir' occurred in the missing verses.
The episode of Zulaykha's attempted justification of herself before
the women of the town is dwelt upon at some length, and after a
mention of J oseph's committal to prison (verse 208) the narrative takes
us back to give details of how Zulaykha secured Joseph's imprison-
ment by going to the pharaoh al-Rayyan (the name by which he was
known to the Muslims 6 ) and misrepresenting the facts of the case.
The poem then describes Joseph's life in prison, and introduces
at this point a long episode in which Joseph communicates by letter
with his father in Canaan. The dreams of the baker and the butler
are then described, and subsequently the vision of Pharaoh.
The bafflement of the Egyptian soothsayers is vividly recounted
and thereafter Joseph's successful interpretation of Pharaoh's vision
is given. This episode is succeeded by the admission of Zulaykha
and the women of the town of Joseph's innocence.
There follow two verses (361 and 362) which appear to have no con-

& Cf. A. F. L. Beeston, Bair!,awi's Commentary on Burak 12 of the Qur'an (Oxford,

1963) [hereafter= Baygii.wi], p. 80, where the full name of the Pharaoh is given as
'al-Rayyii.n ibn a.1-Walid the Ama.lekite'.
6 INTRODUCTION

nexion with the preceding ones, but the reference of which might have
been explicable through the verses which are missing at this point
(third lacuna).
Between this third lacuna and the fourth lacuna there are thirty
verses which contain the incomplete narrative of an episode of which
both beginning and end are unfortunately missing. This concerns
Joseph's praying at the tomb of his mother, an unprovoked attack
on him by 'a despicable slave', and the dire signs of Divine wrath
which follow this. In the midst of the terror this inspires the culprit is
urged to confess. When he does so, the terrifying tokens of God's
anger subside.
After the fourth lacuna comes the episode of the goblet hidden in
the brothers' baggage, but the verses at the end of this episode are
missing (fifth lacuna).
The text resumes with the story of how J oseph's shirt was brought
to Jacob in Canaan, and how the latter's sight was restored by its
being laid on his eyes. There follows the forgiveness of the erring bro-
thers and the journey of the whole family to Egypt. Joseph is repres-
ented as going out to meet them when they are still a day's journey
away, and the sixth and last lacuna occurs at this point. The context
shows that only a small number of verses are missing here.
The narative ends with the arrival of Jacob and his sons in Egypt,
and the happy remainder of his days.
The poem concludes with an eloquent prayer, which invokes the
Prophets of God in general, and Mul;i.ammad in particular.

v. SOURCES OF THE POEM

The general arrangement of the story narrated in the poem is that

of the Qur'anic story of Joseph and his brethren in Siirah XII. At
some points the Qur'anic text is quoted directly (see verses 30, 71,
81, etc.), while many other phrases used by the poet are adaptations
of Qur'anic phraseology, e.g. Jacob's admonition to Joseph (Siirah
J-'"
XII, 5) : $..,_.:.I .:!..l 4JJ ~ ':1.J appears in verse 33 as : u'2~ ':1.J
J-'"
J....I 4j)I, or more general reminiscences of the text, e.g. JJ,.r.Sf.J
~.J ~ ':111~ 01 ip, I~ ~~ u-Zl... J,i.J ~~f ~.J (Siirah
XII, 31) - becomes in verse 197 :
 INTRODUCTION 7

In all, one sixth of the 469 surviving verses of the poem contain direct
quotations or reminiscences of the text of Siirah XII of the Qur'an.
There are occasional allusions to Siirahs other than XII, for example
verse 378, which contains a reference to Siirah XI, 62f. 'Pharaoh' is
nowhere mentioned in the poem; the reference is always to 'the king',
just as in Siirah XII, although the term 'Pharaoh' does occur elsewhere
in the Qur' an.
Attention has been drawn to Qur'anic quotations and near-quota-
tions in the notes to the translation presented here. The poet appears
to lay under contribution the Qur'anic commentators at a number
of points, e.g. he accepts the first of Bay<;lawi's alternative explana-
tions of the phrase ol....il; (Siirah XII, 42) in verse 286, and the second
of the interpretations Bay<;lawi offers of Siirah XII, 101, in verse 442.
The episodes of the poem which are not to be found in the Qur'an
are taken from Muslim legendary material which grew up around the
original Qur'anic narrative, elaborating and explaining it. This includes
the episode of 'the innocent wolf' (verses 130 to 148), the eclipse of the
sun (verses 375 to 393), the young man on the camel who carries
J oseph's message (verses 230f), etc.
The Qur'anic commentators reproduce some of this legendary
material regarding Joseph, and a number of European scholars have
studied it, including G. Weil in his Biblische Legenden der Musel-
manner,7 J. Spiro in his L'Histoire de Joseph selon l,a tradition musul-
mane,8 D. Sidersky in his Les origines des legendes musulmanes dans
le Coran et dans les vies des Prophetes, 9 and more recently J. Macdonald
in his article 'Joseph in the Qur'an and Muslim Commentary,' 10 where
the Biblical parallels to the Qur'anic Joseph are also discussed.

N.B. For convenience the letter 'S' has been used in the notes as
an abbreviation for 'Siirah'.

7 Frankfurt am Main (1845); the section on Joseph is on pp. 100-125.

s Lausanne (1906).
9 Paris (1933), pp. 55-68. Sidersky shows that much of the legendary material con-
cerning Joseph was collected by al-Kisa'i: see his Vita Prophetarum (Qi~~ al-Anbiya'),
ed. I. Eisenberg (Leiden, 1922), pp. 156-179.
10 In The Muslim World, vol. XLVI (1956), pp. 113-131, 207-224.
 TRANSLATION

1. Praise be to Thee, Who has created the heavens;

Thou art mighty and revealest ... 1
2. And in the second place 2 pray for the best of creatures,
Mu}.iammad, who was sent to men ... 1
* Fol. lr 3. *And may God bless him, the one with whom Heiswellsatisfied,
and be pleased with the Masters, his noble Companions.
4. In his [name] I fervently supplicate God Almighty,
and whoever entreats God Almighty through him shall surely
succeed.
5. I ask Him to make my composing easy,
and open the door of speech and ideas to me ;
6. May He enable me to compose poetry through His grace,
for He is ever the Gracious One, and has restored what had
been put asunder.
7. And now, 0 people, hear all of you
that which has come like pearls through His favour.
8. 0 thou who seekest the best of narratives,
-and [I swear] by God that its narrative is of the finest-
9. Thou shalt hear from me, may God guide thee, a story
of triumph and Divine Aid.
10. A story of what God revealed, Who grants gifts,
* Fol. lv *and Who created the earth and the seven heavens.
11. It is the most beautiful story, 3 the story of Joseph
and Jacob and the tribes [of Israel who were] like the shining
stars.
12. The Lord of the Throne [of Heaven] had given Joseph
an endowment of beauty [sufficient to supply] the new moon 4
with radiance.
13. He had a fragrance sweeter than the scent of musk,
and his outward form was among the most beautiful in God's
creation.

