Sūra XII.: Yūsuf, or Joseph.

Section 2

7. Laqad kana fee yoosufa wa-ikhwatihi ayatun lilssa-ileena

7. Verily in Joseph and his brethren
Are Signs (or Symbols)
For Seekers (after Truth).

8. Ith qaloo layoosufu waakhoohu ahabbu ila abeena minna wanahnu AAusbatun inna abana lafee dalalin mubeenin

8. They said: "Truly Joseph
And his brother are loved
More by our father than we:
But we are a goodly body!
Really our father is obviously
Wandering (in his mind)!

9. Oqtuloo yoosufa awi itrahoohu ardan yakhlu lakum wajhu abeekum watakoonoo min baAAdihi qawman saliheena

9. "Slay ye Joseph or cast him out
To some (unknown) land,
That so the favour
Of your father may be
Given to you alone:
(There will be time enough)
For you to be righteous after that!"

10. Qala qa-ilun minhum la taqtuloo yoosufa waalqoohu fee ghayabati aljubbi yaltaqithu baAAdu alssayyarati in kuntum faAAileena

10. Said one of them: "Slay not
Joseph, but if ye must
Do something, throw him down
To the bottom of the well:
He will be picked up
By some caravan of travellers."

11. Qaloo ya abana ma laka la ta/manna AAala yoosufa wa-inna lahu lanasihoona

11. They said: "O our father!
Why dost thou not
Trust us with Joseph,
Seeing we are indeed
His sincere well-wishers?

12. Arsilhu maAAana ghadan yartaAA wayalAAab wa-inna lahu lahafithoona

12. "Send him with us tomorrow
To enjoy himself and play,
And we shall take
Every care of him."

13. Qala innee layahzununee an thathhaboo bihi waakhafu an ya/kulahu alththi/bu waantum AAanhu ghafiloona

13. (Jacob) said: "Really
It saddens me that ye
Should take him away:
I fear lest the wolf
Should devour him
While ye attend not
To him."

14. Qaloo la-in akalahu alththi/bu wanahnu AAusbatun inna ithan lakhasiroona

14. They said: "If the wolf
Were to devour him
While we are (so large) a party,
Then should we indeed
(First) have perished ourselves!"

15. Falamma thahaboo bihi waajmaAAoo an yajAAaloohu fee ghayabati aljubbi waawhayna ilayhi latunabi-annahum bi-amrihim hatha wahum la yashAAuroona

15. So they did take him away,
And they all agreed
To throw him down
To the bottom of the well:
And We put into his heart
(This Message): "Of a surety
Thou shalt (one day)
Tell them the truth
Of this their affair
While they know (thee) not"

16. Wajaoo abahum AAishaan yabkoona

16. Then they came
To their father
In the early part
Of the night,
Weeping.

17. Qaloo ya abana inna thahabna nastabiqu watarakna yoosufa AAinda mataAAina faakalahu alththi/bu wama anta bimu/minin lana walaw kunna sadiqeena

17. They said: "O our father!
We went racing with one another,
And left Joseph with our things;
And the wolf devoured him.…
But thou wilt never believe us
Even though we tell the truth.

18. Wajaoo AAala qameesihi bidamin kathibin qala bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran fasabrun jameelun waAllahu almustaAAanu AAala ma tasifoona

18. They stained his shirt
With false blood. He said:
"Nay, but your minds
Have made up a tale
(That may pass) with you.
(For me) patience is most fitting:
Against that which ye assert,
It is God (alone)
Whose help can be sought"…

19. Wajaat sayyaratun faarsaloo waridahum faadla dalwahu qala ya bushra hatha ghulamun waasarroohu bidaAAatan waAllahu AAaleemun bima yaAAmaloona

19. Then there came a caravan
Of travellers: they sent
Their water-carrier (for water),
And he let down his bucket
(Into the well)… He said:
"Ah there! Good news!
Here is a (fine) young man!"
So they concealed him
As a treasure! But God
Knoweth well all that they do!

20. Washarawhu bithamanin bakhsin darahima maAAdoodatin wakanoo feehi mina alzzahideena

20. The (Brethren) sold him
For a miserable price,—
For a few dirhams counted out:
In such low estimation
Did they hold him!

Next: Section 3 (21-29)