Leto's Oath, Birth of Apollo, and His Mission — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo, lines 70–137, Greek & English

τῷ ῥʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

”Therefore I terribly dread in my heart and in my soul,

μή, ὁπότʼ ἂν τὸ πρῶτον ἴδῃ¹ φάος ἠελίοιο,

lest, when he first sees the light of the sun,

νῆσον ἀτιμήσας, ἐπεὶ ἦ κραναήπεδός εἰμι,

having despised my island—since indeed I am rocky and rugged—

ποσσὶ καταστρέψας ὤσῃ ἁλὸς ἐν πελάγεσσιν,

he should overturn me with his feet and thrust me into the depths of the sea.

ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν μέγα κῦμα κατὰ κρατὸς ἅλις αἰεὶ

There indeed a great wave will always wash abundantly over my head,

κλύσσει· ὃ δʼ ἄλλην γαῖαν ἀφίξεται, ἥ κεν ἅδῃ οἱ,

while he will go to some other land which may please him,

τεύξασθαι νηόν² τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα·

to build a temple and woody groves;

πουλύποδες δʼ ἐν ἐμοὶ θαλάμας φῶκαί τε μέλαιναι

and octopuses and black seals

οἰκία ποιήσονται ἀκηδέα, χήτεϊ λαῶν.

will make their undisturbed homes on me, for lack of people.

ἀλλʼ εἴ μοι τλαίης γε, θεά, μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμόσσαι,

But if you would dare, goddess, to swear to me a great oath,

ἐνθάδε μιν πρῶτον τεύξειν περικαλλέα νηὸν

that here he will first build a very beautiful temple

ἔμμεναι ἀνθρώπων χρηστήριον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

to be an oracle for men, and afterwards indeed

[τεύξασθαι νηούς τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρηέντα]

[to build temples and woody groves]

πάντας ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολυώνυμος ἔσται.

among all men, since indeed he will be of many names.”

ὣς ἄρ ἔφη· Λητὼ δὲ θεῶν μέγαν ὅρκον ὄμοσσε·

Thus she spoke; and Leto swore the great oath of the gods:

ἴστω νῦν τάδε Γαῖα καὶ Οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθεν

”Let Earth now know this, and wide Heaven above,

καὶ τὸ κατειβόμενον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅστε μέγιστος

and the down-flowing water of Styx, which is

ὅρκος δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν·

the greatest and most terrible oath for the blessed gods:

ἦ μὴν Φοίβου τῇδε θυώδης ἔσσεται αἰεὶ

indeed, Phoebus’ fragrant altar and precinct shall always be here,

βωμὸς καὶ τέμενος, τίσει δέ σέ γʼ ἔξοχα πάντων.

and he will honor you above all.”

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ὄμοσέν τε τελεύτησέν τε τὸν ὅρκον,

But when she had sworn and completed the oath,

Δῆλος μὲν μάλα χαῖρε γονῇ ἑκάτοιο ἄνακτος·

Delos rejoiced greatly in the birth of the lord who shoots from afar;

Λητὼ δʼ ἐννῆμάρ τε καὶ ἐννέα νύκτας ἀέλπτοις

but Leto for nine days and nine nights with unlooked-for

ὠδίνεσσι πέπαρτο. θεαὶ δʼ ἔσαν ἔνδοθι πᾶσαι,

pangs of labor was pierced. And all the goddesses were within,

ὅσσαι ἄρισται ἔασι, Διώνη τε Ῥείη τε

as many as are the best, Dione and Rhea

Ἰχναίη τε Θέμις καὶ ἀγάστονος Ἀμφιτρίτη

and Ichnaean Themis and deep-groaning Amphitrite

ἄλλαι τʼ ἀθάναται νόσφιν λευκωλένου Ἥρης·

and the other immortal goddesses, except white-armed Hera;

ἧστο γὰρ ἐν μεγάροισι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο·

for she sat in the halls of Zeus the cloud-gatherer.

μούνη δʼ οὐκ ἐπέπυστο μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια·

And only Eileithyia, helper in difficult labor, had not heard;

ἧστο γὰρ ἄκρῳ Ὀλύμπῳ ὑπὸ χρυσέοισι νέφεσσιν,

for she sat on the peak of Olympus under golden clouds,

Ἥρης φραδμοσύνης λευκωλένου, ἥ μιν ἔρυκε

by the planning of white-armed Hera, who kept her back

100

ζηλοσύνῃ, ὅτʼ ἄρʼ υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε

through jealousy, because beautiful-haired Leto

Λητὼ τέξεσθαι καλλιπλόκαμος τότʼ ἔμελλεν.

was then about to bear a blameless and strong son.

αἳ δʼ Ἶριν προὔπεμψαν ἐυκτιμένης ἀπὸ νήσου,

And they sent forth Iris from the well-built island

ἀξέμεν Εἰλείθυιαν, ὑποσχόμεναι μέγαν ὅρμον,

to bring Eileithyia, promising her a great necklace,

χρυσείοισι λίνοισιν ἐερμένον, ἐννεάπηχυν·

strung with golden threads, nine cubits long;

105

νόσφιν δʼ ἤνωγον καλέειν λευκωλένου Ἥρης,³

and they bade her call her apart from white-armed Hera,

νή μιν ἔπειτʼ ἐπέεσσιν ἀποστρέψειεν ἰοῦσαν.

lest she should then turn her back with words as she went.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις,

But when swift wind-footed Iris heard this,

βῆ ῥα θέειν, ταχέως δὲ διήνυσε πᾶν τὸ μεσηγύ.

she set out to run, and quickly traversed all the space between.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἵκανε θεῶν ἕδος, αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον,

But when she reached the seat of the gods, steep Olympus,

110

αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ Εἰλείθυιαν ἀπὲκ μεγάροιο θύραζε

immediately she called Eileithyia out from the hall to the door,

ἐκπροκαλεσσαμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα,

and spoke winged words to her,

πάντα μάλʼ, ὡς ἐπέτελλον Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχουσαι.

telling her everything exactly as the goddesses who hold Olympian dwellings had commanded.