1 See Note 1 to text.

2 Or possibly the reference here is to the second bayt.
a S. XII, 3.
4 Cf. Bayg.ii.wi, p. 82.
 28 TRANSLATION

14. The prophet Jacob loved him

and cherished him above all the rest of mankind. s
15. Day and night he stayed at his side,
and could not bear to be separated from him for an hour.
16. He honoured him above all other people,
listening and watching for him.
17. His brothers worked as shepherds all day,
and at sunset they had to keep watch by night.
• Fol. 2r 18. *His eye of affection only rested upon Joseph,
and turned away from his other children.
19. When his sons observed this they harboured evil
[in their hearts] towards Joseph, and the Accursed One gave
them commands.
20. This was the result of something which God had foreordained
should be;
glory be to Him Who is Master of majesty and Who is mighty.
21. At the time when God wished to disclose the matter [of Joseph],
(which had not previously been inscribed in the Book),
22. The prophet Jacob was sitting to recite his prayers,
unflaggingly glorifying God the Protector;
23. On his lap slept the righteous Joseph,
his face brighter and more radiant than the moon.
24. As he slept a pleasant smile showed on his countenance;
it was as though as a bringer of good tidings he had attained
his aim.
25. Jacob the Prophet wondered at his laughing,
• Fol. 2v *and a matter of great import came into his mind.
26. Jacob said to him: 'Thy face is laughing,
and giving glad tidings of the Divine; what has happened,
O Joseph 1'
27. He replied: 'It is a vision I have seen: it
tells of something which must be proclaimed and spread
abroad!'
28. Jacob said: 'What hast thou seen 1
Do thou relate the vision to me truthfully !'
29. He replied: 'I saw glittering stars-
! counted them : there were eleven;

s Ibid., p. 77.
 TRANSLATION 29

30. I saw them prostrating themselves before me, all of them.

and the sun and the moon joined them in this'. a
31. Jacob said to him: 'This vision of thine
contains a prophecy, 0 Joseph, which has appeared to me.
32. Conceal it from your brothers ; tell them nothing about it;
never reveal it to man or woman.
* Fol. 3r 33. *Do not relate the vision to anyone; 1
keep thy secret and cleave to caution.'
34. But it avails not to warn against something commanded by the
Creator;
to Him is the power, the disposing of events, and He is gracious
in His foreordaining.
35. When the time came for God to disclose the matter [of Joseph]-
and a matter which has been decreed by God is inexorable-
36. He caused him to forget what his father had counselled him,
and he related his vision to them completely, without con-
cealing anything.
37. He added fury to their rage on account of what
they heard, and every one of them determined upon [a course
of] evil.
38. When they were all alone by themselves in the wilderness they
took counsel together,
and every one felt as though his heart were broken.
39. Out of envy they said: 'It is likely the son of Rachel 6 will
say to you : "You are my servants", as he has [already] inti-
mated.
40. Do you not see Jacob your father
* Fol. av *showing him devotion and favour, while you do not receive
a glance 1
41. [Do you not see that] Joseph is conceited and that you are [made]
abject
through herding and drudgery, in hardship and sleeplessness 1
42. If he were not occupied with him he. would give his attention
to you, in the evening and at morning light.

a S. XII, 4.
7 Ibid., 5.
s I.e. Joseph.
 30 TRANSLATION

43. Is this not so 1 Therefore kill him, that your father's face may
be clear for you,
and that you may be in his eyes the most upright of men. e
44. Or else cast him away in the midst of a desert place,
far from human habitation, 10 in the narrowest of holes.'
45. Then Judah said: 'This would be an enormity.
There is no more serious offence than taking a life,
46. Especially that of a prophet of God, and the son of a prophet,
and whoever kills a just person unjustly becomes an infidel.'
47. They replied: 'We have to strike him down;
in spite of any opposition you may offer!'
• Fol. 4r 48. *He replied to them: 'If you have to do [this]
then throw him into a well with water in it!'
49. His Lord will do with him as He wishes;
if it is His will, He will save him ; if not he will be drowned in it.'
50. They made a compact in accordance with this opinion;
[after] they had all deliberated together upon these words.
51. They came to the upright Joseph, coaxingly,
and spoke to him in a way that would have softened stone.
52. They said : 'This is springtime,
and the season of the flowering of herbs and trees.
53. If thou stayest alone pasturing the sheep in the wilderness,
thou wilt rejoice in the luxuriance of fatness and abundance.'
54. They continued : 'This is the time of their lambing,
and their young ones come in various colours,
55. For some are white, some russet, some yellow
* Fol. 4v *and some piebald, with colours that ravish the sight.
56. If only thou couldst imagine them at evening when they return,
when their offspring gather joyfully around them in flocks.
57. Their voices bleat in their language,
and then their remaining young ones come to them.
58. Thou couldst draw of their milk from their udders,
and of it we would prepare various kinds of food to be stored.
59. If thou couldst but see what we do in the wilderness
when we revel 11 and play ball there!'
60. He replied to them: 'Ask my father
if tomorrow he will allow me to set forth.'
9 S. XII, 9; for Baycjawi's explanation of the verse, see p. 77.
10 Cf. Baycjawi's comment on this phrase, p. 77.
11 Cf. S. XII, 12; but see Baycjawi's discussion of this word, p. 78.
 TRANSLATION 31

61. They came to their father, setting snares

for Joseph, and the Truthful One 1 2 was not aware of what
was happening.
62. Their complexions had altered with rage,
and paleness had appeared on their countenances.
Fol. 5r 63. *When they approached him they all greeted him
and spoke with treachery and deceit.ia
64. Jacob replied to them: 'I perceive you are
in a state [of mind] for which I feel the utmost repugnance.'
65. They replied to him : 'Thou perceivest a benevolent state of
mind [in us], for we
have a matter in hand which is a cause for joy and wellbeing,
66. Because our brother Joseph has come to us,
with his tears flowing down his cheeks like rain.
67. He has thrown himself upon us in humility;
he has tears [in his eyes] and we have pitied them.
68. He kissed our feet and our faces,
and if we disappoint him he will be heartbroken.
69. He said to us: "By God, my brothers, when
you go out into the wilderness to pasture [your flocks] there is
no harm
70. In taking me with you to see the trackless wilderness
Fol. 5v *so that my care and worry and melancholy may leave me.''
71. So send 14 thou him tomorrow, if thou wilt,
to play and disport himself in the wilderness and enjoy its
scenes.'
72. He said to them : 'By God, do not afflict me
through Joseph; [my] heart is averse from that.'
73. They asked him : 'Why not 1' He replied : 'On account of a dream
which I had just before dawn.
74. It was as though I were on the top of a sandhill
in a valley empty of people,
75. And Joseph was in the valley, lower down, standing,
and around him circled mangy wolves,

12 I.e. Joseph; the epithet 'aI-eiddiq' is frequently used in the poem in reference to

Joseph.
1a The words used by the brothers on this occasion appear in direct speech in S. XII,
ll.
14 S. XII, 12.
 32 TRANSLATION

76. Pressing upon him and all seeking to devour him,

and I was unable to reach him and help him.
77. One of them defended him when he sought protection with him,
and after this he vanished into the earth 15 and appeared no
more.
* Fol. 6r 78. *It would grieve me for you to take him away
and for a wolf to eat him, 16 and I would be the one who suffered
[the greatest] loss.
79. I cannot bear it when he is absent for an hour;
how then [could I endure it] if a day passed without him com-
ing 1'
80. Reuben said to him: 'I do not have any interpretation or regard
for this vision of yours.'
81. His children said to him : 'we are a band of men :11
would a wolf then be able to devour him 1 Verily we should
[then suffer the greatest] loss.'
82. Joseph supported them in what they said:
'Indeed this has been a weighty matter on my mind;
83. I ask thee, by God Who raised the sky,
and caused the cool water to gush out of the rock,
84. To let me enjoy myself, Father, with my brothers,
and trust me to Fate and Predestination.
85. For God's decree may not be resisted
* l!'ol. 6v *however careful one may be, and taking precautions is of no
avail.'
86. So he 1s began· to commend him to them, as his tears
flowed from his eyes like rain down his cheek.
87. Jacob gave him a farewell embrace
and kissed him, as his heart burned within him.1 &
88. He said to them: 'Return with my heartblood, [I adjure you] by
God,
for in my heart there is a fire which blazes like flaming torches.'
89. He solicitously gave them provisions for Joseph,
and a jug of water with [all] impurities filtered out,

