[of islands and mainland, and loved her most deeply in his heart.] It blossomed as when a mountain peak blossoms with the flowers of the forest.
§140αὐτὸς δʼ, ἀργυρότοξε, ἄναξ ἑκατηβόλʼ Ἄπολλον, §141ἄλλοτε μέν τʼ ἐπὶ Κύνθου ἐβήσαο παιπαλόεντος, §142ἄλλοτε δʼ ἂν νήσους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἠλάσκαζες.
You yourself, O lord of the silver bow, far-shooting Apollo, at one time walked upon rocky Cynthus, and at another time you wandered among the islands and men.
§143πολλοί τοι νηοί τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα· §144πᾶσαι δὲ σκοπιαί τε φίλαι καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι §145ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων ποταμοί θʼ ἅλαδε προρέοντες·
Many indeed are your temples and woody groves; and dear are all the lookouts and peak-ridges of high mountains, and rivers flowing forth to the sea.
§146ἀλλὰ σὺ Δήλῳ, Φοῖβε, μάλιστʼ ἐπιτέρπεαι ἦτορ, §147ἔνθα τοι ἑλκεχίτωνες Ἰάονες ἠγερέθονται §148αὐτοῖς σὺν παίδεσσι καὶ αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισιν.
But in Delos, Phoebus, you most delight your heart, where the long-robed Ionians gather, with their children and revered wives.
And they, mindful of you, delight you with boxing and dance and song, whenever they ordain a contest.
One would say they are immortal and ever ageless, who should then meet them when the Ionians are gathered together.
§153πάντων γάρ κεν ἴδοιτο χάριν, τέρψαιτο δὲ θυμὸν §154ἄνδρας τʼ εἰσορόων καλλιζώνους τε γυναῖκας §155νῆάς τʼ ὠκείας ἠδʼ αὐτῶν κτήματα πολλά.
For he would behold the grace of them all, and would delight his heart, beholding the men and the beautifully-girdled women, and the swift ships and their many possessions.
§156πρὸς δὲ τόδε μέγα θαῦμα, ὅου κλέος οὔποτʼ ὀλεῖται, §157κοῦραι Δηλιάδες, ἑκατηβελέταο θεράπναι· §158αἵ τʼ ἐπεὶ ἂρ πρῶτον μὲν Ἀπόλλωνʼ ὑμνήσωσιν, §159αὖτις δʼ αὖ Λητώ τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν, §160μνησάμεναι ἀνδρῶν τε παλαιῶν ἠδὲ γυναικῶν §161ὕμνον ἀείδουσιν, θέλγουσι δὲ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων.
And besides this, there is a great wonder, whose fame shall never perish, the Delian maidens, handmaidens of the Far-shooter; who, when they have first sung of Apollo, and next indeed of Leto and Artemis who pours forth arrows, and having remembered the men and women of old, they sing a hymn and charm the tribes of men.
§162πάντων δʼ ἀνθρώπων φωνὰς καὶ βαμβαλιαστὺν §163μιμεῖσθʼ ἴσασιν· φαίη δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος §164φθέγγεσθʼ· οὕτω σφιν καλὴ συνάρηρεν ἀοιδή.
And they know how to imitate the voices and clattering tongues of all men; each man indeed would say that he himself were speaking; so beautifully is their sweet song fitted together.
But come now, may Apollo with Artemis be propitious, and farewell to you all.
ἐμεῖο δὲ καὶ μετόπισθεν §167μνήσασθʼ, ὁππότε κέν τις ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων §168ἐνθάδ’ ἀνείρηται ξεῖνος ταλαπείριος ἐλθών· §169<milestone type="startquote"> ὦ κοῦραι, τίς δʼ ὔμμιν ἀνὴρ ἥδιστος ἀοιδῶν §170ἐνθάδε πωλεῖται, καὶ τέῳ τέρπεσθε μάλιστα; <milestone type="endquote"> §171ὑμεῖς δʼ εὖ μάλα πᾶσαι ὑποκρίνασθαι ἀφήμως· §172<milestone type="startquote"> τυφλὸς ἀνήρ, οἰκεῖ δὲ Χίῳ ἔνι παιπαλοέσσῃ §173τοῦ πᾶσαι μετόπισθεν ἀριστεύσουσιν ἀοιδαί. <milestone type="endquote"> §174ἡμεῖς δʼ ὑμέτερον κλέος οἴσομεν, ὅσσον ἐπʼ αἶαν §175ἀνθρώπων στρεφόμεσθα πόλεις εὖ ναιεταώσας· §176οἳ δʼ ἐπὶ δὴ πείσονται, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐτήτυμόν ἐστιν.
