§1μνήσομαι οὐδὲ λάθωμαι Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο, §2ὅντε θεοὶ κατὰ δῶμα Διὸς τρομέουσιν ἰόντα· §3καί ῥά τʼ ἀναΐσσουσιν ἐπὶ σχεδὸν ἐρχομένοιο §4πάντες ἀφʼ ἑδράων, ὅτε φαίδιμα τόξα τιταίνει.
I will remember and not be unmindful of Apollo who shoots from afar, whom the gods tremble at as he goes through the hall of Zeus; and indeed they all spring up from their seats as he approaches, when he bends his splendid bow.
§5Λητὼ δʼ οἴη μίμνε παραὶ Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ, §6ἥ ῥα βιόν τʼ ἐχάλασσε καὶ ἐκλήισσε φαρέτρην, §7καί οἱ ἀπʼ ἰφθίμων ὤμων χείρεσσιν ἑλοῦσα §8τόξα κατεκρέμασε πρὸς κίονα πατρὸς ἑοῖο §9πασσάλου ἐκ χρυσέου· τὸν δʼ ἐς θρόνον εἷσεν ἄγουσα.
Leto alone remains by Zeus who delights in thunder, she who unstrung his bow and closed his quiver, and taking them with her hands from his mighty shoulders hung the bow against the pillar of his father from a golden peg; and she led him to a seat and made him sit.
§10τῷ δʼ ἄρα νέκταρ ἔδωκε πατὴρ δέπαϊ χρυσείῳ §11δεικνύμενος φίλον υἱόν· ἔπειτα δὲ δαίμονες ἄλλοι §12ἔνθα καθίζουσιν· χαίρει δέ τε πότνια Λητώ, §13οὕνεκα τοξοφόρον καὶ καρτερὸν υἱὸν ἔτικτε.
And the father gave him nectar in a golden cup, welcoming his dear son; and then the other deities sit down there; and queenly Leto rejoices because she bore a mighty son, a bowman.
§14χαῖρε, μάκαιρʼ ὦ Λητοῖ, ἐπεὶ τέκες ἀγλαὰ τέκνα, §15Ἀπόλλωνά τʼ ἄνακτα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν, §16τὴν μὲν ἐν Ὀρτυγίῃ, τὸν δὲ κραναῇ ἐνὶ Δήλῳ, §17κεκλιμένη πρὸς μακρὸν ὄρος καὶ Κύνθιον ὄχθον, §18ἀγχοτάτω φοίνικος, ἐπʼ Ἰνωποῖο ῥεέθροις.
Hail, blessed Leto, since you bore glorious children, lord Apollo and Artemis who delights in arrows, her in Ortygia, and him in rocky Delos, leaning against the tall mountain and Cynthian hill, very near a palm tree, by the streams of Inopus.
§19πῶς τʼ ἄρ σʼ ὑμνήσω πάντως εὔυμνον ἐόντα;
How then shall I sing of you, who are in every way well worthy of song?
§20πάντη γάρ τοι, Φοῖβε, νόμοι βεβλήατʼ ἀοιδῆς, §21ἠμὲν ἀνʼ ἤπειρον πορτιτρόφον ἠδʼ ἀνὰ νήσους· §22πᾶσαι δὲ σκοπιαί τοι ἅδον καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι §23ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων ποταμοί θʼ ἅλαδε προρέοντες §24ἀκταί τʼ εἰς ἅλα κεκλιμέναι λιμένες τε θαλάσσης.
For everywhere, Phoebus, the range of song is laid down for you, both on the calf-nurturing mainland and on the islands; and all the outlooks please you, and the sharp peaks of lofty mountains, and rivers flowing forward to the sea, and shores leaning toward the sea, and harbors of the deep.
§25ἦ ὥς σε πρῶτον Λητὼ τέκε, χάρμα βροτοῖσι, §26κλινθεῖσα πρὸς Κύνθου ὄρος κραναῇ ἐνὶ νήσῳ, §27Δήλῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ;
Shall I sing how Leto first bore you, a joy to mortals, leaning against Mount Cynthus on the rocky island, on sea-girt Delos?
ἑκάτερθε δὲ κῦμα κελαινὸν §28ἐξῄει χέρσονδε λιγυπνοίοις ἀνέμοισιν, §29ἔνθεν ἀπορνύμενος πᾶσι θνητοῖσιν ἀνάσσεις.
And on either side the dark wave washed landward under shrill winds, whence arising you rule over all mortals.
