But the word of the child within her withheld her: "Do not, mother, give me birth there.
οὔτʼ οὖν ἐπιμέμφομαι οὐδὲ μεγαίρω §164νῆσον, ἐπεὶ λιπαρή τε καὶ εὔβοτος, εἴ νύ τις ἄλλη· §165ἀλλά οἱ ἐκ Μοιρέων τις ὀφειλόμενος θεὸς ἄλλος §166ἐστί, Σαωτήρων ὕπατον γένος· ᾧ ὑπὸ μίτρην §167ἵξεται οὐκ ἀέκουσα Μακηδόνι κοιρανέεσθαι §168ἀμφοτέρη μεσόγεια καὶ αἳ πελάγεσσι κάθηνται, §169μέχρις ὅπου περάτη τε καὶ ὁππόθεν ὠκέες ἵπποι §170ἠέλιον φορέουσιν· ὁ δʼ εἴσεται ἤθεα πατρός.
I do not indeed blame or grudge the island, since it is fertile and rich in pasture, if ever any other is; but there is another god due to her from the Fates, highest race of the Saviors (Ptolemy); under whose diadem shall come not unwilling to be ruled by a Macedonian both the inland lands and those that sit on the seas, as far as where the end of the earth is and whence the swift horses carry the sun; and he shall know the ways of his father.
§171καί νύ ποτε ξυνός τις ἐλεύσεται ἄμμιν ἄεθλος §172ὕστερον, ὁππότʼ ἂν οἱ μὲν ἐφʼ Ἑλλήνεσσι μάχαιραν §173βαρβαρικὴν καὶ Κελτὸν ἀναστήσαντες Ἄρηα §174ὀψίγονοι Τιτῆνες ἀφʼ ἑσπέρου ἐσχατόωντος §175ῥώσωνται νιφάδεσσιν ἐοικότες ἢ ἰσάριθμοι §176τείρεσιν, ἡνίκα πλεῖστα κατʼ ἠέρα βουκολέονται, §177φρούρια καὶ §178καὶ πεδία Κρισσαῖα καὶ ἠπείροι §179ἀμφιπεριστείνωνται, ἴδωσι δὲ πίονα καπνὸν §180γείτονος αἰθομένοιο, καὶ οὐκέτι μοῦνον ἀκουῇ, §181ἀλλʼ ἤδη παρὰ νηὸν ἀπαυγάζοιντο φάλαγγας §182δυσμενέων, ἤδη δὲ παρὰ τριπόδεσσιν ἐμεῖο §183φάσγανα καὶ ζωστῆρας ἀναιδέας ἐχθομένας τε §184ἀσπίδας, αἳ Γαλάτῃσι κακὴν ὁδὸν ἄφρονι φύλῳ §185στήσονται·
And indeed some day a common struggle shall come upon us later, when the late-born Titans from the furthest west shall stir up against the Hellenes a barbarian sword and Celtic Ares, rushing like snowflakes or in number equal to the stars, when they are pastured most numerously in the air, when fortresses and the Crissaean plains and the mainland shall be straitened all around, and they shall see the rich smoke of their neighbor burning, and no longer by report alone, but now by their very eyes they shall behold the phalanxes of the enemy around the temple, and now beside my tripods the swords and shameless belts and hated shields, which shall set a bad journey for the foolish race of Galatians.
τέων αἱ μὲν ἐμοὶ γέρας, αἱ δʼ ἐπὶ Νείλῳ §186ἐν πυρὶ τοὺς φορέοντας ἀποπνεύσαντας ἰδοῦσαι §187κείσονται βασιλῆος ἀέθλια πολλὰ καμόντος.
Of these, some shall be my prize, and others by the Nile, having seen their wearers gasp out their lives in fire, shall lie as the rewards of the king who labored much.
§188ἐσσόμενε Πτολεμαῖε, τά τοι μαντήια φαίνω.
O Ptolemy to be, to thee I show these prophecies.
