- Source
- Callimachus and Lycophron; Aratus. Mair, A. W., editor. London: William Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1921.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0533.tlg018.humanitext-grc3:162-242
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-26
Apollo from the womb directs his mother Leto away from Cos, prophesying the future glory of King Ptolemy II and the Galatian invasion, and guides her to Delos. Asteria welcomes Leto, and Iris, the loyal messenger of the angry Hera, brings the news to her mistress.
ἀλλά ἑ παιδὸς ἔρυκεν ἔπος τόδε μὴ σύ γε, μῆτερ,
But the word of the child within her withheld her: “Do not, mother,
τῇ με τέκοις.1 οὔτʼ οὖν ἐπιμέμφομαι οὐδὲ μεγαίρω
give me birth there. I do not indeed blame or grudge
νῆσον, ἐπεὶ λιπαρή τε καὶ εὔβοτος, εἴ νύ τις ἄλλη·
the island, since it is fertile and rich in pasture, if ever any other is;
ἀλλά οἱ ἐκ Μοιρέων τις ὀφειλόμενος θεὸς ἄλλος
but there is another god due to her from the Fates,
ἐστί, Σαωτήρων ὕπατον γένος· ᾧ ὑπὸ μίτρην
highest race of the Saviors (Ptolemy); under whose diadem
ἵξεται οὐκ ἀέκουσα Μακηδόνι κοιρανέεσθαι2
shall come not unwilling to be ruled by a Macedonian
ἀμφοτέρη μεσόγεια καὶ αἳ πελάγεσσι κάθηνται,
both the inland lands and those that sit on the seas,
μέχρις ὅπου περάτη τε καὶ ὁππόθεν ὠκέες ἵπποι
as far as where the end of the earth is and whence the swift horses
ἠέλιον φορέουσιν· ὁ δʼ εἴσεται ἤθεα πατρός.
carry the sun; and he shall know the ways of his father.
καί νύ ποτε ξυνός τις ἐλεύσεται ἄμμιν3 ἄεθλος
And indeed some day a common struggle shall come upon us
ὕστερον, ὁππότʼ ἂν οἱ μὲν ἐφʼ Ἑλλήνεσσι μάχαιραν
later, when the late-born Titans from the furthest west
βαρβαρικὴν καὶ Κελτὸν ἀναστήσαντες Ἄρηα
shall stir up against the Hellenes a barbarian sword and Celtic Ares,
ὀψίγονοι Τιτῆνες ἀφʼ ἑσπέρου ἐσχατόωντος
rushing like snowflakes or in number equal to the stars,
ῥώσωνται νιφάδεσσιν ἐοικότες ἢ ἰσάριθμοι
when they are pastured most numerously in the air,
τείρεσιν, ἡνίκα πλεῖστα κατʼ ἠέρα βουκολέονται,
when fortresses and
φρούρια καὶ
the Crissaean plains and the mainland
καὶ πεδία Κρισσαῖα καὶ ἠπείροι
shall be straitened all around, and they shall see the rich smoke
ἀμφιπεριστείνωνται, ἴδωσι δὲ πίονα καπνὸν
of their neighbor burning, and no longer by report alone,
γείτονος αἰθομένοιο, καὶ οὐκέτι μοῦνον ἀκουῇ,
but now by their very eyes they shall behold the phalanxes
ἀλλʼ ἤδη παρὰ νηὸν ἀπαυγάζοιντο φάλαγγας
of the enemy around the temple, and now beside my tripods
δυσμενέων, ἤδη δὲ παρὰ τριπόδεσσιν ἐμεῖο
the swords and shameless belts and hated
φάσγανα καὶ ζωστῆρας ἀναιδέας ἐχθομένας τε
shields, which shall set a bad journey for the foolish race of Galatians.
ἀσπίδας, αἳ Γαλάτῃσι κακὴν ὁδὸν ἄφρονι φύλῳ
Of these, some shall be my prize, and others by the Nile,
στήσονται· τέων αἱ μὲν ἐμοὶ γέρας, αἱ δʼ ἐπὶ Νείλῳ
having seen their wearers gasp out their lives in fire,
ἐν πυρὶ τοὺς φορέοντας ἀποπνεύσαντας ἰδοῦσαι
shall lie as the rewards of the king who labored much.
κείσονται βασιλῆος ἀέθλια πολλὰ καμόντος.
O Ptolemy to be, to thee I show these prophecies.
ἐσσόμενε Πτολεμαῖε, τά τοι μαντήια φαίνω.