15 I.e. a precognition of Joseph's being thrown into the pit at the instance of Judah.
1s S. XII, 13.
11 Ibid., 14.
18 I.e. Jacob.
19 Lit. 'emitted sparks'.
 TRANSLATION 33

90. Saying to them : 'Be the kindest of mortals to him-

may God protect you from adversities and harm.
91. If he is thirsty, give him to drink; if he is hungry, give him to eat,
and be like someone who returns a deposit faithfully,
92. And if the daytime sun blazes down fiercely at midday, shade
him with something, for he cannot bear heat.'
* Fol. 7r 93. *They replied to him : 'We hear, and give thee a thousand marks
of respect.
We shall take him with us, looking after him with our hearing
and sight.'
94. They carried him [away] on their necks
one after the other, although he felt timid.
95. He 20 began to counsel them, accompanying them on the way,
until they had bound themselves by an oath regarding him ;21
he stood and waited
96. On a hill which was there, not moving
until they had disappeared and he could no longer see a
trace of them.
97. He returned with an afflicted, heavy heart,
immersed in a sea in which it was impossible to swim.
98. When they had borne him away from their father,
and disappeared from sight among the hills and trees,
99. The first manifestation of the wickedness of their evil actions
· [was that] the one carrying the water struck the cup so that
it was smashed,
100. And the one bearing him threw him down
* Fol. 7v *roughly on a bare patch of ground, so that he was unable
to move.
101. They began to make him cry out, [lying] on the ground;
he could not walk over the rough earth.
102. They turned on him, intent on murdering him,
saying to him : 'Thy time has come!'
103. They buffeted him on his face,
and in his time of need there was no one to help him.
104. He clung to the hem of Reuben's garment, who struck him
on his face, and threw him back upon the earth, covering
him in dust.

20 I.e. Jacob.
21 I.e. Joseph.
 34 TRANSLATION

105. Whenever he cried out to one of them for help

he found his heart harder than stone towards him.
106. He put himself under the authority of the eldest of them, whose
name
was Judah, a leader of the tribe and the most humane of them,
107. Saying: 'Protect me, 0 my brother, and son of my father;
may the Lord of the Resurrection and the Throne protect
thee from hell!'

*****

* 108. *He said to him: 'Be assured and confident,

Fol. Sr
and be patient; he who is patient, by God, cannot fail.
109. Thou wilt leave it safe and sound,
at the hands of people heading for Egypt,
llO. And thou shalt possess them as slaves, and rule the land,
and thou shalt wear a crown with dignity and respect.'
lll. This is what happened in regard to Joseph
and his being thrown into the well, and what transpired among
them.
ll2. When they were delayed Jacob's heart sank,
and he got up to go to the roadway to watch and wait.
ll3. His sons approached, shouting out
and crying woe and bereavement.
ll4. When Jacob the Prophet did not see Joseph
he collapsed and fell in a swoon on his face.
ll5. His sons came to him and shook [him]
* Fol. Sv *and spoke to him, but he gave them no reply.
ll6. The signs of death had appeared on him in every respect,
and they were afraid, and the flesh of every one of them crept.
ll7. Judah said: 'By God, how evil is our deed.
We have killed our father. Our sin will never be forgiven!'
ll8. He remained prostrate on the ground, and did not recover
until night's fleeing was perceptible at dawn.
ll9. [Then] Jacob the Prophet stirred, and his heart
boiled from passion, and from his very depths he felt repulsion.
120. They said to him: 'Be thou calm, and listen to
the narration of one who deserves forgiveness and has come
to ask it.
 TRANSLATION 35

121. We left our brother looking after our belongings 22

whilst we went to run races, and Fate overrides caution.
122. We forgot him because our shepherding distracted us from him.
O what a fateful chance, like sable night!
* Fol. 9r 123. *When we bethought ourselves of him we went back in dire
alarm,
but we found nothing save some scattered flesh.
124. Thou wilt not believe us, 23 even though our sincerity be as
obvious
and clear as the light of the sun in summer.
125. [But] if thou wilt not believe us, here is his shirt,
the colour of trefoil from redness.'
126. Jacob, when he had looked at his shirt,
and seen no rent in it and [noticed] its bad smell,
127. Knew that this was not Joseph's smell,
and that what they had brought was manifestly false.
128. So Jacob said to them: 'Nay,
your souls have induced you to do something; but one must
be patient 24 under the blows of Fate.'
129. [Then] Simeon addressed them: 'Verily your father
has given you the lie openly and to your face.
130. Go ! Let us catch a wolf and bring it
* Fol. 9v *to him, and we shall say : "Here is the one who has brought
disaster to thee !" '
131. So they were absent a little while, and then they returned, bring-
ing with them
from the wilds a wolf, made captive with bonds.
132. They said to him : 'This is the one who has often come down
upon us,
and has ravaged the sheep for a long time.
133. It was he who used to descend upon our belongings,
and he has even dared to attack horsemen.'
134. Jacob replied: 'Loose his bonds
and bring him to me, so that I may hear from him what
happened.'

22 S. XII, 17.
23 Ibid., 17.
24 Ibid., 18.
 36 TRANSLATION

135. When they had struck off [his bonds] he approached humbly,
with cast-down head, but he did not cower from them.
136. He kissed the feet of the Prophet in a seemly manner;
all who were present were astonished at his seemly conduct.
137. Jacob addressed him: 'O wolf, by Him Who
bestows death and life, and brings forth grain and dates,
• Fol. IOr 138. *Knowest thou anything of the Truthful One, or hast thou
eaten him
and caused grief to me over one whose face was brighter than
the moon 1'
139. Then the One Who knows what is hidden,
and knows each grain [of sand] hidden in the sandhill, caused
him to speak :
140. 'I am innocent of that of which you accuse me;
the truth has become clear and plain,
141. Because the flesh of all prophets
is forbidden to all wild beasts, to the Day of Resurrection.
142. I am a stranger, from a far country,
and I have had no rest from travelling for a year,
143. Searching for a dear brother I have lost;
I am seeking him in the deserts and the steppes,
144. Not knowing whether he is alive, hoping to find him still living
that we may be reunited after our long separation.
145. But if he is dead, I must put him from my mind, and return
* Fol. IOv *with a sad heart, broken at our parting.
146. I have nothing to do with this country, save that
I came to it and they hunted me down; this is what happened.'
147. Jacob said to them: 'You have been away, and brought back
a proof against yourselves ! The truth has appeared and become
as clear as the sun !
148. A wolf has acted thus, because he has lost his brother;
and yet you have neglected your brother wantonly!'
149. He turned away from them, weeping with grief,
yet [eventually] in the face of misfortunes he bore himself
with fortitude.
150. This is what happened in the matter of the wolf's speaking.
Now we return to the Truthful One once more:
151. Three days he stayed in his pit
-and some have said seven-
 TRANSLATION 37

