Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And two young men) two slaves of the king: his cupbearer and his cook-he got angry with them and put them in prison-(went to prison with him) they stayed together five years. (One of them), the cupbearer, (said: I dreamed that I was pressing wine) pressing grapes to make wine and giving it to the king. This cupbearer saw in a dream that he entered a vineyard and there he saw a pleasant bough with three offshoots and on the offshoots bunches of grapes. He picked the grapes, pressed them and gave it to the King. Joseph said: “As for the vineyard, it is the job you had; the bough represents the expertise you have in your job; its pleasantness represents your position and merit in that job. The three offshoots mean that you will be released in three days and shall return to your job. The pressed grapes you gave to the king means that he will give you your job back, honour you and treat you well”. (The other) the cook, who prepared the king's bread (said I dreamed that I was carrying upon my head bread whereof the birds were eating) he saw in his dream that he was coming out of the king's kitchen carrying on his head three baskets of bread when birds came and ate from the bread on the baskets. Joseph said: “You have seen an evil thing. As for your going out of the King's kitchen, this means that you will lose your job; the three baskets means that you will stay in prison for three days. The birds eating from the baskets means that the king will get you out of prison in three days to crucify you and the birds will eat of your head”. Before Joseph interpreted their dreams for them, the two men said to him: (Announce unto us the interpretation) interpret for us our dreams, (for we see thee of those good) towards the prisoners; it is also said that this means: you are of those who are truthful in their speech.
Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, trans. Mokrane Guezzou
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