أَيُّوبَ 3

١ 1 بَعْدَ هَذَا فَتَحَ أَيُّوبُ فَاهُ وَسَبَّ يَوْمَهُ،

After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

٢ 2 وَأَخَذَ أَيُّوبُ يَتَكَلَّمُ فَقَالَ:

So then Job began, and said:

٣ 3 «لَيْتَهُ هَلَكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِي وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ، وَٱللَّيْلُ ٱلَّذِي قَالَ: قَدْ حُبِلَ بِرَجُلٍ.

Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!

٤ 4 لِيَكُنْ ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ظَلَامًا. لَا يَعْتَنِ بِهِ ٱللهُ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَلَا يُشْرِقْ عَلَيْهِ نَهَارٌ.

That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:

٥ 5 لِيَمْلِكْهُ ٱلظَّلَامُ وَظِلُّ ٱلْمَوْتِ. لِيَحُلَّ عَلَيْهِ سَحَابٌ. لِتَرْعَبْهُ كَاسِفَاتُ ٱلنَّهَارِ.

Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day’s dark eclipse cause it terror:

٦ 6 أَمَّا ذَلِكَ ٱللَّيْلُ فَلْيُمْسِكْهُ ٱلدُّجَى، وَلَا يَفْرَحْ بَيْنَ أَيَّامِ ٱلسَّنَةِ، وَلَا يَدْخُلَنَّ فِي عَدَدِ ٱلشُّهُورِ.

That night, darkness take it, —May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.

٧ 7 هُوَذَا ذَلِكَ ٱللَّيْلُ لِيَكُنْ عَاقِرًا، لَا يُسْمَعْ فِيهِ هُتَافٌ.

Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:

٨ 8 لِيَلْعَنْهُ لَاعِنُو ٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْمُسْتَعِدُّونَ لِإِيقَاظِ ٱلتِّنِّينِ.

Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:

٩ 9 لِتُظْلِمْ نُجُومُ عِشَائِهِ. لِيَنْتَظِرِ ٱلنُّورَ وَلَا يَكُنْ، وَلَا يَرَ هُدُبَ ٱلصُّبْحِ،

Darkened be the stars of its twilight, —Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:

١٠ 10 لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُغْلِقْ أَبْوَابَ بَطْنِ أُمِّي، وَلَمْ يَسْتُرِ ٱلشَّقَاوَةَ عَنْ عَيْنَيَّ.

Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.

١١ 11 لِمَ لَمْ أَمُتْ مِنَ ٱلرَّحِمِ؟ عِنْدَمَا خَرَجْتُ مِنَ ٱلْبَطْنِ، لِمَ لَمْ أُسْلِمِ ٱلرُّوحَ؟

Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?

١٢ 12 لِمَاذَا أَعَانَتْنِي ٱلرُّكَبُ، وَلِمَ ٱلثُّدِيُّ حَتَّى أَرْضَعَ؟

For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?

١٣ 13 لِأَنِّي قَدْ كُنْتُ ٱلْآنَ مُضْطَجِعًا سَاكِنًا. حِينَئِذٍ كُنْتُ نِمْتُ مُسْتَرِيحًا

Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:

١٤ 14 مَعَ مُلُوكٍ وَمُشِيرِي ٱلْأَرْضِ، ٱلَّذِينَ بَنَوْا أَهْرَامًا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ،

With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:

١٥ 15 أَوْ مَعَ رُؤَسَاءَ لَهُمْ ذَهَبٌ، ٱلْمَالِئِينَ بُيُوتَهُمْ فِضَّةً،

Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:

١٦ 16 أَوْ كَسِقْطٍ مَطْمُورٍ فَلَمْ أَكُنْ، كَأَجِنَّةٍ لَمْ يَرَوْا نُورًا.

Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:

١٧ 17 هُنَاكَ يَكُفُّ ٱلْمُنَافِقُونَ عَنِ ٱلشَّغْبِ، وَهُنَاكَ يَسْتَرِيحُ ٱلْمُتْعَبُونَ.

There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:

١٨ 18 ٱلْأَسْرَى يَطْمَئِنُّونَ جَمِيعًا، لَا يَسْمَعُونَ صَوْتَ ٱلْمُسَخِّرِ.

At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:

١٩ 19 ٱلصَّغِيرُ كَمَا ٱلْكَبِيرُ هُنَاكَ، وَٱلْعَبْدُ حُرٌّ مِنْ سَيِّدِهِ.

Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.

٢٠ 20 «لِمَ يُعْطَى لِشَقِيٍّ نُورٌ، وَحَيَاةٌ لِمُرِّي ٱلنَّفْسِ؟

Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—

٢١ 21 ٱلَّذِينَ يَنْتَظِرُونَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ، وَيَحْفُرُونَ عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ ٱلْكُنُوزِ،

Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:

٢٢ 22 ٱلْمَسْرُورِينَ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْتَهِجُوا، ٱلْفَرِحِينَ عِنْدَمَا يَجِدُونَ قَبْرًا!

Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:

٢٣ 23 لِرَجُلٍ قَدْ خَفِيَ عَلَيْهِ طَرِيقُهُ، وَقَدْ سَيَّجَ ٱللهُ حَوْلَهُ.

To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?

٢٤ 24 لِأَنَّهُ مِثْلَ خُبْزِي يَأْتِي أَنِينِي، وَمِثْلَ ٱلْمِيَاهِ تَنْسَكِبُ زَفْرَتِي،

For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:

٢٥ 25 لِأَنِّي ٱرْتِعَابًا ٱرْتَعَبْتُ فَأَتَانِي، وَٱلَّذِي فَزِعْتُ مِنْهُ جَاءَ عَلَيَّ.

For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.

٢٦ 26 لَمْ أَطْمَئِنَّ وَلَمْ أَسْكُنْ وَلَمْ أَسْتَرِحْ، وَقَدْ جَاءَ ٱلرُّجْزُ».

I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!