152. The trusty Gabriel 25 was his companion

when the gloom and darkness of night approached.
* Fol. llr 153. *Without him being aware he furnished him with sustenance
abundantly, at evening and morning.
154. The generous God by His grace
made use of a caravan of merchants engaged in commerce.
155. They had come from afar, urging their camels,
riding hard on their bare-backed beasts.
156. They dismounted near to J oseph's pit,
wishing to get water because of their thirst and the heat.
157. They sent Bushra 26 with the bucket to get water for them,
and he made ready, tucking the skirts of his cloak behind him.
158. Bushra let down his bucket, marvelling
at the light which could be seen, and the pleasant odour which
suffused the desert air.
159. When the bucket had settled in the water and was full,
the handsome Joseph clung on to it and held on.
160. Bashshar 27 felt him and found him making [the bucket] heavy,
* Fol. llv *and he braced himself with vigour, and pulled.
161. When the handsome Joseph appeared, coming up [from the pit],
Bashshar caught sight of him and delightedly called out:
162. 'O Bushra, this is a youth 28
who has appeared, with a face like the full moon!'
163. He took him with him, as he was the most valuable kind of
merchandise,
more valuable than a treasure filled with pearls.
164. They brought him to Malik,29
and how fortunate it was that he came to Malik !
165. His brothers, when they saw this, approached.
Every one in a voice like a raging lion
166. Said to him: 'This is a servant, a runaway slave. 30
He hid and concealed himself from us in the pit.
25 Cf. Baycjawi, p. 78.
26 See Bay4a,wi (p. 79) for the theory that 'Bushra' was the name of a person who
was an assistant to the water-drawer Malik ibn Dhu'r; our poet however makes Malik
not the water-drawer but the leader of the caravan (see below, verse 164), whilst Bushra
himself is given an assistant named Bashshar.
27 Evidently the assistant of Bushra; see previous note and below, verses 161-162.
28 S. XII, 19.
29 I.e. Malik ibnDhu'r, whom the poet makes the leader of the caravan.
ao Cf. BayQawi, p. 79.
 38 TRANSLATION

167. If you wish to buy, we will sell him; so buy [him]

and we will write a contract to be made public'.
* * * * *
• Fol. 12r 168. *'If his shirt is torn from behind 31
thou hast told a lie, and the wickedness [of thy deed] will have
been made plain by this.'
169. When he saw that it had been torn from behind, and
the truth shone plain and clear like the morning,
170. He said to her : 'Women are wicked,
and reject the doing of good, and love, and friendship.
171. Wouldst thou impugn an innocent person through what thou
hast done 1
Thy condemnation for slander and sin has been established.
172. It is surely a piece of your intrigue; it is
a monstrous intrigue !' 32 Thus God has stated.
173. 'O Joseph, shun 33 the deeds of this [woman],
and ask thou 34 forgiveness for thy sin; perhaps 35 it will be
forgiven.'
17 4. Women in the city blamed her
for her deed, for talk about her had spread.
175. These were women from among the notables of her people :
• Fol. 12v *[people] of lineage, not people to be disdained.
176. They said : 'Zulaykha is wise;
can what they say of her be true 1 What extraordinary news!
177. She has been smitten with love for her young man ;3&
she is attempting to seduce him for himself, but he holds
back.'
178. This indicated his good breeding,
just as the smell of sandalwood indicates perfume.
179. She had been smitten with love and had clearly shown it;
how small is woman's intellect !
180. She heard of their deceit; she sent
for them that they should come with honour and respect. 37
a1 S. XII, 27.
a2 Ibid., 28.
33 Ibid., 29.
34 I.e. Zulaykhii..
35 S. XII, 29.
ae Ibid., 30.
37 Ibid., 31.
 TRANSLATION 39

181. She furnished one of her apartments, after sprinkling it

with rosewater scented with musk, which suffused fragrance.
182. She set up in it chairs of silver
and a couch which she had prepared for those who came.
* Fol. 13r 183. *When they had come she rose to welcome [them],
and brought various sorts of fruit and produce.
184. She brought citrons to each of the women
and knives to them also.
185. She said : 'If Joseph comes here
give him the citron to eat; cut a slice for him.'
186. They replied to her : 'We hear and obey.
Every servant should obey the one who gives commands.'
187. She came to the Truthful One and found him sitting down,
and said to him : 'Thou hast clothed me in shame and ignominy;
188. Thou hast made me bow my head to the ground among my
family;
thou hast clad me in a robe of humiliation and contempt.
189. Do as I wish, that they may excuse me
and cease their jealous gossip.'
190. He said to her: 'I hear and obey,'
* Fol. 13v *since the deed of.shame had come to light.
191. Then she proceeded to dress him in a suit
of silk and brocade, all of crimson hue.
192. She had it adorned with sashes which she had,
and a crown which gleamed like the moon.
193. She applied kohl to his eyes, and bestowed
more beauty upon one who was already handsome.
194. She said to him: 'Go out to them, Joseph,
and ask them to give you citron and dates to eat.'
195. So he came, like a full moon appearing over the horizon of the
heavens;
he had a presence which captivated hearts when he proudly
walked.
196. When they beheld him they quite lost their
senses : they could understand neither an odd nor an even
number.
197. They admired him so much it was as though they thought of
him
as a young angel, not as a human being.
* Fol. 14r 198. *They were astonished, gazing at him,
and they cut their hands through extreme perplexity.
 40 TRANSLATION

199. Zulaykhah laughed at their action :

they were drunk, and had not recovered from their inebriety.
200. She said to them : 'Gently with yourselves !
Do not cut your hands, but cast down your eyes !
201. For this man is the one for whose sake you blamed me previously;
the matter was indeed as he described,
202. But he resisted temptation; but if he will not obey me
I shall have him thrown into prison, where he shall taste
adversity. ' 38
203. She said to them : 'If you intercede for me with him
he may relent if he does but glance at me.'
204. So they came to him; every one
inviting his attention for herself, not for any other.
205. He said : 'I swear by God : they were one; now
• Fol. 14v *they have become many. How can I escape from them f
206. He prayed, and God answered his prayer.a9
Verily he answers the prayer of the oppressed man when
harm comes to him.
207. After they had seen his evidence 40 which
appeared like the full moon on the fourteenth of the month,
208. And after their vision of it, it neverthless seemed to them
that he should be put in prison and that he should be clad in
rags. 41
209. Zulaykha came in her full finery
to King al-Rayyan, walking with proud gait.
210. There she asked permission to enter his presence,
and when he knew it was she he commanded her to enter.
211. When she had approached him, he rose; she swore
to him an oath, and he regarded an oath from her as justifica-
tion.
212. He said to her : 'Make thyself welcome,
O most gracious lady of the quarter, deserving of respect and
honour!'
• Fol. 15r 213. *When she had sat down and given greetings,
and offered salutations like strings of pearls,
214. He said to her : 'Is there any request that I can fulfil 1
even if it is a portion of the kingdom, it shall be divided.'

as Ibid., 32.
39 Ibid., 34.
40 See Bay(jawi (p. 84) for the nature of this evidence.
41 S. XII, 35.
 TRANSLATION 41

