§243εἰνάλιαι τίκτουσιν, ἐνὶ σπιλάδεσσιν ἐρήμοις.
where the sea-beasts bring forth, on desert reefs.
§244Ἀστερίῃ δʼ οὐδέν τι βαρύνομαι εἵνεκα τῆσδε §245ἀμπλακίης, οὐδʼ ἔστιν ὅπως ἀποθύμια ῥέξω, §246τόσσα δέοι μάλα γάρ τε κακῶς ἐχαρίσσατο Λητοῖ·
But against Asteria I am not at all angry on account of this offence, nor is there any way that I shall do what is displeasing to her, however much she deserved it; for indeed she favored Leto very wrongly towards me.
But I respect her wondrously, because she did not tread my bed, but chose the sea instead of Zeus.
§249ἡ μὲν ἔφη· κύκνοι δὲ θεοῦ μέλποντες ἀοιδοὶ §250Μῃόνιον Πακτωλὸν ἐκυκλώσαντο λιπόντες §251ἑβδομάκις περὶ Δῆλον, ἐπήεισαν δὲ λοχείῃ §252Μουσάων ὄρνιθες, ἀοιδότατοι πετεηνῶν·
She spoke; and the swans, the singing birds of the god, leaving the Maeonian Pactolus, circled seven times around Delos, and chanted over her labor, the birds of the Muses, most musical of winged things.
Hence the boy bound so many strings upon his lyre later, as many times as the swans sang over her labor pains.
§255ὄγδοον οὐκέτʼ ἄεισαν, ὁ δʼ ἔκθορεν, αἱ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν §256νύμφαι Δηλιάδες, ποταμοῦ γένος ἀρχαίοιο, §257εἶπαν Ἐλειθυίης ἱερὸν μέλος, αὐτίκα δʼ αἰθὴρ §258χάλκεος ἀντήχησε διαπρυσίην ὀλολυγήν, §259οὐδʼ Ἥρη νεμέσησεν, ἐπεὶ χόλον ἐξέλετο Ζεύς.
An eighth time they sang no more, but he leaped forth; and far aloud the Delian nymphs, offspring of an ancient river, sang the holy song of Eileithyia, and immediately the bronze sky echoed back the piercing cry, nor did Hera show anger, since Zeus took away her wrath.
§260χρύσεά τοι τότε πάντα θεμείλια γείνετο, Δῆλε, §261χρυσῷ δὲ τροχόεσσα πανήμερος ἔρρεε λίμνη, §262χρύσειον δʼ ἐκόμησε γενέθλιον ἔρνος ἐλαίης, §263χρυσῷ δὲ πλήμυρε βαθὺς Ἰνωπὸς ἑλιχθείς.
Then indeed, Delos, all your foundations became golden, and with gold the circular lake flowed all day long, and the newborn shoot of the olive tree put forth golden foliage, and with gold the deep Inopus flooded, winding along.
§264αὐτὴ δὲ χρυσέοιο ἀπʼ οὔδεος εἵλεο παῖδα, §265ἐν δʼ ἐβάλευ κόλποισιν, ἔπος δʼ ἐφθέγξαο τοῖον· §266ᾦ μεγάλη πολύβωμε πολύπτολι πολλὰ φέρουσα, §267πίονες ἤπειροί τε καὶ αἳ περιναίετε νῆσοι· §268αὐτὴ ἐγὼ τοιήδε, δυσήροτος, ἀλλʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο §269Δήλιος Απόλλων κεκλήσεται, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη §270γαιάων τοσσόνδε θεῷ πεφιλήσεται ἄλλῳ, §271οὐ Κερχνὶς κρείοντι Ποσειδάωνι Λεχαίῳ, §272οὐ πάγος Ἑρμείῃ Κυλλήνιος, οὐ Διὶ Κρήτη, §273ὡς ἐγὼ Ἀπόλλωνι· καὶ ἔσσομαι οὐκέτι πλαγκτή. §274ὧδε σὺ μὲν κατέλεξας· ὁ δὲ γλυκὺν ἔσπασε μαζόν.
