§70τῷ ῥʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν, §71μή, ὁπότʼ ἂν τὸ πρῶτον ἴδῃ φάος ἠελίοιο, §72νῆσον ἀτιμήσας, ἐπεὶ ἦ κραναήπεδός εἰμι, §73ποσσὶ καταστρέψας ὤσῃ ἁλὸς ἐν πελάγεσσιν,
"Therefore I terribly dread in my heart and in my soul, lest, when he first sees the light of the sun, having despised my island—since indeed I am rocky and rugged— he should overturn me with his feet and thrust me into the depths of the sea.
§74ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν μέγα κῦμα κατὰ κρατὸς ἅλις αἰεὶ §75κλύσσει· ὃ δʼ ἄλλην γαῖαν ἀφίξεται, ἥ κεν ἅδῃ οἱ, §76τεύξασθαι νηόν τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρήεντα· §77πουλύποδες δʼ ἐν ἐμοὶ θαλάμας φῶκαί τε μέλαιναι §78οἰκία ποιήσονται ἀκηδέα, χήτεϊ λαῶν.
There indeed a great wave will always wash abundantly over my head, while he will go to some other land which may please him, to build a temple and woody groves; and octopuses and black seals will make their undisturbed homes on me, for lack of people.
§79ἀλλʼ εἴ μοι τλαίης γε, θεά, μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμόσσαι, §80ἐνθάδε μιν πρῶτον τεύξειν περικαλλέα νηὸν §81ἔμμεναι ἀνθρώπων χρηστήριον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα §81a[τεύξασθαι νηούς τε καὶ ἄλσεα δενδρηέντα] §82πάντας ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολυώνυμος ἔσται. <milestone type="endquote" §83ὣς ἄρ ἔφη· Λητὼ δὲ θεῶν μέγαν ὅρκον ὄμοσσε· §84<milestone type="startquote" ἴστω νῦν τάδε Γαῖα καὶ Οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθεν §85καὶ τὸ κατειβόμενον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅστε μέγιστος §86ὅρκος δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν· §87ἦ μὴν Φοίβου τῇδε θυώδης ἔσσεται αἰεὶ §88βωμὸς καὶ τέμενος, τίσει δέ σέ γʼ ἔξοχα πάντων. <milestone type="endquote" §89αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ὄμοσέν τε τελεύτησέν τε τὸν ὅρκον, §90Δῆλος μὲν μάλα χαῖρε γονῇ ἑκάτοιο ἄνακτος· §91Λητὼ δʼ ἐννῆμάρ τε καὶ ἐννέα νύκτας ἀέλπτοις §92ὠδίνεσσι πέπαρτο.
But if you would dare, goddess, to swear to me a great oath, that here he will first build a very beautiful temple to be an oracle for men, and afterwards indeed [to build temples and woody groves] among all men, since indeed he will be of many names." <milestone type="endquote" Thus she spoke; and Leto swore the great oath of the gods: <milestone type="startquote" "Let Earth now know this, and wide Heaven above, and the down-flowing water of Styx, which is the greatest and most terrible oath for the blessed gods: indeed, Phoebus' fragrant altar and precinct shall always be here, and he will honor you above all." <milestone type="endquote" But when she had sworn and completed the oath, Delos rejoiced greatly in the birth of the lord who shoots from afar; but Leto for nine days and nine nights with unlooked-for pangs of labor was pierced.
θεαὶ δʼ ἔσαν ἔνδοθι πᾶσαι, §93ὅσσαι ἄρισται ἔασι, Διώνη τε Ῥείη τε §94Ἰχναίη τε Θέμις καὶ ἀγάστονος Ἀμφιτρίτη §95ἄλλαι τʼ ἀθάναται νόσφιν λευκωλένου Ἥρης· §96ἧστο γὰρ ἐν μεγάροισι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο·
And all the goddesses were within, as many as are the best, Dione and Rhea and Ichnaean Themis and deep-groaning Amphitrite and the other immortal goddesses, except white-armed Hera; for she sat in the halls of Zeus the cloud-gatherer.
§97μούνη δʼ οὐκ ἐπέπυστο μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια· §98ἧστο γὰρ ἄκρῳ Ὀλύμπῳ ὑπὸ χρυσέοισι νέφεσσιν, §99Ἥρης φραδμοσύνης λευκωλένου, ἥ μιν ἔρυκε §100ζηλοσύνῃ, ὅτʼ ἄρʼ υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε §101Λητὼ τέξεσθαι καλλιπλόκαμος τότʼ ἔμελλεν.