215. She replied to him: 'Mayest thou ever live

safe and sound in a kingdom like the kingdom of the forbears !
216. But my manservant has defiantly disobeyed me,
just as a colt is refractory when the bridle is lost.
217. I wish thee to put him in thy prison, ignominiously
and humbly, and to throw him into the narrowest of holes!"
218. He answered her: 'I hear and obey thee';
and he sent in haste, and [Joseph] waited upon him.
219. He said to him: 'Thou hast disobeyed thy mistress who has
showered thee with her kindness, pouring it down upon thy
head.'
220. He brought a blacksmith, who brought his fetter [s],
• Fol. 15v *and he put him into prison ; yet he was not distressed.
221. On the contrary he was filled with joy when he entered it,
because of his distance from fornication, and he thanked God.
222. God made sympathetic the hearts of those who
were inside the prison wherein he entered.
223. He consoled them and drove away their melancholy
with sweet conversation, which did not pall even when repeated.
224. He had a knowledge of the interpretation of sayings 42 [through
being possessed of] wisdom;
when he gave utterance it seemed as though it were incised
in stone.
225. He informed them about the food that was going to be given to
them on the morrow,
and it was given as he had said.
226. There came to him visions in a beautiful form,
which were true and never false; he was famous for his know-
ledge.
227. His good deeds multiplied and followed one after the other
for the people of that prison; they were like abundant rain
outpoured.
• Fol. 16r 228. *After straitened circumstances, and effort and trouble,
there came by stages alleviation, and oppression was removed.
229. All who were in the prison truly loved it,
and were loth to leave it for any reason.
230. Then [one day] a young man on a camel colt [came by],
hailing him, and reciting poems which stirred the heart.

42 Ibid., 6.
 42 TRANSLATION

231. He called to him : 'I adjure thee by God to halt !'

So he pulled up and reined in the camel.
232. He asked : 'What dost thou want, young man 1
If I can, I am willing to fulfil thy request.'
233. He replied : 'By God from where dost thou come 1
And to which of God's lands dost thou betake thyself to settle
therein 1'
234. He answered : 'I am from the land of Canaan,
and my fathers and forbears from time immemorial.'
235. He inquired : 'Dost thou know in Canaan a tall,
• Fol. 16v *ornate tree, fragrant with fruit 1
236. For it has appeared and taken root and grown branches;
it has two boughs from which ten [more] spring.
237. But it has lost [one] branch of these, and has suffered
sore, for it has sustained damage thereby.'
238. The young man replied : 'Glory be to my Lord ! These
attributes describe Jacob, the Prophet of God among men.'
239. As soon as the Truthful One heard the mention of his father he
could not
prevent himself falling to the ground like one dead.
240. After he had fainted he recovered himself, but the tears
were flowing from his eye upon his cheek like rain.
241. He said to him : 'By God, how didst thou leave him 1'
He replied: 'In a state that grieved the beholder.
242. His innermost being has become quiescent and still,
and he has become emaciated of body and bent of back.
• Fol. I7r 243. *He has become grey-haired before his time,
and the depth of his sorrows has deprived him of his sight.
244. He has fled from his native place, his family and his home,
and he misses his abode and the company of his folk.
245. Instead of the house in Canaan he has built a solitary house,
and has called it a house of sorrows and affliction.'
246. He replied to him : 'If thou deliverest a letter for me,
thou wilt thereby acquire a blessing to the end of time,
247. And thou shalt have from me a prayer which shall be answered,
which will increase your children and family and years.'
248. He asked him: 'What is the letter, young man 1'
He replied: 'It is a greeting like the [fragrance] of the trefoil
when it is diffused;
 TRANSLATION 43

249. A greeting to the afflicted one from his relative,

far away and distant from home, in prison, which he cannot
leave.
250. Sorrows beset him on every hand;
* Fol. 17v *he has been afflicted by being separated from his folk at
such a tender age.'
251. The young man said : 'Glory to my Lord : who could
[possibly] take it to him, for fear his heart might break 1'
252. He replied : 'If thou fulfilest this task
go slowly if dusk falls and darkness comes,
253. [And wait] for the hour when prophets rise to go forth
to confide in a Lord who is hidden from the ::i~ht.'
254. Jacob, the Prophet of God, arose, striving
to serve his Master as the dawn approached.
255. 'Be gentle and courteous and kind to him when thou addressest
[him]
[for] kindly treatment is due to the dignity [of prophethood];
256. And deliver to him what thou bearest;
haply thou wilt win from him a great blessing.'
257. He handed him the letter, and prayed for
safety and security for him on the journey.
* Fol. 18r 258. *He set off with it, quickly traversing the wilderness,
until he came to Canaan at nightfall.
259. He said : 'I shall deliver what has been entrusted to me,
for I may accumulate blessings from Jacob.'
260. He arrived, and did as he had been counselled,
and handed him the letter without delay.
261. Jacob said to him: 'By God, young man,
hast thou seen him with thine own eyes and sight 1
262. Hast thou seen a mole which I have often kissed
on the cheek, it being like a drop of ink 1'
263. He answered: 'Nay, he said if anyone asked about it,
I was to say that tears had effaced it, and his eyelid had become
sunken.'
264. He replied : 'Let me kiss
eyes which have seen my loved one, and kiss them ten times!'
265. And Jacob the Prophet kissed his eyes,
* Fol. 18v *and said to him: 'Ask what thou wilt and desirest !'
 44 TRANSLATION

266. He answered: 'Ask thy God to make me rich,

with wealth and clildren, and to give me bliss at the Resur-
rection!'
267. So he obtained what he had requested,
through [Jacob's] prayer, and afterwards he became the richest
man engaged in commerce.
268. Two young men entered the prison where Joseph was:
they were the baker and the butler, as [the story] relates.
269. They shared his company for a time, and in their company
he showed them wonders by which he delighted them.
270. He interpreted the visions of those who saw them in their sleep,
and they came true, translated into reality.
271. The young butler slept and saw a vision
from which he quickly awoke in fear.
272. He told him that he had seen three bunches
of grapes being pressed there, which he had pressed.
* Fol. 19r 273. *Their colour was white and red and black;
he trod them into wine, which immediately fermented.
274. He said to him : 'Thou shalt remain in thy prison
three days, and wilt then go forth happy.
275. Thou shalt rise in favour by being at the side
of thy lord as a wine butler, wherever he is.'
276. The young baker also said : 'I
have seen a vision which [calls forth] tears when one ponders it.
277. I saw three ovens filled with
loaves of bread, and the yeast had risen,
278. And I was carrying them on my head,
while people were gazing at me.
279. The birds of the air descended upon it
and ate of it as much as they wished, and flew away.'
280. He said to him : 'Thou shalt remain in thy prison
* Fol. 19v *three days, and shalt [then] go forth reviled,
281. And shalt be crucified on the trunk of a palm-tree, high up,
and the birds of the air shall eat of thee when they peck.'
282. He replied: 'I have not committed any offence and I
am indeed afflicted by its injustice; Fate has so decreed.'
283. To the one who was to be saved he said: 'Be thou mindful, and
do not forget
thy Lord'. But the friend by then had become lukewarm.
 TRANSLATION 45

284. Gabriel reproved him in a revelation, saying:

'Wilt thou abandon a Lord Who [even] gives sustenance to
the worms of the soil,
285. And Who rescued thee from all the intrigues;
and wilt thou make this request to a [mere] creature who has
denied thy Lord 1'
286. The butler had forgotten 43 Joseph's charge to him,
through Fate and Predestination.
287. He remained a prisoner, and stayed in prison
for some [time] 44 -and 'some' means between seven and ten.
• Fol. 2or 288. *When God wished to free [him from his] straitened circum-
stances,
and to drive away care and grief and sadness from him,
289. There came to him the Faithful Spirit giving
good news, and saying : 'Be glad, for thou hast obtained
victory;
290. This coming evening
King al-Rayyan shall have a vision containing allegories:
291. Inform him of what he shall see before he sees it,
and teach him its interpretation secretly and not in public.'
292. These were marvels by which God had singled him out, 4 5
and a miracle which became celeLrated and famous and noised
abroad.
293. When the jet-black night came and overshadowed
the night-watch, and those who kept vigil slept,
294. King al-Rayyan repaired to his bed,
sleeping upon a double bed with a concubine.
295. His eyes were sunk in sleep for an hour,
• Fol. 20v *and then he started up from slumber like one terrified, and
was filled with fear.
296. He brought all the wise men and
soothsayers from Egypt, those who were astrologers and men
of skill.
297. He said to them: 'I have seen wonders
and a vision which baffles the mind and the intellect.