Thou shalt greatly praise the prophet still in his mother’s womb later in all days.
σὺ δὲ ξυμβάλλεο, μῆτερ· §191ἔστι διειδομένη τις ἐν ὕδατι νήσος ἀραιή, §192πλαζομένη πελάγεσσι· πόδες δέ οἱ οὐχ ἑνὶ χώρῳ, §193ἀλλὰ παλιρροίῃ ἐπινήχεται ἀνθέρικος ὥς, §194ἔνθα νότος, ἔνθʼ εὖρος, ὅπη φορέῃσι θάλασσα.
But do you, mother, understand: there is a slender island seen in the water, wandering in the seas; her feet are not in one place, but she floats upon the back-flowing tide like an asphodel stalk, where the south wind, where the east wind, wherever the sea carries her.
§195τῇ με φέροις· κείνην γὰρ ἐλεύσεαι εἰς ἐθέλουσαν. §196αἱ μὲν τόσσα λέγοντος ἀπέτρεχον εἰν ἁλὶ νῆσοι·
Thither bear me; for you shall come to her who is willing." As he spoke thus, the islands of the sea fled away.
§197Ἀστερίη φιλόμολπε, σὺ δʼ Εὐβοίηθε κατῄεις, §198Κυκλάδας ὀψομένη περιηγέας, οὔ τι παλαιόν, §199ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοι μετόπισθε Γεραίστιον εἵπετο φῦκος·
But you, Asteria, lover of song, came down from Euboea, to see the circular Cyclades, not long ago, but still behind you followed the seaweed of Geraestus.
... since you were burned all around with fire, seeing her burdened and weighed down by labor pains.
"Hera, do to me what is pleasing to you; for I do not heed your threats.
πέρα, πέρα εἰς ἐμὲ Λητοῖ. §205ἔννεπες· ἡ δʼ ἀρητὸν ἄλης ἀπεπαύσατο λυγρῆς, §206ἕζετο δʼ Ἰνωποῖο παρὰ ῥόον, ὅντε βάθιστον §207γαῖα τότʼ ἐξανίησιν, ὅτε πλήθοντι ῥεέθρῳ §208Νεῖλος ἀπὸ κρημνοῖο κατέρχεται Αἰθιοπῆος·
Cross over, cross over to me, Leto!" You spoke; and she ceased from her painful and wretched wandering, and sat beside the stream of Inopus, which the earth sends up deepest at that time when the Nile with swelling stream comes down from the Ethiopian cliff.
§209λύσατο δὲ ζώνην, ἀπὸ δʼ ἐκλίθη ἔμπαλιν ὤμοις §210φοίνικος ποτὶ πρέμνον ἀμηχανίης ὑπὸ λυγρῆς §211τειρομένη· νότιος δὲ διὰ χροὸς ἔρρεεν ἱδρώς.
And she loosed her girdle, and leaned her shoulders back against the trunk of a palm tree, worn out by wretched distress, and the cold sweat flowed over her skin.
§212εἶπε δʼ ἀλυσθμαίνουσα
τί μητέρα, κοῦρε, βαρύνεις;
And she spoke, gasping for breath: "Why, child, do you burden your mother?
§213αὕτη τοι, φίλε, νῆσος ἐπιπλώουσα θαλάσσῃ.
This, my dear, is your island floating on the sea.
§214γείνεο, γείνεο, κοῦρε, καὶ ἤπιος ἔξιθι κόλπου. §215νύμφα Διὸς βαρύθυμε, σὺ δʼ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες ἄπυστος §216δὴν ἔμεναι·
Be born, be born, child, and come forth gently from my womb." Nymph of Zeus, heavy of heart, you were not to remain long ignorant.