And only Eileithyia, helper in difficult labor, had not heard; for she sat on the peak of Olympus under golden clouds, by the planning of white-armed Hera, who kept her back through jealousy, because beautiful-haired Leto was then about to bear a blameless and strong son.
§102αἳ δʼ Ἶριν προὔπεμψαν ἐυκτιμένης ἀπὸ νήσου, §103ἀξέμεν Εἰλείθυιαν, ὑποσχόμεναι μέγαν ὅρμον, §104χρυσείοισι λίνοισιν ἐερμένον, ἐννεάπηχυν· §105νόσφιν δʼ ἤνωγον καλέειν λευκωλένου Ἥρης, §106νή μιν ἔπειτʼ ἐπέεσσιν ἀποστρέψειεν ἰοῦσαν.
And they sent forth Iris from the well-built island to bring Eileithyia, promising her a great necklace, strung with golden threads, nine cubits long; and they bade her call her apart from white-armed Hera, lest she should then turn her back with words as she went.
But when swift wind-footed Iris heard this, she set out to run, and quickly traversed all the space between.
§109αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἵκανε θεῶν ἕδος, αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον, §110αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ Εἰλείθυιαν ἀπὲκ μεγάροιο θύραζε §111ἐκπροκαλεσσαμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα, §112πάντα μάλʼ, ὡς ἐπέτελλον Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχουσαι.
But when she reached the seat of the gods, steep Olympus, immediately she called Eileithyia out from the hall to the door, and spoke winged words to her, telling her everything exactly as the goddesses who hold Olympian dwellings had commanded.
And so she persuaded the heart in her dear breast; and they went, resembling in their steps timid doves.
When Eileithyia, helper in difficult labor, set foot on Delos, even then the birth-pangs seized Leto, and she yearned to bring forth.
And she threw her arms around a palm tree, and bent her knees on the soft meadow, and the earth smiled beneath.
§119ἐκ δʼ ἔθορε πρὸ φόωσδε· θεαὶ δʼ ὀλόλυξαν ἅπασαι.
And he leaped forth into the light, and all the goddesses raised a cry.
§120ἔνθα σέ, ἤιε Φοῖβε, θεαὶ λόον ὕδατι καλῷ §121ἁγνῶς καὶ καθαρῶς, σπάρξαν δʼ ἐν φάρεϊ λευκῷ, §122λεπτῷ, νηγατέῳ· περὶ δὲ χρύσεον στρόφον ἧκαν.
There, O Phoebus to whom cries are raised, the goddesses washed you with beautiful water, holily and cleanly, and wrapped you in a white robe, fine and newly woven; and they put a golden band around you.
§123οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ἀπόλλωνα χρυσάορα θήσατο μήτηρ, §124ἀλλὰ Θέμις νέκταρ τε καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινὴν §125ἀθανάτῃσιν χερσὶν ἐπήρξατο· χαῖρε δὲ Λητώ, §126οὕνεκα τοξοφόρον καὶ καρτερὸν υἱὸν ἔτικτεν.
Nor indeed did his mother suckle Apollo of the golden sword, but Themis with her immortal hands offered nectar and lovely ambrosia; and Leto rejoiced because she had borne a bowman, a mighty son.
§127αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δή, Φοῖβε, κατέβρως ἄμβροτον εἶδαρ, §128οὔ σέ γʼ ἔπειτʼ ἴσχον χρύσεοι στρόφοι ἀσπαίροντα, §129οὐδʼ ἔτι δέσματʼ ἔρυκε, λύοντο δὲ πείρατα πάντα.
But when, O Phoebus, you had eaten the immortal food, then the golden bands no longer held you struggling, nor did the bonds still restrain you, but all the cords were loosed.
§130αὐτίκα δʼ ἀθανάτῃσι μετηύδα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων· §131<milestone type="startquote"> εἴη μοι κίθαρίς τε φίλη καὶ καμπύλα τόξα, §132χρήσω δʼ ἀνθρώποισι Διὸς νημερτέα βουλήν. <milestone type="endquote"> §133ὣς εἰπὼν ἐβίβασκεν ἐπὶ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης §134Φοῖβος ἀκερσεκόμης, ἑκατηβόλος· αἳ δʼ ἄρα πᾶσαι §135θάμβεον ἀθάναται·
And immediately Phoebus Apollo spoke among the immortal goddesses: <milestone type="startquote" "May the lyre and the curved bow be dear to me, and I will declare to men the unerring counsel of Zeus." <milestone type="endquote" Having thus spoken, he walked upon the wide-wayed earth, Phoebus of the unshorn hair, who shoots from afar; and all the goddesses were amazed.