And remember me also in aftertimes, whenever any of earth-dwelling men, a stranger who has suffered much, comes here and asks: <milestone type="startquote"> "O maidens, who is the sweetest of singers to you who comes here, and in whom do you most delight?" <milestone type="endquote"> And do you all reply, with one voice, right well: <milestone type="startquote"> "A blind man, and he dwells in rocky Chios, all of whose songs will remain supreme in aftertimes." <milestone type="endquote"> And we will carry your fame, as far as we roam over the earth among the well-populated cities of men; and they indeed will believe it, since it is truly so.
But I will never cease from hymning far-shooting Apollo of the silver bow, whom beautiful-haired Leto bore.
§179ὦ ἄνα, καὶ Λυκίην καὶ Μῃονίην ἐρατεινὴν §180καὶ Μίλητον ἔχεις, ἔναλον πόλιν ἱμερόεσσαν, §181αὐτὸς δʼ αὖ Δήλοιο περικλύστοιο μέγʼ ἀνάσσεις.
O lord, you hold Lycia and lovely Maeonia and Miletus, the charming city by the sea, and you yourself also rule greatly over sea-washed Delos.
§182εἶσι δὲ φορμίζων Λητοῦς ἐρικυδέος υἱὸς §183φόρμιγγι γλαφυρῇ πρὸς Πυθὼ πετρήεσσαν, §184ἄμβροτα εἵματʼ ἔχων τεθυωμένα· τοῖο δὲ φόρμιγξ §185χρυσέου ὑπὸ πλήκτρου καναχὴν ἔχει ἱμερόεσσαν.
And the glorious son of Leto goes playing his lyre, with his hollow lyre, towards rocky Pytho, wearing immortal garments, fragrant; and his lyre has a lovely sound beneath his golden plectrum.
Thence from the earth to Olympus, swift as a thought, he goes to the house of Zeus, to the assembly of the other gods.
§188αὐτίκα δʼ ἀθανάτοισι μέλει κίθαρις καὶ ἀοιδή· §189Μοῦσαι μέν θʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι ἀμειβόμεναι ὀπὶ καλῇ §190ὑμνεῦσίν ῥα θεῶν δῶρʼ ἄμβροτα ἠδʼ ἀνθρώπων §191τλημοσύνας, ὅσʼ ἔχοντες ὑπʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι §192ζώουσʼ ἀφραδέες καὶ ἀμήχανοι, οὐδὲ δύνανται §193εὑρέμεναι θανάτοιό τʼ ἄκος καὶ γήραος ἄλκαρ·
And immediately lyre and song are the care of the immortals; and the Muses all together, replying with sweet voice, hymn the immortal gifts of the gods, and the sufferings of men, which they, having under the immortal gods, live, witless and helpless, nor are they able to find a cure for death or a defense against old age.
§194αὐτὰρ ἐυπλόκαμοι Χάριτες καὶ ἐύφρονες Ὧραι §195Ἁρμονίη θʼ Ἥβη τε Διὸς θυγάτηρ τʼ Ἀφροδίτη §196ὀρχεῦντʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔχουσαι·
But the fair-tressed Graces and cheerful Hours and Harmonia and Hebe and Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus, dance, holding one another by the wrist.
§197τῇσι μὲν οὔτʼ αἰσχρὴ μεταμέλπεται οὔτʼ ἐλάχεια, §198ἀλλὰ μάλα μεγάλη τε ἰδεῖν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητή, §199Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα ὁμότροφος Ἀπόλλωνι.
And among them sings one who is neither plain nor small, but is very tall to look upon and wondrous in form, Artemis who pours forth arrows, reared with Apollo.
§200ἐν δʼ αὖ τῇσιν Ἄρης καὶ ἐύσκοπος Ἀργειφόντης §201παίζουσʼ· αὐτὰρ ὁ Φοῖβος Αʼπόλλων ἐγκιθαρίζει §202καλὰ καὶ ὕψι βιβάς· αἴγλη δέ μιν ἀμφιφαείνει §203μαρμαρυγαί τε ποδῶν καὶ ἐυκλώστοιο χιτῶνος.
And again among them Ares and the keen-sighted Slayer of Argus play; while Phoebus Apollo plays his lyre, stepping beautifully and high; and a radiance shines around him, the flashing of his feet and his well-spun chiton.
§204οἳ δʼ ἐπιτέρπονται θυμὸν μέγαν εἰσορόωντες §205Λητώ τε χρυσοπλόκαμος καὶ μητίετα Ζεὺς §206υἷα φίλον παίζοντα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.
And they delight their great heart, beholding them, golden-tressed Leto and wise Zeus, beholding their dear son playing among the immortal gods.
§207πῶς τʼ ἄρ σʼ ὑμνήσω πάντως εὔυμνον ἐόντα;
How then shall I hymn you, who are in every way well-worthy of song?
§208ἠέ σʼ ἐνὶ μνηστῆρσιν ἀείδω καὶ φιλότητι,
Shall I sing of you among suitors and in love-making,