τοίη σε προσέδραμεν ἀγγελιῶτις, §217εἶπε δʼ ἔτʼ ἀσθμαίνουσα, φόβῳ δʼ ἀνεμίσγετο μῦθος, §218Ἥρη τιμηέσσα, πολὺ προὔχουσα θεάων §219σὴ μὲν ἐγώ, σὰ δὲ πάντα, σὺ δὲ κρείουσα κάθησαι §220γνησίη Οὐλύμποιο, καὶ οὐ χέρα δείδιμεν ἄλλην §221θηλυτέρην, σὺ δʼ, ἄνασσα, τὸν αἴτιον εἴσεαι ὀργῆς.
Such a messenger ran to you; she spoke still gasping, and her words were mixed with fear: "Honored Hera, far exceeding the goddesses, I am yours, and all things are yours, and you sit as the genuine sovereign of Olympus, and we fear no other female hand; but you, queen, shall know the cause of your anger.
§222Λητώ τοι μίτρην ἀναλύεται ἔνδοθι νήσου.
Leto is loosing her girdle within the island.
§223ἄλλαι μὲν πᾶσαί μιν ἀπέστυγον οὐδʼ ἐδέχοντο· §224Ἀστερίη δʼ ὀνομαστὶ παρερχομένην ἐκάλεσσεν, §225Ἀστερίη, πόντοιο κακὸν σάρον· οἶσθα καὶ αὐτή.
All the other islands abhorred her and did not receive her, but Asteria called her by name as she passed by, Asteria, the foul refuse of the sea; you yourself know it.
§226ἀλλά, φίλη, δύνασαι γάρ, ἀμύνειν, πότνια, δούλοις §227ὑμετέροις, οἳ σεῖο πέδον πατέουσιν ἐφετμῇ. §228ἦ καὶ ὑπὸ χρύσειον ἐδέθλιον ἷζε κύων ὥς, §229Ἀρτέμιδος ἥτις τε, θοῆς ὅτε παύσεται ἄγρης, §230ἵζει θηρήτειρα παρʼ ἴχνεσιν, οὔατα δʼ αὐτῆς §231ὀρθὰ μάλʼ, αἰὲν ἑτοῖμα θεῆς ὑποδέχθαι ὀμοκλήν·
But, dear lady, protect your servants, for you have the power, who tread your ground at your command." She spoke, and sat beneath the golden throne like a dog, which, when it ceases from the swift chase, sits beside the feet of Artemis, and her ears are quite upright, always ready to receive the command of the goddess.
§232τῇ ἰκέλη Θαύμαντος ὑπὸ θρόνον ἵζετο κούρη.
Like her, the daughter of Thaumas sat beneath the throne.
§233κείνη δʼ οὐδέποτε σφετέρης ἐπιλήθεται ἕδρης, §234οὐδʼ ὅτε οἱ ληθαῖον ἐπὶ πτερὸν ὕπνος ἐρείσῃ, §235ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ μεγάλοιο ποτὶ γλωχῖνα θρόνοιο §236τυτθὸν ἀποκλίνασα καρήατα λέχριος εὕδει.
She never forgets her seat, not even when sleep presses his wing of forgetfulness upon her, but right there, leaning her head a little sideways against the corner of the great throne, she sleeps.
§237οὐδέ ποτε ζώνην ἀναλύεται οὐδὲ ταχείας §238ἐνδρομίδας, μή οἵ τι καὶ αἰφνίδιον ἔπος εἴπῃ §239δεσπότις.
And she never looses her girdle or her swift hunting boots, lest her mistress should speak some sudden word to her.
ἡ δʼ ἀλεγεινὸν ἀλαστήσασα προσηύδα §240οὕτω νῦν, ὦ Ζηνὸς ὀνείδεα, καὶ γαμέοισθε §241λάθρια καὶ τίκτοιτε κεκρυμμένα, μηδʼ ὅθι δειλαὶ §242δυστοκέες μογέουσιν ἀλετρίδες, ἀλλʼ ὅθι φῶκαι
But Hera, breaking out in painful anger, spoke to her: "So now, O shames of Zeus, may you marry in secret and bring forth in hiding, not where poor women in labor toil, but where seals bring forth..."