< Job 39 >
1 Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?
Knowest thou the season when the Wild Goats of the crags beget? The bringing forth of the hinds, canst thou observe?
2 Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?
Canst thou count the months they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they give birth?
3 Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.
They kneel down, their young, they bring forth; their pains, they throw off;
4 Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis.
Their young become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go out, and return not unto them.
5 Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?
6 To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.
Whose house I have made the waste plain, and his dwellings, the land of salt:
7 He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.
He laugheth at the throng of the city, The shoutings of the driver, he heareth not;
8 He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.
He espieth the mountains, his pasture-ground, and, after every green thing, maketh search.
9 Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?
Will the Wild-Ox be pleased to be thy servant? or lodge for the night by thy crib?
10 Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?
Canst thou bind the wild-ox, so that—with the ridge—shall run his cord? Or will he harrow the furrows after thee?
11 Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?
Wilt thou trust in him, because of the greatness of his strength? Wilt thou leave unto him thy toil?
12 Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?
Wilt thou put faith in him, that he will bring back thy seed? and that, corn for thy threshing-floor, he will gather?
13 The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;
The wing of the Ostrich that waveth itself joyfully, Is it the pinion of lovingkindness or the plumage?
14 which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.
For she leaveth—to the earth—her eggs, and, on the dust, she letteth them be warmed;
15 He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.
And hath forgotten, that, a foot, may crush them, —or, the wild beast, tread on them!
16 He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede.
Dealing hardly with her young, as none-of-hers, In vain, her labour, without dread.
17 For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.
For GOD hath suffered her to forget wisdom, and given her no share in understanding.
18 Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.
What time, on high, she vibrateth her wings, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
19 Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?
Couldst thou give—to the Horse—strength? Couldst thou clothe his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.
Couldst thou cause him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his snort, is a terror!
21 He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.
He diggeth into the plain, and rejoiceth in vigour, he goeth forth to meet armour;
22 He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.
He laugheth at dread, and is not dismayed, neither turneth he back, from the face of the sword;
23 An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.
Against him, whiz [the arrows of] the quiver, the flashing head of spear and javelin;
24 He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.
With stamping and rage, he drinketh up the ground, —he will not stand still when the horn soundeth;
25 Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.
As oft as the horn soundeth, he saith, Aha! And, from afar, he scenteth the battle, —the thunder of commanders and the war-cry.
26 Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?
Is it, by thine understanding, that the Bird of Passage betaketh him to his pinions? spreadeth out his wings to the south?
27 Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
28 He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.
The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort;
29 Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.
From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce;
30 Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.
And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.