¹Kender du Tiden, da Stengeden føder, tager du Vare på Hindenes Veer,

¹Hast thou known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? The bringing forth of hinds thou dost mark!

²tæller du mon deres Drægtigheds Måneder, kender du Tiden, de føder?

²Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth!

³De lægger sig ned og føder og kaster Kuldet,

³They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.

⁴Ungerne trives, gror til i det frie, løber bort og kommer ej til dem igen.

⁴Safe are their young ones, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.

⁵Hvem slap Vildæslet løs, hvem løste mon Steppeæslets Reb,

⁵Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?

⁶som jeg gav Ørkenen til Hjem, den salte Steppe til Bolig?

⁶Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,

⁷Det ler ad Byens Larm og hører ej Driverens Skælden;

⁷He doth laugh at the multitude of a city, The cries of an exactor he heareth not.

⁸det ransager Bjerge, der har det sin Græsgang, det leder hvert Græsstrå op.

⁸The range of mountains [is] his pasture, And after every green thing he seeketh.

⁹Er Vildoksen villig at trælle for dig, vil den stå ved din Krybbe om Natten?

⁹Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?

¹⁰Binder du Reb om dens Hals, pløjer den Furerne efter dig?

¹⁰Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow [with] his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee?

¹¹Stoler du på dens store Kræfter; overlader du den din Høst?

¹¹Dost thou trust in him because great [is] his power? And dost thou leave unto him thy labour?

¹²Tror du, den kommer tilbage og samler din Sæd på Loen?

¹²Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And [to] thy threshing-floor doth gather [it]?

¹³Mon Strudsens Vinge er lam, eller mangler den Dækfjer og Dun,

¹³The wing of the rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk.

¹⁴siden den betror sine Æg til Jorden og lader dem varmes i Sandet,

¹⁴For she leaveth on the earth her eggs, And on the dust she doth warm them,

¹⁵tænker ej på, at en Fod kan knuse dem, Vildtet på Marken træde dem sønder?

¹⁵And she forgetteth that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field tread it down.

¹⁶Hård ved Ungerne er den, som var de ej dens; spildt er dens Møje, det ængster den ikke.

¹⁶Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain [is] her labour without fear.

¹⁷Thi Gud lod den glemme Visdom og gav den ej Del i Indsigt.

¹⁷For God hath caused her to forget wisdom, And He hath not given a portion To her in understanding:

¹⁸Når Skytterne kommer, farer den bort, den ler ad Hest og Rytter.

¹⁸At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.

¹⁹Giver du Hesten Styrke, klæder dens Hals med Manke

¹⁹Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck [with] a mane?

²⁰og lærer den Græshoppens Spring? Dens stolte Prusten indgyder Rædsel.

²⁰Dost thou cause him to rush as a locust? The majesty of his snorting [is] terrible.

²¹Den skraber muntert i Dalen, går Brynjen væligt i Møde;

²¹They dig in a valley, and he rejoiceth in power, He goeth forth to meet the armour.

²²den ler ad Rædselen, frygter ikke og viger ikke for Sværdet;

²²He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted, And he turneth not back from the face of the sword.

²³Koggeret klirrer over den, Spydet og Køllen blinker;

²³Against him rattle doth quiver, The flame of a spear, and a halbert.

²⁴den sluger Vejen med gungrende Vildskab, den tøjler sig ikke, når Hornet lyder;

²⁴With trembling and rage he swalloweth the ground, And remaineth not stedfast Because of the sound of a trumpet.

²⁵et Stød i Hornet, straks siger den: Huj! Den vejrer Kamp i det fjerne, Kampskrig og Førernes Råb.

²⁵Among the trumpets he saith, Aha, And from afar he doth smell battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.

²⁶Skyldes det Indsigt hos dig, at Falken svinger sig op og breder sin Vinge mod Sønden?

²⁶By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?

²⁷Skyldes det Bud fra dig, at Ørnen flyver højt og bygger sin højtsatte Rede?

²⁷At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest?

²⁸Den bygger og bor på Klipper, på Klippens Tinde og Borg;

²⁸A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.

²⁹den spejder derfra efter Æde, viden om skuer dens Øjne.

²⁹From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively,

³⁰Ungerne svælger i Blod; hvor Valen findes, der er den!

³⁰And his brood gulph up blood, And where the pierced [are] — there [is] he!