Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?

Numquid nosti tempus partus ibicum in petris, vel parturientes cervas observasti?

Not thine to know when the wild goats give birth on their high crags, to watch the hinds in their throes;

Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

Dinumerasti menses conceptus earum, et scisti tempus partus earum?

count the months while they carry their young, and know the time of their delivery.

They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.

Incurvantur ad fœtum, et pariunt, et rugitus emittunt.

Without thy aid they travail; born of those pangs,

Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.

Separantur filii earum, et pergunt ad pastum: egrediuntur, et non revertuntur ad eas.

the calves are soon weaned, and make for the pastures, go out to return no more.

Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?

Quis dimisit onagrum liberum, et vincula ejus quis solvit?

Who gives the wild ass untrammelled liberty

To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.

cui dedi in solitudine domum, et tabernacula ejus in terra salsuginis.

to roam the wilderness, and make the salt plains his dwelling-place;

He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.

Contemnit multitudinem civitatis: clamorem exactoris non audit.

to spurn the din of cities, no driver crying after him,

He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.

Circumspicit montes pascuæ suæ, et virentia quæque perquirit.

and look about him at the slopes where he feeds, all that green world his pasturage?

Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

Numquid volet rhinoceros servire tibi, aut morabitur ad præsepe tuum?

Canst thou tame the wild ox to thy service, feed him at thy stall,

Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

Numquid alligabis rhinocerota ad arandum loro tuo, aut confringet glebas vallium post te?

bind him to the plough with thongs and lead him out to break clods in the valley?

Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?

Numquid fiduciam habebis in magna fortitudine ejus, et derelinques ei labores tuos?

Wouldst thou trust that great strength of his to do thy work for thee,

Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?

Numquid credes illi quod sementem reddat tibi, et aream tuam congreget?

bring in thy harvest and fill thy threshing-floor?

The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

Penna struthionis similis est pennis herodii et accipitris.

Here is the ostrich, of one feather with heron and hawk,

When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.

Quando derelinquit ova sua in terra, tu forsitan in pulvere calefacies ea?

yet she will leave her eggs on the bare earth; and canst thou give warmth to the dust to hatch them?

She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.

Obliviscitur quod pes conculcet ea, aut bestia agri conterat.

Heedless, though foot of man should trample or wild beast devour them,

She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.

Duratur ad filios suos, quasi non sint sui: frustra laboravit, nullo timore cogente.

she steels herself to pity as if the brood was none of hers; throws away all her hopes in causeless alarm.

For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.

Privavit enim eam Deus sapientia, nec dedit illi intelligentiam.

God’s will it was to deny her sense; wisdom she might have none,

When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.

Cum tempus fuerit, in altum alas erigit: deridet equum et ascensorem ejus.

though she were swift, at need, to hoist her wings aloft, mocking the pains of horse and rider.

Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?

Numquid præbebis equo fortitudinem, aut circumdabis collo ejus hinnitum?

Ay, and what of the horse? Is it of thy gift his great strength comes, was it thou didst caparison with him terrors?

Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.

Numquid suscitabis eum quasi locustas? gloria narium ejus terror.

Thou wilt not scare him away like a locust; fiercely he breathes,

He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.

Terram ungula fodit; exultat audacter: in occursum pergit armatis.

deeply he paws the ground, bravely he prances, as he goes out to meet the shock of battle.

He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword.

Contemnit pavorem, nec cedit gladio.

Fear cannot daunt him, nor the sword drive him back;

Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.

Super ipsum sonabit pharetra; vibrabit hasta et clypeus:

clang quiver, let shield and spear dazzle as they may,

Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

fervens et fremens sorbet terram, nec reputat tubæ sonare clangorem.

he swallows up the intervening distance, all heat and rage. Little recks he of the trumpet’s blast;

When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

Ubi audierit buccinam, dicit: Vah! procul odoratur bellum: exhortationem ducum, et ululatum exercitus.

echoes exultantly the bugle’s note, while he scents from afar the combat, hears the shouting of captains, and the din of armies.

Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?

Numquid per sapientiam tuam plumescit accipiter, expandens alas suas ad austrum?

Is it of thy devising the hawk grows full-fledged, in time to spread her wings for the southward journey?

Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?

Numquid ad præceptum tuum elevabitur aquila, et in arduis ponet nidum suum?

Is it at thy bidding the eagle soars, to make her eyrie in the heights,

She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.

In petris manet, et in præruptis silicibus commoratur, atque inaccessis rupibus.

cave and crag and inaccessible rock her familiar home,

From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

Inde contemplatur escam, et de longe oculi ejus prospiciunt.

whence her far-seeing eyes look round, searching for prey?

Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.

Pulli ejus lambent sanguinem: et ubicumque cadaver fuerit, statim adest.

Blood-thirsty her brood, and where the carcase waits, waits she.

And the Lord went on, and said to Job:

Et adjecit Dominus, et locutus est ad Job:

All this the Lord said to Job, and added besides,

Shall he that contendeth with God be so easily silenced? surely he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.

Numquid qui contendit cum Deo, tam facile conquiescit? utique qui arguit Deum, debet respondere ei.

What is this? One that would match himself with God, so easily put down! Nay, God thou didst challenge, God thou must refute.

Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

Respondens autem Job Domino, dixit:

And thus Job made the Lord answer:

What can I answer, who hath spoken inconsiderately? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

Qui leviter locutus sum, respondere quid possum? manum meam ponam super os meum.

So vain a pleader, I have no suit to make; finger on lip I will listen.

One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said: and another, to which I will add no more.

Unum locutus sum, quod utinam non dixissem: et alterum, quibus ultra non addam.

Once and again I have spoken the word I would fain unsay; more I dare not.