Thou shalt greatly praise the prophet still in his mother’s womb
αἰνήσεις μέγα δή τι τὸν εἰσέτι γαστέρι μάντιν
later in all days. But do you, mother, understand:
ὕστερον ἤματα πάντα. σὺ δὲ ξυμβάλλεο, μῆτερ·
there is a slender island seen in the water,
ἔστι διειδομένη τις ἐν ὕδατι νήσος ἀραιή,
wandering in the seas; her feet are not in one place,
πλαζομένη πελάγεσσι· πόδες δέ οἱ οὐχ ἑνὶ χώρῳ,
but she floats upon the back-flowing tide like an asphodel stalk,
ἀλλὰ παλιρροίῃ ἐπινήχεται ἀνθέρικος ὥς,
where the south wind, where the east wind, wherever the sea carries her.
ἔνθα νότος, ἔνθʼ εὖρος, ὅπη φορέῃσι θάλασσα.
Thither bear me; for you shall come to her who is willing.”
τῇ με φέροις· κείνην γὰρ ἐλεύσεαι εἰς ἐθέλουσαν.
As he spoke thus, the islands of the sea fled away.
αἱ μὲν τόσσα λέγοντος ἀπέτρεχον εἰν ἁλὶ νῆσοι·
But you, Asteria, lover of song, came down from Euboea,
Ἀστερίη φιλόμολπε, σὺ δʼ Εὐβοίηθε κατῄεις,
to see the circular Cyclades, not long ago,
Κυκλάδας ὀψομένη περιηγέας, οὔ τι παλαιόν,ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοι μετόπισθε Γεραίστιον εἵπετο φῦκος·
but still behind you followed the seaweed of Geraestus.
. φλεξας ἐπεὶ περικαίεο πυρί,
... since you were burned all around with fire,
τλήμονʼ ὑπʼ ὠδίνεσσι βαρυνομένην ὁρόωσα·
seeing her burdened and weighed down by labor pains.
Ἥρη, τοῦτό με ῥέξον ὅ τοι φίλον· οὐ γὰρ ἀπειλὰς
”Hera, do to me what is pleasing to you; for I do not heed
ὑμετέρας ἐφύλαξα· πέρα, πέρα εἰς ἐμὲ Λητοῖ.
your threats. Cross over, cross over to me, Leto!”
ἔννεπες· ἡ δʼ ἀρητὸν ἄλης ἀπεπαύσατο λυγρῆς,
You spoke; and she ceased from her painful and wretched wandering,
ἕζετο δʼ Ἰνωποῖο παρὰ ῥόον, ὅντε βάθιστον
and sat beside the stream of Inopus, which the earth
γαῖα τότʼ ἐξανίησιν, ὅτε πλήθοντι ῥεέθρῳ
sends up deepest at that time when the Nile with swelling stream
Νεῖλος ἀπὸ κρημνοῖο κατέρχεται Αἰθιοπῆος·
comes down from the Ethiopian cliff.
λύσατο δὲ ζώνην, ἀπὸ δʼ ἐκλίθη ἔμπαλιν ὤμοις
And she loosed her girdle, and leaned her shoulders back
φοίνικος ποτὶ πρέμνον ἀμηχανίης ὑπὸ λυγρῆς
against the trunk of a palm tree, worn out by wretched distress,
τειρομένη· νότιος δὲ διὰ χροὸς ἔρρεεν ἱδρώς.
and the cold sweat flowed over her skin.
εἶπε δʼ ἀλυσθμαίνουσα τί μητέρα, κοῦρε, βαρύνεις;
And she spoke, gasping for breath: “Why, child, do you burden your mother?
αὕτη τοι, φίλε, νῆσος ἐπιπλώουσα θαλάσσῃ.
This, my dear, is your island floating on the sea.
γείνεο, γείνεο, κοῦρε, καὶ ἤπιος ἔξιθι κόλπου.
Be born, be born, child, and come forth gently from my womb.”
νύμφα Διὸς βαρύθυμε, σὺ δʼ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες ἄπυστος
Nymph of Zeus, heavy of heart, you were not to remain long ignorant.
δὴν ἔμεναι·4 τοίη σε προσέδραμεν ἀγγελιῶτις,
Such a messenger ran to you;
εἶπε δʼ ἔτʼ ἀσθμαίνουσα, φόβῳ δʼ ἀνεμίσγετο μῦθος,
she spoke still gasping, and her words were mixed with fear:
Ἥρη τιμηέσσα, πολὺ προὔχουσα θεάων
”Honored Hera, far exceeding the goddesses,
σὴ μὲν ἐγώ, σὰ δὲ πάντα, σὺ δὲ κρείουσα κάθησαι
I am yours, and all things are yours, and you sit as the genuine sovereign
γνησίη Οὐλύμποιο, καὶ οὐ χέρα δείδιμεν ἄλλην
of Olympus, and we fear no other female hand;
θηλυτέρην, σὺ δʼ, ἄνασσα, τὸν αἴτιον εἴσεαι ὀργῆς.
but you, queen, shall know the cause of your anger.
