1 Tu te trompes si tu crois l’avoir, son seul aspect te fera reculer! | 1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? |
2 N’est-il pas cruel dès qu’on l’éveille? Qui lui fera face sans céder le terrain, | 2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? |
3 qui l’attaquera et sera le plus fort? Personne sous les cieux. | 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? |
4 Je devrais parler de ses membres, il me faut rappeler sa force incomparable. | 4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? |
5 Qui a soulevé le devant de sa tunique, et regardé sous sa carapace? | 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? |
6 Qui a ouvert les battants de sa mâchoire? et quelle frayeur à voir cette couronne de dents! | 6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? |
7 Son dos n’est qu’un tissu de plaques qui se recouvrent sans laisser d’espace; | 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears? |
8 la jointure est si bonne que pas un souffle n’y passerait. | 8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. |
9 Chacune est soudée à sa voisine, leur assemblage ne se démonte pas. | 9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? |
10 S’il éternue, ce sont des étincelles, ses paupières laissent jaillir une lumière. | 10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? |
11 De sa gueule se dégagent des flammes, des étincelles de feu s’en échappent. | 11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. |
12 Une vapeur sort de ses narines, des projections, comme d’un chaudron qui bouillonne. | 12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. |
13 À son souffle les charbons s’enflamment, une langue de feu sort de sa gueule! | 13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? |
14 Toute sa force est dans son cou, l’effroi passe devant lui! | 14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. |
15 Sa carcasse ne fait qu’un tout, partout elle résiste et rien ne bouge. | 15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. |
16 Son cœur est dur comme le roc, comme une pierre à broyer. | 16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. |
17 S’il se redresse, les flots refluent, les ondes s’effraient. | 17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. |
18 L’épée le frappe sans pénétrer, la lance et la flèche rebondissent. | 18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. |
19 Pour lui le fer n’est que paille, et le bronze comme le bois s’émousse. | 19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. |
20 Les traits de l’arc ne le font pas fuir, les pierres de fronde lui semblent brins de paille. | 20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. |
21 La massue n’est pour lui qu’une baguette, le javelot résonne sur lui: il s’en moque. | 21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. |
22 Tout son dessous est garni de pointes, il herse la vase, y laissant des sillons. | 22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. |
23 Puis c’est un bouillonnement dans les ondes, des bulles sur l’eau, comme sur des charbons d’encens. | 23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. |
24 Il laisse derrière lui un sillage de lumière, une mer d’écume blanche. | 24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. |
25 Nulle bête sur terre ne saurait le vaincre: il a été fait rebelle à la peur. | 25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. |
26 Il brave en face les plus fières, il est le roi de tous les carnassiers! | 26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. |
| 27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. |
| 28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. |
| 29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. |
| 30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. |
| 31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. |
| 32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. |
| 33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. |
| 34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. |