43 Ibid., 42. The poet accepts the first of Bay(ja"i's alternative explanations of
ol....jl;; see BayQawi, p. 85.
44 S. XII, 42.
45 Ibid., 6.
 46 TRANSLATION

298. It seemed to me as though I were sitting on a bank

of the Nile in a meadow which was brilliantly green.
299. I looked towards the blessed Nile;
its waves lapped against each other, and its current brought
something up,
300. As its waves stood still and parted
and cast on to the land seven fat kine.
301. They were fine and well-formed
and their colour was of an extreme red. 46
302. They were filled with fat and meat and milk,
and their udders were replete [and distended as] the full moon.
• Fol. 2lr 303. *[Then] seven thin, emaciated, empty [ones appeared]
and their eyes were blue, tending to yellowness.
304. Their snouts were like a dog's, ugly;
their colour was dusty, and lack of food had exhausted them.
305. They ate up all of those fat [kine]
and they spared nothing of their backs and bellies.
306. And afterwards appeared seven ears
filled with grain, which were green and fresh,
307. And [I also saw] seven dry ears twisted around them,
strangling them, having no greenness in them.
308. They had all become dry and withered,
and resembled the colour of pitch, being utterly black.
309. So expound to me, 0 counsellors, this
vision of mine, if any of you are able to interpret it. 47
310. If you do not respond to me regarding what I ask you
• l!'ol. 21 v *to interpret, I shall not spare nor show mercy to any of you.'
311. When he had said what he had to say to them they were baffled,
and they looked at each other fearfully.
312. They said to him : 'Give us a three days' delay
so that we may defer it while we rack our brains.'
313. So he granted them a respite for the period of
three days, acting with forbearance and not forcing them.
314. When they were alone they said to each other:
'We have been thrown into a sea to which we can discern no
shore.

46 Red cattle were accounted the best kind by the Arabs, and the phrase ~ I ~,,..
was proverbially used to indicate great worth.
47 Ibid., 43.
 TRANSLATION 47

315. His vision requires an elaborate interpretation, and every one

of us
is ignorant of it; not one of us can comprehend it.'
316. If they were to devise something what excuse could it be 1
The expiry of the period was drawing nigh and the time had
come.
317. So when they came to him and he said to them: 'Tell me
about my vision; my heart has been cleft in twain!'
• Fol. 22r 318. *They replied : 'This is the time when
the leaves fall from all the trees. 48
319. This is no true vision, but merely
confused dreams, 4 9 which have no interpretation.
320. We are in no way knowledgeable regarding dreams :
knowledge falls short of that'. 50
321. Then al-Rayyan realized their incapacity,
and although he had intended to do them harm, he excused
them.
322. The one who had been in prison, but who had been released,
said when he remembered:
'I will inform you of the interpretation of this.' 51
323. They said to him: 'Who will interpret it for us 1'
He replied: 'A Hebrew youth who was thrown into prison.
324. In thy prison he is unjustly incarcerated: he
is as knowledgeable in the interpretation of dreams as the
sea when it surges.
325. If he cannot interpret it we shall find no one else,
• Fol. 22v *even if thou wert to search for the whole of thy life on land
and sea!'
326. He said : 'Fetch him without delay,
for in an interrogation shall the man be tried and tested!'
327. Thus spake the butler when he remembered, being filled with
shame at forgetting that with which [Joseph] had previously
charged him.
328. When he knocked upon his door he came with haste,
and a smile [appeared] on his lips when he saw him.

48 I.e. 'we are bereft of all ability to interpret this'.

49 Ibid., 44.
50 Loe. ,·it.
51 Ibid., 45.
 48 TRANSLATION

329. He said to him : 'A hearty welcome

to one who has come to ask me about the seven
330. Fat kine and the seven thin ones with them,
which ate those fat ones, leaving none behind,
331. And about the seven full ears of corn,
and then another seven withered ears.
332. Their interpretation is : fruitful years shall come,
their number being seven : God has thus spoken.
* Fol. 23r 333. *[These years shall be] full of prosperity, provisions and mercy,
and the grass of the land shall be illuminated by flowers.
334. The Nile shall be in full flood from bank to bank,
and the eyes of the clouds shall pour forth an abundance of
ram.
335. The tillers of the land shall be assured of water in their plough-
land;
there shall be no part of it which the blessed Nile does not
cover and inundate.
336. They shall strive to sow it all,
and they shall not leave a span of earth fallow.
337. They shall build a spacious building for storage
in every region, with sturdy walls.
338. After that shall come very barren years
of drought, having no good in them.
339. They will be seven in number, and harsh,
and will eat up the provisions you have planted.
340. The springs of water will overflow from every source,
• ~'ol. 23v *and during that time the land will be overwhelmed, so that
the sower shall lose [his crops].
341. The palm-trees will be overwhelmed during that time, so that
even the females
will be changed to males, and the fruit will be spoiled.
342. The price of food will soar,
and when prices soar rapacity will come.
343. Winds with no good in them will blow,
and most of the evil people will perish in the destruction.
344. So in these seven fruitful [years] there should be stored up
enough for the seven others that will follow them.
345. It should be stored in the husk and the ear,
and in this way it will be preserved for the beasts in the [time
of] want.'
 TRANSLATION 49

346. So the butler came to him and told him what

Joseph had said to him; and he was amazed and astounded.
347. He said to him: 'Arise quickly and bring him to me: 52
I shall give him the choice between being a prince and a minister.
"' Fol. 24r 348. *For I must show him honour since
he has disclosed and revealed what is now clear,
349. And has explained things which were at first hidden,
and they have become, through his revelation, like sun and
moon.
350. Should such a man be imprisoned, or scorned with contumely 1
For how many a horse which can outstrip the field has stumbled
when ambling !'
351. So the butler came to him to bring him forth,
and said to him: 'Arise quickly and come immediately!'
352. 'Return to thy lord and ask him about the women
who cut their hands in awed astonishment.5 2
353. Could I ever have had a desire for them at that time 1
On the contrary I was on guard against that which they
craved!.
354. Al-Rayyan sent to fetch the women,
and spoke to them words of rebuke.
355. He said to them: 'What is your concern with Joseph 1
* Fol. 24v *You desired him for himself when he was in captivity !'53
356. They replied: 'God forbid! By God, he is
innocent of disgrace and abomination and impurity.
357. [He is] chaste and clean as mother-of-pearl. By God, we have
not been aware of any sin that could be imputed to him.' 53
358. Zulaykha said (she was the wife of their prince) :
'The clear truth has become evident and has been noised
abroad; 53
359. Indeed I tried to seduce him, but he was sincere
in what he said; and the matter was as he stated.5 3
360. Let him 54 know that I have not betrayed him in his absence;
God does not guide the one who betrays or is faithless.' 54
361. Jacob, the Prophet of God, said of himself:
'I do not acquit myself, since the self is prone to command
to evil.'
52 Ibid., 50.
53 Ibid., 51.
54 Ibid., 52.
 50 TRANSLATION

362. He was exempt from sin, through the exemption of his Lord,
for he had been excepted by an act of mercy from Him Who
forgives.

