THE BEHOLDING BY JOSEPH IN A DREAM OF THE WORSHIP OF THE SUN AND MOON AND THE ELEVEN PLANETS, THE HEARING OF THE SAME BY HIS BROTHERS, AND THE INCREASE OF THEIR ENVY AGAINST HIM.

Blessed he from outward form who freedom gains,
Whose eyes are not closed by magicians' chains.
His heart awake, his eye sweet slumbers close,
None e'er so wakeful in such calm repose.
His eyelids, closed to what will not endure,
Open to what eternal is and sure,
Lay Joseph before Jacob's eyes one night,
Loved in his eye more than his very sight.
His head on pillow laid in slumber mild,
His lip of beauty there in sweetness smiled.
His tender lips with that sweet smile apart,
Brought sweet excitement into Jacob's heart.
Joseph's moist eyelids from their sleep unclose,
And as his fortune he from dreams arose.
His father said: “Sugar is shamed of thee:
“Of that sweet smile what may the reason be?”
“I saw in dream,” he said, “the moon and sun,
“With the eleven planets, all as one,
“Their heads in salutation lowly place,
“And bow in reverence before my face.”
“Such speech as this,” his father warned him, “shun:
“Tell not, beware! thy dream to any one.
“If this, which God forbid, thy brothers know,
“They'll wake thee with a hundred times more woe;
“A thousand furies in their heart ne'er cease:
“When in their passion will they give thee peace?
“The dream's interpretation is too clear:
“With it in patience they will never bear.”
The father's warning thus; but Fate ordains,
And with a breath it breaks device's chains.
The tale which Joseph told in some one's ear,
Told by that man his brothers came to hear.
Hast heard that what by more than two is known,
Common to every tongue will soon have flown?
A wise man says: “Of lips there are but two;
“It is not right that secrets pass them through.”
Secrets that from between two lips are freed
May cause a hundred warriors to bleed.
Well said that utterer of maxims deep:
“He who would keep his head should secrets keep.”
The wild bird from his cage who freedom gains,
With tales thou canst no longer bind in chains.
Now when his brothers had heard Joseph's tale,
They tore their very robes, with anger pale.
“What are our father's thoughts, O God,” they cried,
“On gain and loss that he can not decide?
“Does he not know what from a child can come,
“That children only childish things become?
“From weaving falsehoods he will never cease
“That his own dignity he may increase.
“The poor old man deceit finds at his hands,
“In his companionship unsettled stands.
“Our sweet connection with him would he break,
“Our father's love would from his children take.
“Our father now has raised his head so high,
“He cares not for so much of dignity.
“He would that we, in darkness robed profound,
“To worship him should fall upon the ground—
“Father and mother, too, as well as we.
“This pitch of self-exalting may not be;
“We are our father's traffickers, not he:
“He wishes not our father well, but we
“By day in deserts guarding flocks aright,
“We are the guardians of his house at night.
“Both against foes his arm of strength are we,
“And among friends from us his dignity.
“What has he ever seen in him but tricks
“That he above us all on him should fix?
“To cure this, come, let us provide a way,
“That on some road he may to ruin stray.
“Between us since there is no sympathy
“But him to exile there's no remedy.
“Gird we our loins to find some helpful way,
“Before the power from us pass away;
“Or ere the thorn grows up in infamy,
“Tear up its root ere it becomes a tree.”
To find a fitting remedy in league
They sat themselves together to intrigue.