VI. THE STORY OF YUSUF AND ZULAIKHA*

1. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved, (the tale of) Yusuf and Zulaikha ?

2. (Zulaikha) "To the feast wilt thou not come ? Dainty meat wilt thou not eat ?
In season or out of season, come thou to me. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?

3. "Seven rooms have I in the palace; in my longing for thee have I prepared them.
Sit thou, I pray, for but a moment. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?"

4. One by one she herself in the idol-house
Covereth (each idol) with a Veil.** Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

5. (Yusuf) "On what hast thou put a veil? What hast thou displayed to us?"
(Zulaikha) "It is my god (that I have veiled). Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?" 

6. (Yusuf) "There is but one God. Cast from thy mind the belie in dualism.***
He is burning bright as a lamp. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

7. "There is but one God, who hath manifested himself in glory.
What purpose can there be in a stone ? Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?"

8. The holy Yusuf fled, and after him ran Zulaikha. Yusuf fleeing, Zulaikha pursuing.
Cried she, "Is it thus that thou shouldest act? Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?"

9. She caught him by the neck. She made an accusation against him.
They went before the King. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

* Yusuf is Joseph, and Zulaikha is Potiphar's wife.
** When Zulaikha tempts Joseph she puts a veil before the image of her household idol, that it may not become aware of her unchastity. This arouses Joseph's suspicions.
*** Doy, duality, is a technical term of Kashmiri Saiva monotheism, and is here borrowed by Musalman theology.

10. Aziz-e Misr was the King and he had enimity against Yusuf. Yusuf is in prison, no one heareth his complaint.
But he will be released by the power of God. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

11. When Yusuf was put in prison there were there old prisoners. They each saw a dream. To one he interpreted it, saying, " Of a surety the King kill thee," and the King did kill him. To the other he made interpretation saying, "Thou wilt become the King's chief clerk. Then, sir, I beseech thee, bear thou me in mind."
The prisoners saw a dream. The interpretation turned out true* for them.
*Literally, "sweet"

On the morrow they were released from jail. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

12. King Aziz-e Misr saw a dream.
Aziz-e Misr became terrified by the dream
He awoke, and there was made proclamation, Wilt thou not," hear, 0 beloved !

13. What was the purport of the proclamation?
Among the priests, among the calendars, among the saints, among the mendicants.
Can there not be found one learned man? Wilt thou not hear,
0 beloved ?

14. Of what science was a learned ruin required ? One who
could interpret this dream that had been seen by Aziz-e Misr. His servant said to him, "The holy Yusuf knowetb how to interpret a dream." 
"Mighty is Yusuf in interpretation of dreams.
Verily he is the remedy of all pains. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved?"

15. They brought the holy Yusuf, and the King said to him, "I have seen a certain dream. Tell thou me the interpretation thereof." Said Yusuf, "What didst thou see ? "Replied the King, "In the first place saw I seven dry water-springs drinking up seven full water-springs. In the second place saw I seven unripe ears of corn swallowing up seven ripe ears. Again I saw coming seven lean kine, and they were swallowing up seven fat kine. Tell thou me the interpretation of this." And Yusuf said unto him, "A famine will arise."

16. And my Master said :-
Yusuf finished telling the interpretation, and as he did so the power of the famine seized the King. He felt hunger, and cried out, "Give me food," although that was not his time for eating. Through the power of the famine he cried to them, "Speedily bring ye it to me." And people say that they hastened forth and brought him food. He ate it, and cried, " Bring ye more!" They hauled it to him in cauldrons, and he ate it but could not be satisfied. And people say that (for all he ate) he died of starvation. They say that next day the Viziers gave forth this command, "Let all ye citizens descend to-morrow to the `Id-plain, and he to whom the. royal elephant will bow, and on whose thumb-ring the royal hawk will alight, shall become King. They say that they went down to the `Id-plain. The elephant came and bowed to Yusuf, and the hawk came and alighted on his thumb-ring. So Yusuf became King.
Majesty he displayed, he sent for the elephant.
Yusuf became King. Wilt thou not hear, 0 beloved ?

17. 0 Wahb, the blacksmith, well recite thou the praise of Yusuf.
Ever as thou goest recite the creed. Wilt thou not hear,
0 beloved?

Hatim's Tales