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English translation

When Benjamin came before Joseph, He seated him beside himself on the golden throne. Joseph was sitting behind a veil, For you cannot conceal a sun. How could Benjamin ever know That he had his sweet soul by his side? He assumed he was the mighty sultan; How could he know he was his dear soul? If he were not a soul in his preciousness, He would not have been the eternal Aziz of Egypt. Though Joseph seated him by his side, Out of respect, he did not raise his head. Joseph spoke beautiful words there, And asked for news of Jacob. He handed him a letter from behind the curtain, Giving him news of the burning of Jacob's soul. When he received the letter from Joseph, he was identified, And went from there before his own children. What can I say? They finally opened the letter, And placed it upon their eyes many times. An excitement of longing fell upon that gathering, And a cry and clamor arose from among them. They shed many bloody tears of regret, And in that regret, they remained in a hundred wonders. At last, Joseph returned there, And came to his throne with a hundred honors. A moment passed, and a crowd arrived, And they spread a dining table in the middle of the hall. Thus commanded Joseph, the beloved king, That the children of Jacob gather. 'But let each one choose a partner, And let two brothers sit at one table.' As he commanded, they sat together, Leaving Benjamin to sit alone in mourning. Since Benjamin was left there alone, He remembered Joseph and became sad. He wept greatly from the grief of Joseph, And felt much regret over his separation. Joseph, the king of the free-born, asked him: 'O youth, why do you weep so bitterly?' He replied: 'Since I was left alone, I must shed blood from this sorrow. For I had, O my dear lord, a brother; He and I shared both father and mother. Now he has been lost for a long time, And no one has a way to reach him. If he were also with this weary one, He would have sat with me at the table.' He said this, and the table before him He filled completely with the tears of his eyes. He wept so many tears from his eyes That no eye had ever seen such tears. When Joseph saw him weeping so, He saw a heart grieving like his own soul. He said to him: 'Speak not so, O youth! Take me as a Joseph at this moment, So that I, your Aziz, may share your bowl; What better table-companion could you have than me?' The steward of the table then spoke: 'O King, this bowl is full of his tears. Tell me, how can you consume these bloody tears? Do you deem it proper to eat bread with blood?' Joseph then said: 'Be silent, For my own blood boils from this grief. My heart, as if from this blood, found nourishment for the soul; Such blood can indeed be consumed by consuming blood. He is an orphan, and I am nurturing his soul If I consume the blood of an orphan.' The children of Jacob said: 'He is young, though he is beloved. He knows nothing of the etiquette of kings; How can he behave beautifully in service? We fear, and there is reason for it, That his smallness might be scrutinized before the king.' Such was the reply from the beautiful Joseph: 'A child of Jacob is worthy. Whoever has Jacob as a father, Whatever comes from him is good.' Then he said: 'Behold, O Benjamin, Tell me, why is your face so pale?' He replied: 'Joseph's separation has killed me, And made me pale from my yearning for him.' He said to him: 'If your face has turned pale, Why has your musky hair become disheveled?' He replied: 'Since I have no mother, My hair and my life are disheveled.' Then he asked: 'How did you see our father, Of whom they say he lost his son?' He replied: 'He has remained blind; Since Joseph is not there, he remains alone. A world of fire has settled on his soul, As he sits in the House of Sorrows. From shedding so much blood and tears from his eyes, He is left stranded in a whirlpool of blood and water. Whenever he thinks of Joseph, At that hour he draws me close to him. How can I describe how, at that moment, He weeps in distress from restlessness? If a stone were present on that day, It would instantly turn to blood without delay.' When Joseph received news of Jacob, All at once his veil became wet with tears. He was hiding those tears of regret When a divine messenger came to Joseph, Saying: 'Reveal your face! How long will you trouble him? For you speak sweetly and hold power.' When his veil became soaked with tears, He finally let down the veil from his face. In short, when Benjamin saw him, You would say his sweet soul departed from him. His heart surged like a boiling sea; He let out a cry and fell unconscious. With a hundred efforts, when he regained consciousness, Joseph asked him: 'O well-wisher, What happened to you that you fell unconscious, Frozen and then thrown into turmoil?' He said: 'I know not what you are, For you say you are Joseph, though you are precious. I have chosen you in place of Joseph; It is as if I have seen you before. For God's sake, you resemble Joseph; If you are he, why do you torture me? I, helpless, do not have the wings and feathers; I know not, but you know, so tell me the truth.' Whoever calls this story of mine a myth, Wisdom deems him a stranger to himself. Within the veil of your soul, there is a beloved, With whom you have had a past history. If you recognize Him for a single moment, You will surpass all the people of the world. But if your heart is a stranger to Him, Surely you will regard my way as a myth. If your heart lacks this intimacy, None of your affairs will find light. He who carries the scent of this intimacy Is accustomed to closeness to the Divine Presence. When he is with God, God is also with him eternally; Hence, the sun's circle casts no shadow.