Λητώ τοι μίτρην ἀναλύεται ἔνδοθι νήσου.
Leto is loosing her girdle within the island.
ἄλλαι μὲν πᾶσαί μιν ἀπέστυγον οὐδʼ ἐδέχοντο·
All the other islands abhorred her and did not receive her,
Ἀστερίη δʼ ὀνομαστὶ παρερχομένην ἐκάλεσσεν,
but Asteria called her by name as she passed by,
Ἀστερίη, πόντοιο κακὸν σάρον· οἶσθα καὶ αὐτή.
Asteria, the foul refuse of the sea; you yourself know it.
ἀλλά, φίλη, δύνασαι γάρ, ἀμύνειν, πότνια, δούλοις
But, dear lady, protect your servants, for you have the power,
ὑμετέροις, οἳ σεῖο πέδον πατέουσιν ἐφετμῇ.
who tread your ground at your command.”
ἦ καὶ ὑπὸ χρύσειον ἐδέθλιον ἷζε κύων ὥς,
She spoke, and sat beneath the golden throne like a dog,
Ἀρτέμιδος ἥτις τε, θοῆς ὅτε παύσεται ἄγρης,
which, when it ceases from the swift chase,
ἵζει θηρήτειρα παρʼ ἴχνεσιν, οὔατα δʼ αὐτῆς
sits beside the feet of Artemis, and her ears are quite upright,
ὀρθὰ μάλʼ, αἰὲν ἑτοῖμα θεῆς ὑποδέχθαι ὀμοκλήν·
always ready to receive the command of the goddess.
τῇ ἰκέλη Θαύμαντος ὑπὸ θρόνον ἵζετο κούρη.
Like her, the daughter of Thaumas sat beneath the throne.
κείνη δʼ οὐδέποτε σφετέρης ἐπιλήθεται ἕδρης,
She never forgets her seat,
οὐδʼ ὅτε οἱ ληθαῖον ἐπὶ πτερὸν ὕπνος ἐρείσῃ,
not even when sleep presses his wing of forgetfulness upon her,
ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ μεγάλοιο ποτὶ γλωχῖνα θρόνοιο
but right there, leaning her head a little sideways against the corner
τυτθὸν ἀποκλίνασα καρήατα λέχριος εὕδει.
of the great throne, she sleeps.
οὐδέ ποτε ζώνην ἀναλύεται οὐδὲ ταχείας
And she never looses her girdle or her swift
ἐνδρομίδας, μή οἵ τι καὶ αἰφνίδιον ἔπος εἴπῃ
hunting boots, lest her mistress should speak some sudden word to her.
δεσπότις. ἡ δʼ ἀλεγεινὸν ἀλαστήσασα προσηύδα
But Hera, breaking out in painful anger, spoke to her:
οὕτω νῦν, ὦ Ζηνὸς ὀνείδεα, καὶ γαμέοισθε
”So now, O shames of Zeus, may you marry
λάθρια καὶ τίκτοιτε κεκρυμμένα, μηδʼ ὅθι δειλαὶ
in secret and bring forth in hiding, not where poor
δυστοκέες μογέουσιν ἀλετρίδες, ἀλλʼ ὅθι φῶκαι
women in labor toil, but where seals bring forth...”
- 162μὴ σύ γε, μῆτερ, / τῇ με τέκοις
A prohibition expressed by μὴ with the optative. While prohibitions addressed to the second person usually employ μὴ with the subjunctive or imperative, the optative here conveys a polite or entreating request from the unborn Apollo to his mother.
- 167οὐκ ἀέκουσα Μακηδόνι κοιρανέεσθαι
The phrase οὐκ ἀέκουσα is a litotes meaning 'willingly' or 'not reluctantly,' agreeing as a feminine singular adjective with the subject lands/islands. κοιρανέεσθαι is a passive infinitive accompanied by the dative Μακηδόνι indicating the agent of the ruling action ('to be ruled by a Macedonian').
- 171ἄμμιν
An epic and Lesbian dialectal variant of the first-person plural dative ἡμῖν. It refers to 'for us' (Apollo and the future King Ptolemy II, or Delphi and Egypt jointly).
- 215οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες ... δὴν ἔμεναι
The combination of ἔμελλες with the infinitive (ἔμεναι = εἶναι), negated by οὐκ and joined with the particle ἄρα, conveys the idea 'you were not, as it turned out, to remain long ignorant.' This idiom highlights the inevitability of the discovery and the speed with which the news arrived.