قالوا أَضغاثُ أَحلامٍ ۖ وَما نَحنُ بِتَأويلِ الأَحلامِ بِعالِمينَ

They replied, “A jumble of dreams, and we don’t know the interpretation of dreams.”

وَقالَ الَّذي نَجا مِنهُما وَادَّكَرَ بَعدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنا أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأويلِهِ فَأَرسِلونِ

Then the one of the two who was saved, remembered after a period of time, and said, “I will tell you its interpretation, so send me.”

يوسُفُ أَيُّهَا الصِّدّيقُ أَفتِنا في سَبعِ بَقَراتٍ سِمانٍ يَأكُلُهُنَّ سَبعٌ عِجافٌ وَسَبعِ سُنبُلاتٍ خُضرٍ وَأُخَرَ يابِساتٍ لَعَلّي أَرجِعُ إِلَى النّاسِ لَعَلَّهُم يَعلَمونَ

“Joseph, O truthful one, explain to us seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green spikes of grain and others dry, that I may return to the people, so they may know.”

قالَ تَزرَعونَ سَبعَ سِنينَ دَأَبًا فَما حَصَدتُم فَذَروهُ في سُنبُلِهِ إِلّا قَليلًا مِمّا تَأكُلونَ

He said, “You will cultivate for seven consecutive years, and what you harvest, leave it in its spikes, except for a little which you will eat.”

ثُمَّ يَأتي مِن بَعدِ ذٰلِكَ سَبعٌ شِدادٌ يَأكُلنَ ما قَدَّمتُم لَهُنَّ إِلّا قَليلًا مِمّا تُحصِنونَ

“Then will follow seven difficult years which will consume what you saved for them, except for a little of what you have stored.”

وَقالَ المَلِكُ ائتوني بِهِ ۖ فَلَمّا جاءَهُ الرَّسولُ قالَ ارجِع إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ فَاسأَلهُ ما بالُ النِّسوَةِ اللّاتي قَطَّعنَ أَيدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبّي بِكَيدِهِنَّ عَليمٌ

The king said, “Bring him to me!” And when the messenger came to him, he said, “Return to your master and ask him about the women who cut their hands. My Lord is fully aware of their scheming.”

قالَ ما خَطبُكُنَّ إِذ راوَدتُنَّ يوسُفَ عَن نَفسِهِ ۚ قُلنَ حاشَ لِلَّهِ ما عَلِمنا عَلَيهِ مِن سوءٍ ۚ قالَتِ امرَأَتُ العَزيزِ الآنَ حَصحَصَ الحَقُّ أَنا راوَدتُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصّادِقينَ

Then, when they were asked, “What was your aim when you tried to seduce Joseph, “What was your motive when you tried to seduce Joseph?” They responded, “God forbid! We know of no ill conduct on his part.” The governor’s wife then confessed, “Now the truth has now emerged; it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is truthful.”

ذٰلِكَ لِيَعلَمَ أَنّي لَم أَخُنهُ بِالغَيبِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهدي كَيدَ الخائِنينَ

“This is so he may know that I didn’t betray him in his absence, and that God doesn’t guide the scheming of the betrayers.”

وَما أُبَرِّئُ نَفسي ۚ إِنَّ النَّفسَ لَأَمّارَةٌ بِالسّوءِ إِلّا ما رَحِمَ رَبّي ۚ إِنَّ رَبّي غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

“I don’t claim innocence for myself. The soul is predisposed to evil, except those my Lord bestows mercy upon. My Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”

وَقالَ المَلِكُ ائتوني بِهِ أَستَخلِصهُ لِنَفسي ۖ فَلَمّا كَلَّمَهُ قالَ إِنَّكَ اليَومَ لَدَينا مَكينٌ أَمينٌ

The king said, “Bring him to me. I will appoint him exclusively for myself.” When he talked to him, he said, “Today, you are with us established and trusted.”