1 « أتَعْرِفُ مَتَى تَلِدُ المِعزاةُ الجَبَلِيَّةُ؟ أتُراقِبُ الغُزلانَ أثناءَ آلامِ الوِلادَةِ وَتَحْمِيها؟

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

2 و َتَحْسِبُ الشُّهُورَ حَتَّى تَلِدَ؟ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ وَقتَ وِلادَتِها؟

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

3 ح ِينَ تَربِضُ وَتَلِدُ أولادَها، وَتَتَخَلَّصُ مِنْ آلامِها.

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

4 ي َصِيرُ أولادُها أقوِياءَ، يَكبُرُونَ فِي البَرِّيَّةِ. يَترُكُونَ أُمَّهاتِهِمْ وَلا يَعُودُونَ.

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

5 « مَنِ الَّذِي أطلَقَ الحِمارَ البَرِّيَّ؟ مَنْ حَلَّهُ؟

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

6 ج َعَلْتُ لَهُ فِي الصَّحْراءِ بَيتاً، وَمَكانَ سَكَنٍ فِي الأرْضِ المالِحَةِ.

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

7 ي َضحَكُ عَلَى ضَجِيجِ المَدِينَةِ، وَلا يَسمَعُ أوامِرَ مُراقِبِ العَمَلِ.

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

8 ي َطُوفُ التِّلالَ بَحثاً عَنْ مَراعِيهِ، وَيَسعَى إلَى كُلِّ ما هُوَ أخضَرُ.

The range of mountains his pasture, And after every green thing he seeketh.

9 « أيَرْضَى الثَّورُ البَرِّيَّ أنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ خادِماً؟ أوْ أنْ يَبِيتَ عِندَ مِذوَدِكَ؟

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

10 أ تَقْدِرُ أنْ تَضَعَ نِيراً عَلَى جامُوسٍ بَرِّيٍّ لِيَحرُثَ؟ أمْ يَرضَى بِأنْ يُمَهِّدَ الحُقُولَ خَلفَكَ؟

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

11 أ تَتَّكِلُ عَلَيهِ لِقُوَّتِهِ العَظِيمَةِ؟ وَهَلْ تَترُكُ لَهُ عَمَلَكَ المُتْعِبَ؟

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

12 أ تَتَّكِلُ عَلَيهِ لِيُحضِرَ زَرعَكَ، وَيَجمَعَهُ إلَى بَيدَرِكَ؟

Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And thy threshing-floor doth gather ?

13 « يُصَفِّقُ جَناحا النَّعامَةِ، مَعَ أنَّهُما لَيسا كَجَناحِ اللَّقلَقِ وَرِيشِهِ.

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

14 ل َكِنَّها تَتْرُكُ بَيْضَها عَلَى الأرْضِ، تَضَعُهُ عَلَى التُّرابِ لِتُبقِيهِ دافِئاً.

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

15 ث ُمَّ تَنسَى أنَّ قَدَماً قَدْ تَدُوسُهُ، وَأنَّ حَيواناً بَرِّيّاً قَدْ يَسحَقُهُ.

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

16 ت َقسُو عَلَى صِغارِها كَأنَّهُمْ لَيسُوا لَها. وَلا يُقلِقُها إنْ كانَتْ قَدْ تَعِبَتْ عَبَثاً،

Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain her labour without fear.

17 ل أنَّ اللهَ مَنَعَ عَنها الحِكْمَةَ، وَلَمْ يُعطِها فَهْماً.

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

18 ل َكِنْ عِندَما تَنهَضُ وَتَبدَأُ العَدْوَ، تَضحَكُ عَلَى الحِصانِ وَراكِبِهِ.

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

19 أ أنْتَ مَنْ تُعطِي الحِصانَ قُوَّتَهُ، وَتَكسُو عُنُقَهُ عُرْفاً مُنْساباً؟

Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck a mane?

20 أ تَجعَلُهُ يَثِبُ كَجَرادَةٍ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُخِيفُ النّاسَ بِصَهِيلِهِ ذِي الكِبرِياءِ؟

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

21 ي َضرِبُ الأرْضَ بِعُنفٍ بِحافِرِهِ، وَيُسرِعُ بِكُلِّ قُوَّتِهِ إلَى المَعرَكَةِ.

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

22 ي َهزَأُ بِالخَوفِ وَلا يَفزَعُ، وَلا يَتَراجَعُ أمامَ السَّيفِ.

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

23 ت ُقَعْقِعُ عَلَيهِ جَعْبَةُ السِّهامِ، وَوَمِيضُ الحَربِ وَالرِّماحِ.

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

24 ي َبتَلِعُ الأرْضَ وَسَطَ ضَجِيجِ الحَربِ، وَعِندَ صَوتِ البُوقِ لا يَهدَأُ،

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

25 ع ِندَ نَفخِ البُوقِ يَصهَلُ مُتَحَمِّساً! وَيَشُمُّ رائِحَةَ المَعرَكَةِ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ. يَسمَعُ صِياحَ القادَةِ وَصَرَخاتِ القِتالِ.

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

26 « أتَفهَمُ كَيفَ يَطِيرُ الصَّقرُ، وَيَنشُرُ جَناحَيْهِ حَولَ الجَنُوبِ؟

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

27 أ يُحَلِّقُ النَّسرُ بِأمرِكَ؟ وَيَبنِي عُشَّهُ فِي الأعالِي؟

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

28 ي َسْكُنُ عَلَى صَخْرَةٍ شاهِقَةٍ، وَيَبِيتُ عَلَى قِمَّتِها، وَيَجعَلُها حِصْناً لَهُ.

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

29 ي َبحَثُ عَنْ طَعامِهِ مِنْ هُناكَ، وَيُراقِبُ فَرِيسَتَهُ عَنْ بُعْدٍ.

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

30 ت َلْعَقُ صِغارُهُ الدَّمَ، وَحَيْثُ الجُثَثُ، فَهُناكَ تَجِدُهُ.»

And his brood gulph up blood, And where the pierced -- there he!