* * * * *

363.
• Fol. 25r *they made a pact with them, that he should not be allowed
to go to Egypt.
364. Then behold! A groan [was heard from] within the tomb, saying:
'O my son, how is it that today thou art overcome 1'
365. The slave, whose mount had been
tethered, turned round, but could not find him, and became
frenzied with fright.
366. He returned, following the beast's track,
and he came upon him with tears in his eyes, embracing the
tomb.
367. He said to him: 'Art thou praying for, or mourning one, who
has passed away,
and one whose bones beneath the layers of earth have decayed 1
368. To thy mother thou prayest time after time,
and takest thy leave, but this is all deception.
369. Was this not so before thou wert sold 1 It is
all deception and deceit, which has become evident to me
and noised abroad.
370. The masters spoke truth concerning thee when they spoke,
since thou art a treacherous, fugitive, disloyal thief!'
• Fol. 25v 371. *And the despicable slave rushed to slap him
on his face, throwing him to the ground and covering him
with dust.
372. He said : 'My God, my brothers slap me,
and after them contemptible black slaves!
373. If this be the expiation of sins which I have obtained,
to Thee be the praise, 0 my Lord, 0 best of those who grant
forgiveness !
374. My God, by my forefathers, and for the sake of my father,
show the people my worth, and avenge one who has been pa-
tient!'
375. Darkness and a cloud of dust swirled over them,
and the simoom [blew], and then it thundered without rain.
 TRANSLATION 51
•
376. The daytime sun was eclipsed, and it became overcast,
like the gloom of night, and the atmosphere became dark
and murky.
377. They were certain they were going to die, from the dreadfulness
• Fol. 26r of what they saw,
and not one of them looked at his companion.
378. The chief of the people, Malik, said : 'Throw yourselves down,
*otherwise you will perish like 'Ad 55 from the screeching wind!
379. I am not mistaken in believing there is a sinner among the
gathering,
who has persisted in exorbitant sin.
380. Whoever amongst you has sinned, let him repent
and ask forgiveness of the great God, as he confesses!'
381. Then the slave stood up with his head bared,
and said without seeking to deny it : 'I am the wicked criminal !
382. In truth, I slapped this servant of thine,
and I saw him look towards Heaven.
383. He spread out his hands in prayer to Him
and murmured something; I do not know what he said.
384. The eye had scarcely glanced at him when there came
thunderings and lightening which almost blinded the eyes.
• l!'ol. 26v 385. Therefore go to him, before we perish,
and let us ask him for forgiveness for the sin, if he is willing
to pardon'.
386. *They came to him with bared heads,
and each one of them stood in front of him in humility and
apologized.
387. They said to him: 'Give a slap,
or three, or ten, to whomsoever thou singlest out.'
388. He said : 'I come of a stock who forgive when they are mighty;
their nature is to pardon, and I shall follow in their footsteps.
389. 0 my God, take away the punishment from them which they
have in mind,
and bestow beneficence upon them, 0 Best of those who for-
give!'
390. And by the permission of God the earthquakes ceased,
as did the fiery-red simoom.
391. The daytime sun rose and shone,
and the winds died down.
55 See S. XI, 62f, for the story of 'Ad.
 52 TRANSLATION

392. The darkness was changed to radiant light,

and above the dust covering the hen-tree a bird made merry,
393. And the guide of the people became secure in the cavalcade

*****
• Fol. 27r 394. *Behold horses came to them, one after the other,
leaping like gazelles when someone shouts at them to disperse
them.
395. He shouted, calling to them, and hailed them, saying:
'O caravan, with your howdahs !
396. By God, your falsehood has become plain to your messengers.
You are robbers and thieves, and some of you are perfidious!'
397. He alarmed the camel-driver as they were setting off.
and it brought them to a standstill when he cried out.
398. He said to them : 'What is it that you have lost f
They replied: 'A goblet, which we cannot find,5&
399. And the one who shall produce it shall have
a camel-load of pure wheat.'
400. They replied : 'From a family such as ours
no cheats and robbers have come, nor anyone who deceives
and misleads.
401. We did not come into the world to cause public depravity,57
• Fol. 27v *nor to tear aside the veils of sacred things which God has
veiled!'
402. [God] says to the speaker : 'Verily his punishment shall be
thus; we shall requite the wrongdoers,' 58 as He has mentioned.
403. The investigation of the bags of the others was started before
that of his,
he being excessively cunning.
404. But they found nothing after
making a thorough search inside and out.
405. He said to them : 'Go' 'and they answered : 'There remains
one bag belonging to Benjamin; examine it and do not leave
any suspicion
406. In thy mind; exclude all doubts, and go back
with complete assurance, for what thou hast seen can be taken
as established fact.'
56 S. XII, 71-72.
57 Ibid., 73.
58 Ibid .. 75.
 TRANSLATION 53

407. He said to them: 'Go, for I have wronged you;

I have become convinced of your honesty and uprightness.'
408. They answered : 'That was inevitable. Do not continue [to wrong
us];
thou must do as thou didst to the others.'

*****
* Fol. 28r 409. *He obtained assurances that they would return speedily
to him, not leaving a soul behind them.
410. And when the caravan had departed from Egypt winds were sent
which had been commanded by God the Disposer.
411. The scent of Joseph was easily carried by them,
blowing like musk diffused in the breeze of dawn. 59
412. Those around him said : 'Thou remainest
in thy [old error], unmoved.'&o
413. Jacob said to them : 'O my sons, listen:
do not blame me, but pardon me sincerely.
414. For I have a deep-seated love for him
which would renew the sharpness of iron after it had lost it !'
415. And Jacob recognized the appearance of a man coming
on a lean she-camel exerting itself like a hawk.
416. It was the messenger &1 making towards him,
* Fol. 28v *and he shouted at the top of his voice so that all could hear,
417. Saying: 'Thy miseries have passed away and good fortune has
come to thee,
shining like the rising moon.
418. The time of separation and parting and loathsomeness has depart-
ed,
and the time of joy and [the attainment of] desires has come!
419. Here is a shirt which has a secret in it, for it
is the shirt of an Excellent One who is inimitable in good works.
420. It came from the Garden of Eternity:
Gabriel provided it, as the story 62 relates,
421. For the Friend of God, 63 on the day when he was thrown
into the fire, having been cast from a catapult.

