The Wild Ones You Never Tamed.

הֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֭ת לֶ֣דֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע חֹלֵ֖ל אַיָּל֣וֹת תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?

תִּסְפֹּ֣ר יְרָחִ֣ים תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה וְ֝יָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֣ת לִדְתָּֽנָה׃

[2] Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth,

תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃

[3] when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young?

יַחְלְמ֣וּ בְ֭נֵיהֶם יִרְבּ֣וּ בַבָּ֑ר יָ֝צְא֗וּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ לָֽמוֹ׃

[4] Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them.

מִֽי־שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְר֥וֹת עָ֝ר֗וֹד מִ֣י פִתֵּֽחַ׃

[5] “Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃

[6] to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place?

יִ֭שְׂחַק לַהֲמ֣וֹן קִרְיָ֑ה תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָֽע׃

[7] He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver.

יְת֣וּר הָרִ֣ים מִרְעֵ֑הוּ וְאַחַ֖ר כָּל־יָר֣וֹק יִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃

[8] He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.

הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃

[9] “Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?

הֲ‍ֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹת֑וֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃

[10] Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you?

הֲ‌ֽתִבְטַח־בּ֖וֹ כִּי־רַ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב אֵלָ֣יו יְגִיעֶֽךָ׃

[11] Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor?

הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בּ֖וֹ ׳כִּי־יָשׁוּב׳ ״כִּי־יָשִׁ֣יב״ זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְֽגָרְנְךָ֥ יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

[12] Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?

כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים נֶעֱלָ֑סָה אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה חֲסִידָ֥ה וְנֹצָֽה׃

[13] “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?

כִּֽי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב לָאָ֣רֶץ בֵּצֶ֑יהָ וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר תְּחַמֵּֽם׃

[14] For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground,

וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ וְחַיַּ֖ת הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃

[15] forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them.

הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ בָּנֶ֣יהָ לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ לְרִ֖יק יְגִיעָ֣הּ בְּלִי־פָֽחַד׃

[16] She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,

כִּֽי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ חָכְמָ֑ה וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק לָ֝֗הּ בַּבִּינָֽה׃

[17] because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding.

כָּ֭עֵת בַּמָּר֣וֹם תַּמְרִ֑יא תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק לַ֝סּ֗וּס וּלְרֹֽכְבֽוֹ׃

[18] When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.

הֲתִתֵּ֣ן לַסּ֣וּס גְּבוּרָ֑ה הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ צַוָּאר֣וֹ רַעְמָֽה׃

[19] “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

הְֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה ה֖וֹד נַחְר֣וֹ אֵימָֽה׃

[20] Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying.

יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ בְּכֹ֑חַ יֵ֝צֵ֗א לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק׃

[21] He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons.

יִשְׂחַ֣ק לְ֭פַחַד וְלֹ֣א יֵחָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

[22] He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword.

עָ֭לָיו תִּרְנֶ֣ה אַשְׁפָּ֑ה לַ֖הַב חֲנִ֣ית וְכִידֽוֹן׃

[23] Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin.

בְּרַ֣עַשׁ וְ֭רֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּי־ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃

[24] With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

בְּדֵ֤י שֹׁפָ֨ר׀ יֹ֘אמַ֤ר הֶאָ֗ח וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק יָרִ֣יחַ מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥עַם שָׂ֝רִים וּתְרוּעָֽה׃

[25] When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

הֲ‍ֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ ׳כְּנָפָו׳ ״כְּנָפָ֣יו״ לְתֵימָֽן׃

[26] “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south?

אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנּֽוֹ׃

[27] Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?

סֶ֣לַע יִ֭שְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן עַֽל־שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע וּמְצוּדָֽה׃

[28] On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold.

מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃

[29] From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away.

׳וְאֶפְרֹחָו׳ ״וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו״ יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים שָׁ֣ם הֽוּא׃ פ

[30] His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.”