Siope 41
1 “ʻOku ke faʻa fusi hake ʻae levaiatani ʻaki ʻae mātaʻu? Pe ko hono ʻelelo ʻaki ʻae afo ʻoku ke tukutuku hifo?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 ʻOku ke faʻa ʻai ʻae mātaʻu ki hono ihu? Pe vili ke ʻasi hono kouʻahe ʻaki ʻae talaʻi ʻakau?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Te ne fai ʻene ngaahi hū tāumaʻu kiate koe? Te ne lea ʻaki ʻae ngaahi lea malu kiate koe?
Will they plead with you to act mercifully toward them or (use sweet talk/speak to you nicely) [in order that you will not harm them]?
4 Te ne fai ʻae fuakava mo koe? Te ke maʻu ia ko hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻo taʻengata?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Te ke fakavā mo ia ʻo hangē ko e manupuna? Pe te ke noʻotaki ia maʻa hoʻo kau taʻahine?
Can you cause them to become pets like you cause birds to become your pets? Can you put a leash/rope around their [necks] so that your servant girls [can play with them]?
6 ʻE fai kātoanga ʻaki ia ʻe ho kaumeʻa? Te nau vahevahe ia ki he kakai fakatau?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 ʻOku ke faʻa fakapito hono kili ʻi he tao ukamea talatala? Pe ko hono ʻulu ʻi he tao hoka ika?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Hilifaki ho nima kiate ia, manatu ki he tau, pea ʻoua naʻa toe fai hā meʻa.
If you grab one of them with your hands, it will fight you in a way that you will never forget, and you will never try to do it again!
9 Vakai, ʻoku taʻeʻaonga ke ʻamanaki kiate ia: ʻikai ʻe tō ki lalo ha tokotaha ʻi he mamata pe kiate ia?
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 ʻOku ʻikai ha tokotaha ʻoku loto lahi ʻe fie ueʻi ia ke tuʻu hake: pea ka kuo pehē, ko hai koā ʻe faʻa tuʻu ʻi hoku ʻao?
No one dares/tries to (arouse them/cause them to be angry). So, [since I am much more powerful than they are, ] (who would dare to cause me to be angry?/no one would dare to cause me to be angry!) [RHQ]
11 Ko hai kuo ne tomuʻa fai kiate au koeʻuhi ke u totongi ia? Ko e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi lalo langi ʻoku ʻaʻaku ia.
Also, everything on the earth is mine. Therefore, no one [RHQ] is able to give anything to me and require me to pay [money] for it!
12 “ʻE ʻikai te u fakapuli hono ngaahi konga, pe ko hono mālohi, pe ko hono matamatalelei.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Ko hai te ne faʻa ʻilo ʻae mata ʻo hono kofu? Pe ko hai ʻe faʻa haʻu kiate ia mo e palaiteli lou ua?
(Can anyone strip off their hides?/No one is able to strip off their hides.) [RHQ] (Can anyone try to put bridles on them?/No one can try to put bridles on them.) [RHQ] (OR, Can anyone pierce their very thick hides?)
14 Ko hai te ne faʻa toʻo ʻae matapā ʻo hono mata? ʻOku fakailifia hono ngaahi nifo ʻoku takatakai.
(Can anyone pry open their jaws, which have terrible teeth in them?/No one can pry open their jaws, which have terrible teeth in them!) [RHQ]
15 ʻOku viki ia ʻi hono ngaahi ʻuno, ʻaia ʻoku tāpuni fakataha ʻo hangē ko e meʻa pulusi maʻu.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 ʻOku fengūtaki pehē ʻae taha ki he taha, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai faʻa hū ai ʻae matangi ʻi hona vahaʻa.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 ʻOku nau fehokotaki, ʻo fepikitaki fakataha, pea ʻe ʻikai faʻa vaheʻi.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 ʻI heʻene mafatua ʻoku ulo ai ʻae maama, pea ʻoku tatau hono mata mo e laumata ʻoe pongipongi.
