Job 39
1 Kender du Tiden, da Stengeden føder, tager du Vare paa Hindenes Veer,
Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young?
2 tæller du mon deres Drægtigheds Maaneder, kender du Tiden, de føder?
Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?
3 De lægger sig ned og føder og kaster Kuldet,
They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.
4 Ungerne trives, gror til i det frie, løber bort og kommer ej til dem igen.
Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.
5 Hvem slap Vildæslet løs, hvem løste mon Steppeæslets Reb,
Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?
6 som jeg gav Ørkenen til Hjem, den salte Steppe til Bolig?
To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.
7 Det ler ad Byens Larm og hører ej Driverens Skælden;
He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;
8 det ransager Bjerge, der har det sin Græsgang, det leder hvert Græsstraa op.
He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.
9 Er Vildoksen villig at trælle for dig, vil den staa ved din Krybbe om Natten?
Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
10 Binder du Reb om dens Hals, pløjer den Furerne efter dig?
Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?
11 Stoler du paa dens store Kræfter; overlader du den din Høst?
Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?
12 Tror du, den kommer tilbage og samler din Sæd paa Loen?
Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?
13 Mon Strudsens Vinge er lam, eller mangler den Dækfjer og Dun,
Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,
14 siden den betror sine Æg til Jorden og lader dem varmes i Sandet,
That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,
15 tænker ej paa, at en Fod kan knuse dem, Vildtet paa Marken træde dem sønder?
Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?
16 Haard ved Ungerne er den, som var de ej dens; spildt er dens Møje, det ængster den ikke.
She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.
17 Thi Gud lod den glemme Visdom og gav den ej Del i Indsigt.
For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.
18 Naar Skytterne kommer, farer den bort, den ler ad Hest og Rytter.
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
19 Giver du Hesten Styrke, klæder dens Hals med Manke
Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?
20 og lærer den Græshoppens Spring? Dens stolte Prusten indgyder Rædsel.
Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?
21 Den skraber muntert i Dalen, gaar Brynjen væligt i Møde;
He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.
22 den ler ad Rædselen, frygter ikke og viger ikke for Sværdet;
In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.
23 Koggeret klirrer over den, Spydet og Køllen blinker;
The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.
24 den sluger Vejen med gungrende Vildskab, den tøjler sig ikke, naar Hornet lyder;
Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;
25 et Stød i Hornet, straks siger den: Huj! Den vejrer Kamp i det fjerne, Kampskrig og Førernes Raab.
When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.
26 Skyldes det Indsigt hos dig, at Falken svinger sig op og breder sin Vinge mod Sønden?
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
27 Skyldes det Bud fra dig, at Ørnen flyver højt og bygger sin højtsatte Rede?
Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?
28 Den bygger og bor paa Klipper, paa Klippens Tinde og Borg;
On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.
29 den spejder derfra efter Æde, viden om skuer dens Øjne.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
30 Ungerne svælger i Blod; hvor Valen findes, der er den!
His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.