§30ὅσσους Κρήτη τʼ ἐντὸς ἔχει καὶ δῆμος Ἀθηνῶν §31νῆσός τʼ Αἰγίνη ναυσικλειτή τʼ Εὔβοια, §32Αἰγαί, Πειρεσίαι τε καὶ ἀγχιάλη Πεπάρηθος §33Θρηίκιός τʼ Ἀθόως καὶ Πηλίου ἄκρα κάρηνα §34Θρηικίη τε Σάμος Ἴδης τʼ ὄρεα σκιόεντα, §35Σκῦρος καὶ Φώκαια καὶ Αὐτοκάνης ὄρος αἰπύ, §36Ἴμβρος τʼ εὐκτιμένη καὶ Λῆμνος ἀμιχθαλόεσσα §37Λέσβος τʼ ἠγαθέη, Μάκαρος ἕδος Αἰολίωνος, §38καὶ Χίος, ἣ νήσων λιπαρωτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ κεῖται, §39παιπαλόεις τε Μίμας καὶ Κωρύκου ἄκρα κάρηνα §40καὶ Κλάρος αἰγλήεσσα καὶ Αἰσαγέης ὄρος αἰπὺ §41καὶ Σάμος ὑδρηλὴ Μυκάλης τʼ αἰπεινὰ κάρηνα §42Μίλητός τε Κόως τε, πόλις Μερόπων ἀνθρώπων, §43καὶ Κνίδος αἰπεινὴ καὶ Κάρπαθος ἠνεμόεσσα §44Νάξος τʼ ἠδὲ Πάρος Ῥήναιά τε πετρήεσσα,
As many as Crete holds within, and the people of Athens, and the island of Aegina, and Euboea famous for ships, Aegae and Peiresiae and Peparethus near the sea, and Thracian Athos, and the lofty peaks of Pelion, and Thracian Samos, and the shady mountains of Ida, Scyros and Phocaea and the steep mountain of Autocane, and well-built Imbros and smoky Lemnos, and holy Lesbos, the seat of Macar son of Aeolus, and Chios, which lies wealthiest of islands in the sea, and rugged Mimas and the lofty peaks of Corycus, and gleaming Claros and the steep mountain of Aesagee, and watery Samos and the steep peaks of Mycale, and Miletus and Cos, city of Meropian men, and steep Cnidus and windy Carpathos, and Naxos and Paros and rocky Rhenaea.
So far did Leto go in her labor, seeking if any of these lands would be willing to make a home for her son.
§47αἳ δὲ μάλʼ ἐτρόμεον καὶ ἐδείδισαν, οὐδέ τις ἔτλη §48Φοῖβον δέξασθαι, καὶ πιοτέρη περ ἐοῦσα· §49πρίν γʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐπὶ Δήλου ἐβήσατο πότνια Λητὼ §50καί μιν ἀνειρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §51<milestone type="startquote" δῆλʼ, εἰ γάρ κʼ ἐθέλοις ἕδος ἔμμεναι υἷος ἐμοῖο, §52Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος, θέσθαι τʼ ἔνι πίονα νηόν, — §53ἄλλος δʼ οὔτις σεῖό ποθʼ ἅψεται, οὐδέ σε λήσει· §54οὐδʼ εὔβων σέ γʼ ἔσεσθαι ὀίομαι οὔτʼ εὔμηλον, §55οὐδὲ τρύγην οἴσεις οὔτʼ ἂρ φυτὰ μυρία φύσεις.
But they trembled greatly and were afraid, and none dared to receive Phoebus, though being wealthier; until indeed queenly Leto set foot on Delos and questioning her, spoke winged words: "Delos, if you would be willing to be the seat of my son, Phoebus Apollo, and to place a rich temple in you, — for no other will ever touch you or neglect you; nor do I think you will be rich in cattle or sheep, nor will you bear a vintage, nor indeed grow countless plants.
§56εἰ δέ κʼ Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκαέργου νηὸν ἔχῃσθα, §57ἄνθρωποί τοι πάντες ἀγινήσουσʼ ἑκατόμβας §58ἐνθάδʼ ἀγειρόμενοι, κνίσση δέ τοι ἄσπετος αἰεὶ §59δημοῦ ἀναΐξει βοσκήσεις θʼ οἵ κέ σʼ ἔχωσι §60χειρὸς ἀπʼ ἀλλοτρίης, ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι πῖαρ ὑπʼ οὖδας. <milestone type="endquote" §61ὣς φάτο· χαῖρε δὲ Δῆλος, ἀμειβομένη δὲ προσηύδα· §62<milestone type="startquote" Λητοῖ, κυδίστη θύγατερ μεγάλου Κοίοιο, §63ἀσπασίη κεν ἐγώ γε γονὴν ἑκάτοιο ἄνακτος §64δεξαίμην· αἰνῶς γὰρ ἐτήτυμόν εἰμι δυσηχὴς §65ἀνδράσιν· ὧδε δέ κεν περιτιμήεσσα γενοίμην.
But if you have the temple of Apollo who works from afar, all men will bring hecatombs to you gathering here, and the boundless savor of fat will always rise up, and you will feed those who possess you from the hand of others, since there is no richness under your soil." Thus she spoke; and Delos rejoiced, and answering spoke: "Leto, most glorious daughter of great Coeus, gladly would I receive the birth of the lord who shoots from afar; for terribly indeed am I of evil repute among men; but thus I would become greatly honored.
§66ἀλλὰ τόδε τρομέω, Λητοῖ, ἔπος, οὐδέ σε κεύσω· §67λίην γάρ τινά φασιν ἀτάσθαλον Ἀπόλλωνα §68ἔσσεσθαι, μέγα δὲ πρυτανευσέμεν ἀθανάτοισι §69καὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
But this word, Leto, I dread, and I will not hide it from you; for they say that Apollo will be very overbearing, and will rule greatly over the immortals and over mortal men upon the bounteous earth."