¹Kan du trække Krokodillen op med Krog og binde dens Tunge med Snøre?

¹Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down — his tongue?

²Kan du mon stikke et Siv i dens Snude, bore en Krog igennem dens Kæber?

²Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw?

³Mon den vil trygle dig længe og give dig gode Ord?

³Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things?

⁴Mon den vil indgå en Pagt med dig, så du får den til Træl for evigt?

⁴Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during?

⁵Han du mon lege med den som en Fugl og tøjre den for dine Pigebørn?

⁵Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?

⁶Falbyder Fiskerlauget den og stykker den ud mellem Sælgerne?

⁶(Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!)

⁷Mon du kan spække dens Hud med Kroge og med Harpuner dens Hoved?

⁷Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head?

⁸Læg dog engang din Hånd på den! Du vil huske den Kamp og gør det ej mer.

⁸Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle — do not add!

⁹Det Håb vilde blive til Skamme, alene ved Synet lå du der.

⁹Lo, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down?

¹⁰Ingen drister sig til at tirre den, hvem holder Stand imod den?

¹⁰None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who [is] he before Me stationeth himself?

¹¹Hvem møder den og slipper fra det hvem under hele Himlen?

¹¹Who hath brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] mine.

¹²Jeg tier ej om dens Lemmer, hvor stærk den er, hvor smukt den er skabt.

¹²I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.

¹³Hvem har trukket dens Klædning af, trængt ind i dens dobbelte Panser?

¹³Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter?

¹⁴Hvem har åbnet dens Ansigts Døre? Rundt om dens Tænder er Rædsel.

¹⁴The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth [are] terrible.

¹⁵Dens Ryg er Reder af Skjolde, dens Bryst er et Segl af Sten;

¹⁵A pride — strong ones of shields, Shut up — a close seal.

¹⁶de sidder tæt ved hverandre, Luft kommer ikke ind derimellem;

¹⁶One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.

¹⁷de hænger fast ved hverandre, uadskilleligt griber de ind i hverandre.

¹⁷One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.

¹⁸Dens Nysen fremkalder strålende Lys, som Morgenrødens Øjenlåg er dens Øjne.

¹⁸His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.

¹⁹Ud af dens Gab farer Fakler, Ildgnister spruder der frem.

¹⁹Out of his mouth do flames go, sparks of fire escape.

²⁰Em står ud af dens Næsebor som af en ophedet, kogende Kedel.

²⁰Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds.

²¹Dens Ånde tænder som glødende Kul, Luer står ud af dens Gab.

²¹His breath setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth.

²²Styrken bor på dens Hals, og Angsten hopper foran den.

²²In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult.

²³Tæt sidder Kødets Knuder, som støbt til Kroppen; de rokkes ikke;

²³The flakes of his flesh have adhered — Firm upon him — it is not moved.

²⁴fast som Sten er dens Hjerte støbt, fast som den nederste Møllesten.

²⁴His heart [is] firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece.

²⁵Når den rejser sig, gyser Helte, fra Sans og Samling går de af Skræk.

²⁵From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free.

²⁶Angriberens Sværd holder ikke Stand, ej Kastevåben, Spyd eller Pil.

²⁶The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear — dart — and lance.

²⁷Jern regner den kun for Halm og Kobber for trøsket Træ;

²⁷He reckoneth iron as straw, brass as rotten wood.

²⁸Buens Søn slår den ikke på Flugt, Slyngens Sten bliver Strå for den,

²⁸The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.

²⁹Stridskøllen regnes for Rør, den ler ad det svirrende Spyd.

²⁹As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.

³⁰På Bugen er der skarpe Rande, dens Spor i Dyndet er som Tærskeslædens;

³⁰Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.

³¹Dybet får den i Kog som en Gryde, en Salvekedel gør den af Floden;

³¹He causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment.

³²bag den er der en lysende Sti, Dybet synes som Sølverhår.

³²After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary.

³³Dens Lige findes ikke på Jord, den er skabt til ikke at frygte.

³³There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.

³⁴Alt, hvad højt er, ræddes for den, den er Konge over alle stolte Dyr.

³⁴Every high thing he doth see, He [is] king over all sons of pride.