The Lord Continues
When Do Mountain Goats Give Birth?
1 When do mountain goats
and deer give birth?
Have you been there
when their young are born?
* 2 How long are they pregnant
3 before they deliver?
4 Soon their young grow strong
and then leave
to be on their own.
5 Who set wild donkeys free?
6 I alone help them survive
in salty desert sand.
7 They stay far from crowded cities
and refuse to be tamed.
8 Instead, they roam the hills,
searching for pastureland.
9 Would a wild ox agree
to live in your barn
and labor for you?
10 Could you force him to plow
or to drag a heavy log
to smooth out the soil?
11 Can you depend on him
to use his great strength
and do your heavy work?
12 Can you trust him
to harvest your grain
or take it to your barn
from the threshing place?
An Ostrich Proudly Flaps Her Wings
13 An ostrich proudly
flaps her wings,
but not because
she loves her young.
14 She abandons her eggs
and lets the dusty ground
keep them warm.
15 And she doesn't seem to worry
that the feet of an animal
could crush them all.
16 She treats her eggs as though
they were not her own,
unconcerned that her work
might be for nothing.
17 I myself made her foolish
and without common sense.
18 But once she starts running,
she laughs at a rider
on the fastest horse.
Did You Give Horses Their Strength?
19 Did you give horses their strength
and the flowing hair
along their necks?
20 Did you make them able
to jump like grasshoppers
or to frighten people
with their snorting?
21 Before horses are ridden
into battle,
they paw at the ground,
proud of their strength.
22 Laughing at fear, they rush
toward the fighting,
23 while the weapons of their riders
rattle and flash in the sun.
24 Unable to stand still,
they gallop eagerly into battle
when trumpets blast.
25 Stirred by the distant smells
and sounds of war, they snort
in reply to the trumpet.
26 Did you teach hawks to fly south
for the winter?
* 27 Did you train eagles to build
28 their nests on rocky cliffs,
29 where they can look down
to spot their next meal?
30 Then their young gather to feast
wherever the victim lies.
Dievs par dzīvnieku pasauli un kārtību tajā
1 Vai zini, kad dzemdē kalnu kazas?
Vai par stirnu radībām tu gādā?
2 Vai gaidību mēnešus tām skaiti,
vai zini tām atnesību laiku?
3 Tās pietupstas, savus bērnus dzemdē,
savu radību pasaulē laiž,
4 to mazuļi stipri, tie laukā uzaug,
aizskrien, pie viņām nepārnāk.
5 Kas mežēzeli dara brīvu,
kas lauka ēzelim pinekļus atpin?
6 Es devu tam klajumā mājas
un par mitekli sāls laukus.
7 Par pilsētas pūli tas smej,
dzinēja klaigās tas neklausās,
8 kalnos ganības meklē,
pēc ik zaļuma tas tek.
9 Vai meža vērsis tev vergos,
vai nakšņos pie tavas siles?
10 Vai siesi šo virvēm pie vagas?
Vai ielejās ars, kā tu šim liec?
11 Vai tu paļausies, ka tas stiprs,
vai uzliksi savus pūliņus tam?
12 Vai tici, ka šis tavus graudus vāks,
pārvedīs tavu kūlumu?
13 Strausenes spārni līksmi plīv,
bet tie nav kā stārķenes spārni, –
14 savas olas tā paļauj zemei
un pīšļos tās gozē,
15 aizmirst, ka kāja var samīt tās,
ka lauka zvēri var sabradāt!
16 Pamet, it kā ne pašas bērnus!
Ka pūliņi tukšā, tā nebīstas –
17 jo Dievs licis aizmirst tai gudrību
un nav piešķīris saprašanu.
18 Bet, kad tā ceļas skriet,
par zirgu un jātnieku pasmej!
19 Vai tu devi zirgam spēku,
vai tu tērpi krēpēs tā kaklu,
20 vai tu tam liki kā sisenim lēkāt?
Diži tas sprauslā, ka briesmas!
21 Tas ielejā dīžājas un gavilē spēkā,
drāžas ieročiem pretī,
22 smej par bailēm un netrūkstas,
nebēg no zobena asmens.
23 Kad pie sāna tam bultu maks šķind,
kad šķēpi un pīķi liesmo,
24 trakos auļos viņš sašūpo zemi
un nestāv rāmi, kad taure sauc.
25 Kad taure skan, tas atbild: ī-hā! –
pa gabalu saož, kur karš
un virsnieku rēka un aurošana.
26 Vai vanags laižas pēc tava prāta,
pleš spārnus pret dienvidvēju?
27 Vai ērglis ceļas, kad tu tam liec,
un augstumos taisa ligzdu?
28 Klintīs viņš apmetas, tur viņš mīt,
uz klinšu zobiem un kalnu galiem,
29 no turienes viņš noglūn ēsmu –
tālu samana to viņa acs.
30 Viņa putnēni asinis rij,
kur nokautie – tur viņš.”
