| 1 εἰ ἔγνως καιρὸν τοκετοῦ τραγελάφων πέτρας ἐφύλαξας δὲ ὠδῖνας ἐλάφων 2 ἠρίθμησας δὲ αὐτῶν μῆνας πλήρεις τοκετοῦ ὠδῖνας δὲ αὐτῶν ἔλυσας 3 ἐξέθρεψας δὲ αὐτῶν τὰ παιδία ἔξω φόβου ὠδῖνας αὐτῶν ἐξαποστελεῖς 4 ἀπορρήξουσιν τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν πληθυνθήσονται ἐν γενήματι ἐξελεύσονται καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀνακάμψουσιν αὐτοῖς 5 τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἀφεὶς ὄνον ἄγριον ἐλεύθερον δεσμοὺς δὲ αὐτοῦ τίς ἔλυσεν 6 ἐθέμην δὲ τὴν δίαιταν αὐτοῦ ἔρημον καὶ τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ ἁλμυρίδα 7 καταγελῶν πολυοχλίας πόλεως μέμψιν δὲ φορολόγου οὐκ ἀκούων 8 κατασκέψεται ὄρη νομὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀπίσω παντὸς χλωροῦ ζητεῖ 9 βουλήσεται δέ σοι μονόκερως δουλεῦσαι ἢ κοιμηθῆναι ἐπὶ φάτνης σου 10 δήσεις δὲ ἐν ἱμᾶσι ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ ἑλκύσει σου αὔλακας ἐν πεδίῳ 11 πέποιθας δὲ ἐ{P'} αὐτῷ ὅτι πολλὴ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ ἐπαφήσεις δὲ αὐτῷ τὰ ἔργα σου 12 πιστεύσεις δὲ ὅτι ἀποδώσει σοι τὸν σπόρον εἰσοίσει δέ σου τὸν ἅλωνα |
1 Not thine to know when the wild goats give birth on their high crags, to watch the hinds in their throes; 2 count the months while they carry their young, and know the time of their delivery. 3 Without thy aid they travail; born of those pangs, 4 the calves are soon weaned, and make for the pastures, go out to return no more. 5 Who gives the wild ass untrammelled liberty 6 to roam the wilderness, and make the salt plains his dwelling-place; 7 to spurn the din of cities, no driver crying after him, 8 and look about him at the slopes where he feeds, all that green world his pasturage? 9 Canst thou tame the wild ox[1] to thy service, feed him at thy stall, 10 bind him to the plough with thongs and lead him out to break clods in the valley? 11 Wouldst thou trust that great strength of his to do thy work for thee, 12 bring in thy harvest and fill thy threshing-floor? |
1
Numquid nosti tempus partus ibicum in petris,
vel parturientes cervas observasti? 2
Dinumerasti menses conceptus earum,
et scisti tempus partus earum? 3
Incurvantur ad fœtum, et pariunt,
et rugitus emittunt. 4
Separantur filii earum, et pergunt ad pastum:
egrediuntur, et non revertuntur ad eas. 5
Quis dimisit onagrum liberum,
et vincula ejus quis solvit? 6
cui dedi in solitudine domum,
et tabernacula ejus in terra salsuginis. 7
Contemnit multitudinem civitatis:
clamorem exactoris non audit. 8
Circumspicit montes pascuæ suæ,
et virentia quæque perquirit. 9
Numquid volet rhinoceros servire tibi,
aut morabitur ad præsepe tuum? 10
Numquid alligabis rhinocerota ad arandum loro tuo,
aut confringet glebas vallium post te? 11
Numquid fiduciam habebis in magna fortitudine ejus,
et derelinques ei labores tuos? 12
Numquid credes illi quod sementem reddat tibi,
et aream tuam congreget? |