When crocodiles sneeze, [the tiny drops of water that come out of their noses] sparkle in the sunlight. Their eyes are red like the rising sun.
19 ʻOku ʻalu atu mei hono ngutu ʻae ngaahi maama ulo, ʻoku puna mei ai kituʻa ʻae ngaahi kalofiama.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 ʻOku ʻalu atu ʻi hono avaʻi ihu ʻae ʻohuafi, ʻo hangē ko e kulo vai kuo lili, pe ko e fuʻu kulo.
Smoke pours out of their nostrils/noses like steam comes out of a pot that is put over a fire made from dry reeds.
21 ʻOku tutu ʻe heʻene mānava ʻae malala, pea ʻoku ulo mai ʻae afi mei hono ngutu.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 ʻOku nofo ʻae mālohi ʻi hono kia, pea ʻoku liliu ʻae mamahi ko e fiefia ʻi hono ʻao.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 Ko hono ngaahi ʻioʻi kakano ʻoku piki fakataha: ʻoku mālohi ia ʻi ai; ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ueʻi.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 ʻOku mālohi hono loto ʻo hangē ko e maka; ʻio, ʻoku fefeka ʻo hangē ko e konga ʻoe maka tokalalo ʻoe meʻa momosi.
[They are fearless, because] the inner parts of their bodies are as hard as a rock, as hard as the lower millstone [on which grain is ground].
25 ʻOka fokotuʻu hake ia ki ʻolunga, ʻoku manavahē ʻae kau mālohi: ko e meʻa ʻi he faʻa maumau ʻoku nau fakamaʻa ʻakinautolu.
When they rise up, they cause [even] very strong people to be terrified. As a result, people (fall back/run away) when crocodiles thrash around.
26 Ko e heletā ʻo ia ʻoku ne tā kiate ia ʻoku ʻikai tau; pe ko e tao, pe ko e tokotoko, mo e kofutau.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 ʻOku tatau kiate ia ʻae ʻaione mo e mohuku, ʻae palasa mo e ʻakau popo.
They [certainly are not afraid of weapons made of] straw or rotten wood, but [they are not even afraid of weapons made of] iron or bronze!
28 ʻE ʻikai hola ia ʻi he ngahau: ʻoku ne liliu ʻae ngaahi makatā ko e veve.
[Shooting] arrows [at them] does not cause them to run away. [Hurling] stones at them from a sling is like [hurling] bits of chaff at them.
29 ʻOku ne ui ʻae ngaahi ngahau ko e mohuku mōmoa: ʻoku kata ia ʻi he apoapo ʻoe tao.
They are not afraid of clubs [any more than they would be afraid of men throwing] bits of straw [at them], and they laugh when they hear the whirl/sound of javelins [being thrown at them].
30 ʻOku ʻi lalo ʻiate ia ʻae ngaahi maka māsila: ʻoku ne folahi ki he pelepela ʻae ngaahi meʻa māsila.
Their bellies are covered with scales that are as sharp as broken pieces of pottery. When they drag themselves through the mud, their bellies tear up the ground like a plow.
31 ʻOku ne fakalili ʻae loloto ʻo hangē ko e kulo: ʻoku ne ngaohi ke tatau ʻae tahi mo e ipu ʻoe meʻa tākai.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 ʻOku ne fakangingila ʻae hala kimui ʻiate ia; ʻe mahalo ʻe ha taha ʻoku hinehina ʻae loloto.
As they go through the water, the (wakes/trails in the water behind them) glisten. People [who see it] would think that the foam in those wakes had become white hair.
33 ʻOku ʻikai hano tatau ʻi he fonua, ʻaia kuo ngaohi ke taʻemanavahē.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 ʻOku ne vakai ki he ngaahi meʻa māʻolunga kotoa pē: ko e tuʻi ia ki he ngaahi fānau kotoa pē ʻoe laukau.”
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