τῇ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἔπειθεν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι·

And so she persuaded the heart in her dear breast;

βὰν δὲ ποσὶ τρήρωσι πελειάσιν ἴθμαθʼ ὁμοῖαι.

and they went, resembling in their steps timid doves.

115

εὖτʼ ἐπὶ Δήλου ἔβαινε μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια,

When Eileithyia, helper in difficult labor, set foot on Delos,

δὴ τότε τὴν τόκος εἷλε, μενοίνησεν δὲ τεκέσθαι.

even then the birth-pangs seized Leto, and she yearned to bring forth.

ἀμφὶ δὲ φοίνικι βάλε πήχεε, γοῦνα δʼ ἔρεισε

And she threw her arms around a palm tree, and bent her knees

λειμῶνι μαλακῷ· μείδησε δὲ γαῖʼ ὑπένερθεν·

on the soft meadow, and the earth smiled beneath.

ἐκ δʼ ἔθορε πρὸ φόωσδε· θεαὶ δʼ ὀλόλυξαν ἅπασαι.

And he leaped forth into the light, and all the goddesses raised a cry.

120

ἔνθα σέ, ἤιε Φοῖβε, θεαὶ λόον ὕδατι καλῷ

There, O Phoebus to whom cries are raised, the goddesses washed you with beautiful water,

ἁγνῶς καὶ καθαρῶς, σπάρξαν δʼ ἐν φάρεϊ λευκῷ,

holily and cleanly, and wrapped you in a white robe,

λεπτῷ, νηγατέῳ· περὶ δὲ χρύσεον στρόφον ἧκαν.

fine and newly woven; and they put a golden band around you.

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ἀπόλλωνα χρυσάορα θήσατο μήτηρ,

Nor indeed did his mother suckle Apollo of the golden sword,

ἀλλὰ Θέμις νέκταρ τε καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινὴν

but Themis with her immortal hands offered nectar and lovely ambrosia;

125

ἀθανάτῃσιν χερσὶν ἐπήρξατο· χαῖρε δὲ Λητώ,

and Leto rejoiced

οὕνεκα τοξοφόρον καὶ καρτερὸν υἱὸν ἔτικτεν.

because she had borne a bowman, a mighty son.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δή, Φοῖβε, κατέβρως ἄμβροτον εἶδαρ,

But when, O Phoebus, you had eaten the immortal food,

οὔ σέ γʼ ἔπειτʼ ἴσχον χρύσεοι στρόφοι ἀσπαίροντα,

then the golden bands no longer held you struggling,

οὐδʼ ἔτι δέσματʼ ἔρυκε, λύοντο δὲ πείρατα πάντα.

nor did the bonds still restrain you, but all the cords were loosed.

130

αὐτίκα δʼ ἀθανάτῃσι μετηύδα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·

And immediately Phoebus Apollo spoke among the immortal goddesses:

εἴη μοι κίθαρίς τε φίλη καὶ καμπύλα τόξα,

”May the lyre and the curved bow be dear to me,

χρήσω δʼ ἀνθρώποισι Διὸς νημερτέα βουλήν.

and I will declare to men the unerring counsel of Zeus.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ἐβίβασκεν ἐπὶ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης

Having thus spoken, he walked upon the wide-wayed earth,

Φοῖβος ἀκερσεκόμης, ἑκατηβόλος· αἳ δʼ ἄρα πᾶσαι

Phoebus of the unshorn hair, who shoots from afar; and all the goddesses

135

θάμβεον ἀθάναται· χρυσῷ δʼ ἄρα Δῆλος ἅπασα

were amazed. And Delos all with gold

[βεβρίθει, καθορῶσα Διὸς Λητοὺς τε γενέθλην,

[was weighed down, beholding the offspring of Zeus and Leto,

γηθοσύνῃ, ὅτι μιν θεὸς εἵλετο οἰκία θέσθαι

in gladness, because the god chose her to make his home in her.]

Syntax notes3 items

71μή, ὁπότʼ ἂν τὸ πρῶτον ἴδῃ
The conjunction μή introduces a clause of fearing dependent on the verb δείδοικα in the preceding line. It is followed by the temporal clause ὁπότʼ ἂν ἴδῃ, with the main verb of the fearing clause appearing as ὤσῃ in §73.
76τεύξασθαι νηόν
The subject of the infinitive τεύξασθαι is the preceding pronoun ὅ δʼ (Apollo). Positioned after the relative clause ἥ κεν ἅδῃ οἱ, it functions as an infinitive of purpose ("in order to build").
105νόσφιν δʼ ἤνωγον καλέειν λευκωλένου Ἥρης
The preposition νόσφιν ("away from, without the knowledge of") takes the genitive λευκωλένου Ἥρης. The infinitive καλέειν depends on the governing idea of command implied by the verb προὔπεμψαν in the preceding context.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:70-137