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? | Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth? |
Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet? | Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue? |
Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d`une voix douce? | Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you? |
Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave? | Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever? |
Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau? L`attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles? | Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women? |
Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands? | Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders? |
Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons? | Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head? |
Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t`aviseras plus de l`attaquer. | Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again! |
Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n`est-on pas terrassé? | Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him! |
Nul n`est assez hardi pour l`exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face? | He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me? |
De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m`appartient. | Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven! |
Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure. | I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame. |
Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires? | Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron? |
Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur. | Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth. |
Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau; | His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp. |
Ils se serrent l`un contre l`autre, Et l`air ne passerait pas entre eux; | One is so near to the other that no air may come between them. |
Ce sont des frères qui s`embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables. | They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted. |
Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l`aurore. | His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn. |
Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s`en échappent. | Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up. |
Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d`un vase qui bout, d`une chaudière ardente. | Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire. |
Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme. | His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. |
La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l`effroi bondit au-devant de lui. | Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him. |
Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables. | The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved. |
Son coeur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure. | His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone. |
Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l`épouvante les fait fuir. | When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear. |
C`est en vain qu`on l`attaque avec l`épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien. | The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron. |
Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L`airain comme du bois pourri. | Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood. |
La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume. | The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems. |
Il ne voit dans la massue qu`un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards. | A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear. |
Sous son ventre sont des pointes aiguës: On dirait une herse qu`il étend sur le limon. | Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth. |
Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l`agite comme un vase rempli de parfums. | The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel. |
Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L`abîme prend la chevelure d`un vieillard. | After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white. |
Sur la terre nul n`est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre. | On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear. |
Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux. | Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride. |