Job 41
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Job 41
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Prendras-tu le crocodile à l`hameçon? Saisiras-tu sa langue avec une corde? | Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? |
Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet? | Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook? |
Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d`une voix douce? | Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee? |
Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave? | Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever? |
Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau? L`attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles? | Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? |
Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands? | Will the bands [of fishermen] make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants? |
Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons? | Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears? |
Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t`aviseras plus de l`attaquer. | Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more. |
Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n`est-on pas terrassé? | Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him? |
Nul n`est assez hardi pour l`exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face? | None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me? |
De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m`appartient. | Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine. |
Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure. | I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame. |
Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires? | Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws? |
Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur. | Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. |
Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau; | [His] strong scales are [his] pride, Shut up together [as with] a close seal. |
Ils se serrent l`un contre l`autre, Et l`air ne passerait pas entre eux; | One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. |
Ce sont des frères qui s`embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables. | They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered. |
Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l`aurore. | His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. |
Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s`en échappent. | Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth. |
Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d`un vase qui bout, d`une chaudière ardente. | Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and [burning] rushes. |
Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme. | His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth. |
La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l`effroi bondit au-devant de lui. | In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him. |
Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables. | The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved. |
Son coeur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure. | His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone. |
Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l`épouvante les fait fuir. | When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves. |
C`est en vain qu`on l`attaque avec l`épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien. | If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft. |
Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L`airain comme du bois pourri. | He counteth iron as straw, [And] brass as rotten wood. |
La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume. | The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble. |
Il ne voit dans la massue qu`un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards. | Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin. |
Sous son ventre sont des pointes aiguës: On dirait une herse qu`il étend sur le limon. | His underparts are [like] sharp potsherds: He spreadeth [as it were] a threshing-wain upon the mire. |
Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l`agite comme un vase rempli de parfums. | He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. |
Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L`abîme prend la chevelure d`un vieillard. | He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary. |
Sur la terre nul n`est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre. | Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear. |
Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux. | He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride. |