59 See Bayq.ii.wi (p. 95) for the episode of Joseph's scent being carried 80 parasangs.
60 S. XII, 95.
61 Bay(jii.wi (p. 95) tells us that this was Judah.
62 Cf. Bay(jii.wi p. 78.
68 I.e. Abraham; see Bayq.ii.wi, p. 78.
 54 TRANSLATION

422. It was an artifice devised by Nimrod,84

and Satan cunningly helped him in it.
423. He put it 85 on him while he was [yet flying through] the air
and [the fire], by God's help, turned into cold [and ceased]
to throw out sparks.
• Fol. 29r 424. *All was well; and had it not been for My command the extreme
cold from it would
have frozen the Friend of God.
425. Gabriel put it 85 on Joseph in the well, 88
thus saving him from all intrigues and harm.'
426. Jacob the Prophet threw it over his face,
and his sight returned 87 as though he had suffered no harm.
427. When his sons saw this they averted [their glance], fearing his
curse when he looked towards them.
428. They said to him : 'Forgive us our transgressions,
O our father,8s for this was inscribed on the Tablet.us
429. For we have sinned, and the offence has been revealed,
and we have confessed; condemn not those who have acknow-
ledged [their misdeeds].'
430. Warning them, he gave them a respite
until the time when prayers and curses are fulfilled at the hour
of dawn.
431. The Truthful One had sent a hundred she-camels
• Fol. 29v *with their equipment and provisions and other gear.
432. So that they might make use of it in making ready for the journey
their swift beasts,
adorned for the beholder with trappings loaded upon them.
433. They worked hard and secured their loads ;
on every neck they secured a howdah [woven] of twisted hair.

84 Nimrod is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, but allusion is ma.de to him in
connexion whith Abraham in S. II, 260, and S. XXIX, 23. See B. Heller, s.v. 'Na.mriid',
in Encyclopbl,i,e de l'Ialam, Vol. III (Leiden/Paris, 1936) for the sources of the Islamic
legend of Nimrod.
85 I.e. the shirt.
68 Cf. Ba.yqawi, p. 78.
e7 S. XII, 96.
88 Ibid., 98.
89 The 'Preserved Tablet' in heaven, which is believed by Muslims to contain a.
record of a.II human actions, past, present and future. The brothers a.re putting forward
the excuse that their action had been predestined.
 TRANSLATION 55

434. In the night they rode fast, as though they were

a herd of ostriches stampeded by horses.
435. Their homes in the land of Canaan had been obliterated,
and had become refuges and abodes for animals of the wilder-
ness.
436. They headed for Egypt, riding hard,
day and night across plains and rugged country,
437. Until there remained between them and Egypt
a distance of a day's journey for ha1d-travelling men.
438. The Truthful One went to meet them at the head of a powerful
army,
resplendent like a verdant Spring.

* * * * *

* Fol. 30r 439. *When they came to Egypt, they found it decorated
with various kinds of brocade and shining gold for them.
440. Tables were erected there for feasting,
and all the army feasted them with meat which they had
slaughtered.
441. When they came to the palace, and came up to the throne ·
-[thus] he restrung the necklace which had been scattered 70-
442. They bowed down to God until their chins touched the ground 71
and each of them, being close [to the throne] covered his face
in dust.
443. He said 7 2 to Jacob, the Prophet of God: 'Verily it
is the interpretation of my vision which appeared when I
was young.
444. It has been made truly manifest, and the one who
has spoken regarding its interpretation spoke the truth when
he uttered its explanation.
445. The glittering stars were my brothers,
and similarly the sun and the moon were my parents.
446. And to God, Lord of the Throne, be praise for
* Fol. aov *the unrestricted sovereignty which He has given us.

70 I.e. he had brought together again the scattered members of the family.
71 S. XII, 101: the poet adopts the second of BaycJa.wi's alternative interpretations
of this verse (p. 96).
72 It is clear from the context, the Qur'a.n and Bayqa.wi's comments (p. 96) that
the speaker here is Joseph; hence we propose to add the preposition Ii to nabi.
 56 TRANSLATION

447. He was kind to me in the desert, helping me and saving me,

and He mended [my] heart after it had been broken, by granting
me the kingdom.
448. My Lord brought you from the desert after
the Devil had deceitfully caused dissension between us. 73
449. Thou hast taught me the interpretation [of dreams] as a grace
from Thee;
to Thee be the praise, Thou Who hast created the heavens !' 74
450. Jacob the Prophet of God lived afterwards
most pleasantly, untroubled by sorrow;
451. A life of grace for twenty years,
at the end of which he died 75 at his allotted term.

452. I conclude with praise of God, just as

I started, seeking a reward.
453. [This poem] is fittingly assembled as a necklace [of words],
after a year has elapsed without eye being closed.
* Fol. 3lr 454. *It has been composed by the grace of my Lord and His favour,
by the hand of a servant, the most needy and despised of men.
455. He has borne a sin which he could not endure bearing,
and has become fearful and afraid through it,
456. But he will seek mercy from God
when he comes perplexed to the Place of Gathering. 76
457. 0 Thou Who afford est the finest protection,
O Hearer of Prayer, 0 Bestower of Grace, 0 Revealer of Wrong !
458. 0 Refuge of Fugitives in their need,
O Thou Who seest the pearls in the depths of the sea !
459. 0 Thou Who seest the gnats in the gloom of dusk,
at rest, moving, seeking their food, being still;
460. By every Prophet, endowed with resolution and power,
by their adherents and the followers in their footsteps,
461. And by every Prophet sent; by His noble Book
* Fol. 31 v *and the verses it contains ;
462. By the rank of Him Who sent mercy to the Creation,
and Who by the sword has spread the True Religion;
73 Cf. S. XII, 101.
74 Ibid., 102.
75 Cf. Bayqawi's account of the end of Jacob's life (p. 96); however he makes the
remaining period of his life 24 years.
76 I.e. the Day of Judgement.
 TRANSLATION 57

463. By the allotted portion contained in the Book of God,

and by its (?Ontents recited from dawn to dusk :
464. Be a help and an assistance and a refuge to Thy servant,
and give him a good end before he dies.
465. 0 God, realize his hope in Thee; verily
he has set his expectations in Thee. Thy knowledge is supreme.
466. Felicitations and good wishes, 0 Friend, in [the enjoyment of]
a robe 77
with variegated hems, which has been embroidered with
thoughts.'
467. I have been associated with the praise of A};tmad; 78
haply thou wilt be with them 7 0 on the Day of Resurrection.
468. And after : may my Lord God
bless and give peace to the Lord of Mankind
* Fol. 32r 469. *Mu~tafa, the upright guide Mu};tammad,
and his family and Companions as long as Time endures.

The poem has been completed through God's praise and help
and His goodly assistance. Amen, amen.

77 A metaphorical reference to the present poem.

78 I.e. :M:ul;tammad.
79 I.e. the Blessed.
 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. A. F. L. Beeston, Bai<!Jiwi'B Commentary on Surah 12 o.f the Qur'iin (Oxford, 1963).

2. H. Gunkel, 'Die Komposition der Joseph-Geschichte' in ZeitBchrift der DeutBchen
jforgenlandiBchen GeBellBchaft, Bd. 76 [N.F. l] (1922), pp. 55-71.
3. M. ibn 'Abdullah al-Kisa'i, Vita Prophetarum (Qi~a~ al-Anbiyii'), ed. I. Eisenberg
(Leiden, 1922).
4. J. Macdonald, 'Joseph in the Qur'an and Muslim Commentary' in The Muslim
World, vol. XLVI (1956), pp. 113-131, 207-224.
5. V. Serres, 'L'Histoire de Joseph selon la Tradition Musulmane par J. Spiro' in Revue
Tunisienne (1907), pp. 420-425.
6. D. Sidersky, Les Origines deB Legendes Musulmanes dans le Goran et dans les Vies
des Prophetes (Paris, 1933).
7. J. Spiro, L'Ilistoire de Joseph selon la Tradition Musulmane (Lausanne, 1906).
8. G. Weil, Biblische Legenden der Muselmanner. Aus arabischen Quellen zusammenge-
tragen und mit jiidischen Sagen verglichen (Frankfurt am ].\fain, 1845).