And you yourself took up the child from the golden ground, and placed him in your bosom, and spoke these words: "O great earth, of many altars, of many cities, bearing rich increase, rich mainlands and you islands that dwell around: I myself am such as this, hard to till, but from me Delian Apollo shall be called, nor shall any other of lands be so much loved by any other god, not Cenchreis by sovereign Poseidon of Lechaeum, not Cyllene's hill by Hermes, not Crete by Zeus, as I by Apollo; and I shall no longer be wandering." Thus you spoke; and he drew the sweet breast.
§275τῶ καὶ νησάων ἁγιωτάτη ἐξέτι κεἰνου §276κλἠζῃ, Ἀπόλλωνος κουροτρόφος· οὐδέ σʼ Ἐνυὼ §277οὐδʼ Ἀίδης οὐδʼ ἵπποι ἐπιστείβουσιν Ἄρηος· §278ἀλλά τοι ἀμφιετεῖς δεκατηφόροι αἰὲν ἀπαρχαὶ §279πέμπονται, πᾶσαι δὲ χοροὺς ἀνάγουσι πόληες, §280αἵ τε πρὸς ἠοίην αἵ θʼ ἕσπερον αἵ τʼ ἀνὰ μέσσην §281κλήρονς ἐστήσαντο, καὶ οἳ καθύπερθε βορείης §282οἰκία θινὸς ἔχουσι, πολυχρνιώτατον αἷμα.
Therefore also, most holy of islands from that time forth, you are famed, nurse of Apollo's youth; nor does Enyo nor Hades nor the horses of Ares tread upon you; but to you, annual tithe-bearing first-fruits are always sent, and all cities lead up dances, both those towards the east and those towards the west and those in the midmost lands have established their lots, and those who above the northern shore have their homes, a most gold-rich race.
§283οἱ μέν τοι καλάμην τε καὶ ἱερὰ δράγματα πρῶτοι §284ἀσταχύων φορέουσιν· ἃ Δωδώνηθι Πελασγοὶ §285τηλόθεν ἐκβαίνοντα πολὺ πρώτιστα δέχονται, §286γηλεχέες θεράποντες ἀσιγήτοιο λέβητος· §287δεύτερον Ἱερὸν ἄστυ καὶ οὔτεα Μηλίδος αἴης §288ἔρχονται· κεῖθεν δὲ διαπλώουσιν Ἀβάντων §289εἰς ἀγαθὸν πεδίον Ληλάντιον· οὐδʼ ἔτι μακρὸς §290ὁ πλόος Εὐβοίηθεν, ἐπεὶ σέο γείτονες ὅρμοι.
They indeed first bring straw and holy sheaves of ears; which from Dodona the Pelasgians first of all receive as they come from afar, earth-couching servants of the sleepless cauldron; secondly they come to the Holy city and the mountains of the Malian land; thence they sail across to the Abantes' rich Lelantine plain; nor is the voyage any longer long from Euboea, since your harbors are neighboring.
§291πρῶταί τοι τάδʼ ἔνεικαν ἀπὸ ξανθῶν Ἀριμασπῶν §292Οὖπίς τε Λοξώ τε καὶ εὐαίων Ἑκαέργη, §293θυγατέρες Βορέαο, καὶ ἄρσενες οἱ τότʼ ἄριστοι §294ἠιθέων· οὐδʼ οἵ γε παλιμπετὲς οἴκαδʼ ἵκοντο, §295εὔμοιροι δʼ ἐγένοντο, καὶ ἀκλέες οὔποτʼ ἐκεῖνοι.
First to you brought these things from the fair-haired Arimaspi Upis and Loxo and happy Hecaerge, daughters of Boreas, and the males who were then the best of youths; nor did they return back home, but they met a happy lot, and they are never without fame.
