Hiob 3
1 Le esia megbe la, Hiob ke nu eye wòƒo fi de eƒe dzigbe.
After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 Egblɔ be,
So then Job began, and said:
3 “Ŋkeke si dzi wodzim la netsrɔ̃, nenema ke nye zã si me wogblɔ be, ‘Wodzi viŋutsu na mí!’
Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!
4 Ŋkeke ma nezu viviti, Mawu si le dziƒo la megatsɔ ɖeke le eme nɛ o, kekeli aɖeke megaklẽ ɖe edzi o.
That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
5 Viviti kple blukɔ tsiɖitsiɖi negaxɔe, lilikpo netsyɔ edzi eye blukɔ nedo ɖe eƒe kekeli dzi.
Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day’s dark eclipse cause it terror:
6 Viviti tsiɖitsiɖi nexɔ zã ma eye womegaxlẽe ɖe ƒea ƒe ŋkekewo me alo woadee ɣleti aɖeke ƒe ŋkekewo me o.
That night, darkness take it, —May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.
7 Zã ma netsi ko eye dzidzɔɣli aɖeke megaɖi le eme o.
Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:
8 Ame siwo ƒoa fi dea ŋkekewo la, neƒo fi de ŋkeke ma, ame siwo le klalo be woade adã ta me na ʋɔ driba la.
Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:
9 Eƒe ŋukeɣletiviwo nedo viviti, kekeli si lalam wòle la megado nɛ o eye megakpɔ fɔŋli ƒe ɣetotoe gbãtɔwo o,
Darkened be the stars of its twilight, —Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:
10 elabena metu vidzidɔ ƒe ʋɔtruwo ɖe nunye, be nye ŋkuwo makpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e o.
Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
11 “Nu ka ŋuti nyemeku le nye dzigbe eye maku hafi ado tso vidzidɔ me o?
Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
12 Nu ka ta ata aɖewo le klalo be woakɔm ɖe akɔ eye no aɖewo li be mano?
For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?
13 Anye ne memlɔ anyi le ŋutifafa me, le alɔ̃ dɔm, le ɖiɖim ɖe eme.
Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
14 Anye ne mele fiawo kple aɖaŋuɖola siwo le anyigba dzi la gbɔ, ame siwo tu xɔ gã siwo zu aƒedo azɔ la na wo ɖokuiwo.
With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
15 Anye ne mele dziɖula siwo si sika le eye woƒe aƒewo me yɔ fũu kple klosalo la gbɔ.
Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:
16 Alo nu ka ta womeɖim ɖe tome abe fu gege ene, abe vidzĩ si mekpɔ ɣe kpɔ o la ene o?
Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
17 Afi ma ame vɔ̃ɖiwo dzudzɔa nyanyra le eye afi ma ame siwo nu ti kɔ na la le gbɔgbɔm ɖe eme le.
There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
18 Aʋaléleawo hã nɔa ablɔɖe me eye womegasea dɔdzikpɔlawo ƒe ɣli o.
At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:
19 Ame gblɔewo kple amegãwo siaa le afi ma eye kluvi kpɔa ablɔɖe tso eƒe aƒetɔ ƒe asi me.
Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.
20 “Nu ka tae kekeli klẽna na ayaɖulawo eye wònaa agbe luʋɔ si le nu xam?
Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—
21 Nu ka ta wòna agbe ame siwo le ku dim, evɔ mevana na wo o kple ame siwo le edim vevie wu kesinɔnu si woɣla
Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
22 kple ame siwo kpɔa dzidzɔ, tsoa aseye ne woɖo yɔdo me?
Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:
23 Nu ka ŋutie wòna agbe ame si ƒe mɔwo le ɣaɣla kple ame si ŋuti Mawu tɔ kpɔ ɖo?
To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?
24 Elabena hũɖeɖe xɔ ɖe nuɖuɖu teƒe eye nye ŋeŋe ƒona ɖi abe tsi ene.
For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
25 Nu si mevɔ̃ na la va dzinye eye nu si dzi ŋɔ nam la dzɔ ɖe dzinye.
For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
26 Nyemekpɔ ŋutifafa, tomefafa alo gbɔɖeme aɖeke o, negbe ʋunyaʋunya ko.”
I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!
