< Ayubu 3 >

1 Thuutha wa matukũ macio, Ayubu agĩtumũra kanua, akĩruma mũthenya ũrĩa aaciarirwo.
After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 Akiuga atĩrĩ:
So then Job began, and said:
3 “Mũthenya ũrĩa niĩ ndaciarirwo ũroora, o na ũtukũ ũcio kwerirwo atĩrĩ, ‘Mũtumia nĩaciara mwana wa kahĩĩ!’
Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!
4 Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, ũrotuĩka o nduma; Ngai arĩ igũrũ aroaga kũũrũmbũiya; mũthenya ũcio ũroaga gũthererwo nĩ ũtheri.
That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
5 Mũthenya ũcio ũrokĩĩnyiitĩrwo nĩ nduma nene na kĩĩruru gĩa gĩkuũ; ũrohumbĩrwo nĩ itu; nduma ĩrotooria ũtheri waguo.
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 Ũtukũ ũcio-rĩ, ũronyiitwo nĩ nduma ndumanu; ũroaga gũtaranĩrio na mĩthenya ĩrĩa ĩngĩ ya mwaka, o na kana ũtarwo harĩ mweri o na ũrĩkũ.
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 Ũtukũ ũcio ũrothaata; o na gũtikanoigwo ngemi ũtukũ ũcio.
Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:
8 Arĩa marumaga mĩthenya maroruma mũthenya ũcio, o acio moĩ kwarahũra nyamũ ĩrĩa ĩĩtagwo Leviathani.
Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:
9 Njata ciaguo cia rũciinĩ irotuĩka nduma; ũroeterera ũtheri na wage kũwona, o na ũroaga kuona ruoro rũgĩtema,
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 nĩ ũndũ ndũigana kũhinga mĩrango ya nda ya maitũ, na ndũigana kũgirĩrĩria maitho makwa kuona thĩĩna.
Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
11 “Ndaagire gũkua ngĩciarwo nĩkĩ? Ndaagire gũkua ngiuma nda nĩkĩ?
Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
12 Ndaamũkĩrirwo maru-inĩ nĩkĩ? Ndaamũkĩrirwo nyondo-inĩ atĩ nĩguo nyongithio nĩkĩ?
For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?
13 Nĩgũkorwo rĩu ingĩkomete ndĩ na thayũ; rĩu ingĩrĩ toro hurũkĩte
Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
14 hamwe na athamaki na aheani kĩrĩra a gũkũ thĩ arĩa meeyakĩire kũndũ kũrĩa kwanangĩku rĩngĩ,
With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
15 o hamwe na aathani arĩa maarĩ na thahabu, o arĩa maiyũrĩtie nyũmba ciao betha.
Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:
16 Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩ kĩĩ kĩagiririe thikwo tĩĩri-inĩ ta kĩhuno o na kana ta gakenge karĩa gatoonire ũtheri wa riũa?
Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
17 Kũu andũ arĩa aaganu nĩmatigĩte kũnyamarĩka, na kũu arĩa anogu nĩmahurũkĩte.
There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
18 Kũu-rĩ, mĩgwate o nayo nĩĩkenagĩra kwaraha kwayo; nĩĩtigĩte kũigua kĩgũthũko kĩa nyabaara ya ngombo.
At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:
19 Andũ arĩa anini na arĩa anene othe marĩ kuo, nayo ngombo nĩĩrekereirio kuuma kũrĩ mũmĩathi.
Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.
20 “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga andũ arĩa marĩ na mĩnyamaro maheo ũtheri, naguo muoyo ũkaheo arĩa marĩ na ruo rwa ngoro,
Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—
21 o acio meriragĩria gĩkuũ na gĩtingĩũka, o arĩa magĩcaragia gũkĩra kĩndũ kĩa goro kĩrĩa kĩhithe,
Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
22 acio maiyũragwo nĩ gĩkeno magakena maakinya mbĩrĩra?
Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:
23 Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmaga muoyo ũheo mũndũ ũũrĩte njĩra, o ũcio mũhingĩrĩrie nĩ Ngai?
To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?
24 Nĩ ũndũ handũ ha ndĩe irio, no kuumwo nyumagwo nĩ ngoro; nakuo gũcaaya gwakwa gũitĩkaga ta maaĩ.
For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
25 Ũndũ ũrĩa ndeetigagĩra nĩũngorete; ũndũ ũrĩa wamakagia mũno nĩguo ũnginyĩrĩire.
For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
26 Ndionaga thayũ, o na kana ngahoorera; ndionaga ũhurũko, no mĩnyamaro.”
I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!

< Ayubu 3 >