§296ἦ τοι Δηλιάδες μέν, ὅτʼ εὐήχης ὑμέναιος §297ἤθεα κουράων μορμύσσεται, ἥλικα χαίτην §298παρθενικαῖς, παῖδες δὲ θέρος τὸ πρῶτον ἰούλων §299ἄρσενες ἠιθέοισιν ἀπαρχόμενοι φορέουσιν.
Indeed the Delian maidens, when the sweet-sounding marriage song frightens the girls' chambers, bring their companion hair for the brides, and the boys bring the first harvest of down on their cheeks, offering it as first-fruits to the youths.
§300Ἀστερίη θυόεσσα, σὲ μὲν περί τʼ ἀμφί τε νῆσοι §301κύκλον ἐποιήσαντο καὶ ὡς χορὸν ἀμφεβάλοντο· §302οὔτε σιωπηλὴν οὔτʼ ἄψοφον οὖλος ἐθείραις §303ἕσπερος, ἀλλʼ αἰεί σε καταβλέπει ἀμφιβόητον.
Fragrant Asteria, around and about you the islands have made a circle and enclosed you as in a dance; neither silent nor noiseless does Hesperus with curly locks look down upon you, but always echoing with song.
§304οἱ μὲν ὑπαείδουσι νόμον Λυκίοιο γέροντος, §305ὅν τοι ἀπὸ Ξάνθοιο θεοπρόπος ἤγαγεν Ὠλήν· §306αἱ δὲ ποδὶ πλήσσουσι χορίτιδες ἀσφαλἐς οὖδας.
They sing responsively the song of the Lycian elder, which Olen, the prophet, brought to you from Xanthus; and the dancing maidens strike with their feet the solid ground.
§307δὴ τότε καὶ στεφάνοισι βαρύνεται ἱρὸν ἄγαλμα §308Κύπριδος ἀρχαίης ἀριήκοον, ἥν ποτε Θησεὺς §309εἵσατο σὺν παίδεσσιν, ὅτε Κρήτηθεν ἀνέπλει.
Then indeed also with garlands is weighed down the holy image of ancient Cypris, far-famed, which once Theseus dedicated with the youths, when he sailed back from Crete.
§310οἳ χαλεπὸν μύκημα καὶ ἄγριον υἷα φυγόντες §311Πασιφάης καὶ γναμπτὸν ἕδος σκολιοῦ λαβυρίνθου, §312πότνια, σὸν περὶ βωμὸν ἐγειρομένου κιθαρισμοῦ §313κύκλιον ὠρχήσαντο, χοροῦ δʼ ἡγήσατο Θησεύς.
They, having escaped the cruel bellowing and the wild son of Pasiphae, and the winding seat of the crooked labyrinth, O Lady, around your altar, to the sound of the rising lyre, danced in a circle, and Theseus led the dance.
Hence the Cecropidae send ever-living sacred offerings of the embassy ship to Phoebus, the rigging of that ship.
Asteria of many altars, much-entreated, what merchant sailor of the Aegean has passed you by in his running ship?
§318οὐχ οὕτω μεγάλοι μιν ἐπιπνείουσιν ἀῆται, §319χρειὼ δʼ ὅττι τάχιστον ἄγει πλόον, ἀλλὰ τὰ λαίφη §320ὠκέες ἐστείλαντο καὶ οὐ πάλιν αὖτις ἔβησαν, §321πρὶν μέγαν ἢ σέο βωμὸν ὑπὸ πληγῇσιν ἑλίξαι §322ῥησσόμενον καὶ πρέμνον ὀδακτάσαι ἁγνὸν ἐλαίης §323χεῖρας ἀποστρέψαντας· ἃ Δηλιὰς εὕρετο νύμφη §324παίγνια κουρίζοντι καὶ Ἀπόλλωνι γελαστύν.
Not though great winds blow upon him, and necessity drives him to make the quickest voyage, but the sails quickly they furl, and they do not embark again before they have circled your great altar under blows and bitten the holy trunk of the olive, with hands turned behind them; which playthings the Delian nymph devised as play and laughter for the youthful Apollo.