After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord.

His ita gestis, accidit ut peccarent duo eunuchi, pincerna regis Ægypti, et pistor, domino suo.

Soon after this, it chanced that two of the king of Egypt’s courtiers, his cup-bearer and his pastrycook, fell into disgrace with their master.

And Pharao being angry with them (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker)

Iratusque contra eos Pharao (nam alter pincernis præerat, alter pistoribus),

The one was chief of all his cup-bearers, the other of all his pastrycooks, and Pharao, angry with both of them,

He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner,

misit eos in carcerem principis militum, in quo erat vinctus et Joseph.

handed them over to the captain of the guard, to share Joseph’s prison.

But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody.

At custos carceris tradidit eos Joseph, qui et ministrabat eis: aliquantulum temporis fluxerat, et illi in custodia tenebantur.

So the gaoler put them in Joseph’s charge, and he saw to their needs. They had not been long in captivity

And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:

Videruntque ambo somnium nocte una, juxta interpretationem congruam sibi:

when, on a single night, either of them had a dream, portending what it portended to each.

And when Joseph was come in to them in the morning, and saw them sad,

ad quos cum introisset Joseph mane, et vidisset eos tristes,

Joseph, when he visited them next morning, found both of them downcast,

He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?

sciscitatus est eos, dicens: Cur tristior est hodie solito facies vestra?

and enquired why they looked sadder than their wont.

They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed.

Qui responderunt: Somnium vidimus, et non est qui interpretetur nobis. Dixitque ad eos Joseph: Numquid non Dei est interpretatio? referte mihi quid videritis.

We have been dreaming, they said, and we can find no interpreter. Why, said Joseph, it is God who interprets our dreams for us; tell me what it was you saw.

The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine,

Narravit prior, præpositus pincernarum, somnium suum: Videbam coram me vitem,

The chief cup-bearer related his dream first; I saw in front of me, he said, a vine,

On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes:

in qua erant tres propagines, crescere paulatim in gemmas, et post flores uvas maturescere:

which had three shoots. First they budded, and then, when they had flowered, grapes grew upon them.

And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao.

calicemque Pharaonis in manu mea: tuli ergo uvas, et expressi in calicem quem tenebam, et tradidi poculum Pharaoni.

I had Pharao’s cup in my hand; so I took the grapes and pressed them out into the cup I held, and gave Pharao the draught.

Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches are yet three days:

Respondit Joseph: Hæc est interpretatio somnii: tres propagines, tres adhuc dies sunt:

This, answered Joseph, is what thy dream meant; the three shoots stand for three days which have yet to pass,

After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou wast wont to do.

post quos recordabitur Pharao ministerii tui, et restituet te in gradum pristinum: dabisque ei calicem juxta officium tuum, sicut ante facere consueveras.

after which Pharao will bethink himself that he has need of thee, and will restore thee to thy old office; then thou wilt hand the cup to him by right of thy office as thou ever didst.

Only remember me, when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison:

Tantum memento mei, cum bene tibi fuerit, et facias mecum misericordiam: ut suggeras Pharaoni ut educat me de isto carcere:

Pray do not forget me, in that day of thy prosperity; as thou lovest me, win from Pharao my release from this prison of ours.

For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.

quia furto sublatus sum de terra Hebræorum, et hic innocens in lacum missus sum.

It was treachery brought me here, when I left the land of the Hebrews, and now I am in this dungeon for no fault of mine.

The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my head:

Videns pistorum magister quod prudenter somnium dissolvisset, ait: Et ego vidi somnium: quod tria canistra farinæ haberem super caput meum:

Hereupon the chief cook, finding that Joseph could interpret the first dream so well, reminded them that he had dreamt too; I was carrying three baskets of loaves on my head, said he,

And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it.

et in uno canistro quod erat excelsius, portare me omnes cibos qui fiunt arte pistoria, avesque comedere ex eo.

and the top basket contained pastry of every kind; but the birds came and ate it.

Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets are yet three days:

Respondit Joseph: Hæc est interpretatio somnii: tria canistra, tres adhuc dies sunt:

Thy dream, answered Joseph, means this; the three baskets stand for three days which have yet to pass,

After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh.

post quos auferet Pharao caput tuum, ac suspendet te in cruce, et lacerabunt volucres carnes tuas.

after which Pharao will take away thy life, and so hang thee on a gibbet, for the birds to come and prey on thy flesh.

The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.

Exinde dies tertius natalitius Pharaonis erat: qui faciens grande convivium pueris suis, recordatus est inter epulas magistri pincernarum, et pistorum principis.

The third day after was Pharao’s birthday, and he made a great feast for his servants. And as he sat feasting, he remembered the chief cup-bearer and the chief pastrycook.

And he restored the one to his place to present him the cup:

Restituitque alterum in locum suum, ut porrigeret ei poculum:

The one he restored to his office of putting the cup in his hand;

The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.

alterum suspendit in patibulo, ut conjectoris veritas probaretur.

the other he hung on a gallows, to prove the truth of the prophecy that had been made.

But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.

Et tamen succedentibus prosperis, præpositus pincernarum oblitus est interpretis sui.

But the chief cup-bearer, in his new good fortune, thought no more of the man who had interpreted his dream.