Ovid Metamorphoses: Book 1.

452-567
Daphne and Apollo

The first love Daphne, the daughter of Phoebus Peneus, which ignorant chance did not give, but
the savage rage of Cupid, this Delian who recently arrogantly conquered the serpent, saw the
curved horn drawn tight like a bow and said (455) “What are you doing, mischievous boy, with
these strong arms?” Then he said: “those things that you are wearing are only suitable for our
shoulders, who was able to give certain shots to wild animals and gave wounds to the enemies,
who alone we scatter the swollen Python who was pressing all the acres by means of a
destructive stomach with countless arrows (460) I don’t know what loves you might be content
to stir up with your torch, and not lay claim to our praises!” This son of Venus says “although
your bow hits everything, Phoebus, my bow hits you, by just as much all the animals fall to a
god, so much more is your glory less than mine.” (465) He spoke and having energetically struck
the air with his beating wings he stands on the shadowy peak of Parnasus and brings out from
the arrow carrying quiver two different types of arrows: this one flees love, the other one makes
love; the one that makes it is made of gold and gleams with a sharp point (470) and the one
that flees is dull and has lead under the shaft. With this one the god pierced the nymph of
Peneus and with the other strikes Apollo who is pierced through the marrow of his bones; the
other makes him love at once, the other fled from love’s name and she is delighted by the
hideaway in the woods (475) and the spoils of the captured animals and she is comparable to
the unmarried Phoebe: the ribbon was pulling her hair in a position without law. Many men
sought her hand in marriage, she rejected her suitors and she is intolerable and free from men,
transversing remote groves. She does not care for whatever Hymen, whatever Love, whatever
marriage rights might exist (480). Often the father said: “daughter, you owe me a son in law”
She hating wedding torches just as if it was a crime colors her beautiful face with a moderate
redness and she is sticking to the neck of her father with her gentle arms (485) and says “most
caring father, give me perpetual virginity! Just as when this father gave Diana before” Indeed he
humored her, but beauty forbids you that very thing which desires to be, your form resists your
oath: Phoebus loves her upon sight and wishes a marriage with Daphne (490) he hoped,
however there his own prophecies deceive him and as the light stocks have been burned after
the harvests have been removed, as sparks fire a hedge when a traveler, by mischance, lets
them get too close, or forgets them in the morning; so the god was altered by the flames, in his
whole heart he is burning (495) and he nurtures the futile love by hoping. He looks at her
disheveled hair hanging from her neck and he says “What if it will be arranged?” He sees her
burning eyes similar to the twinkling of stars, he sees her small lips, which to have seen them is
not enough; he praises her fingers and hands (500) and upper arms and they are more than
halfway naked; if something is hidden, he ponders it better. She flees swifter than a gentle
breeze and she having not been recalled to this resisted the words: “Nymph, I pray for, stay
Peneus! I’m not an enemy in pursuit; Nymph, stay! Thus the lamb, the wolf, the deer, the lion
(505) and the eagles and wings of the dove fled with anxiety. Thus any creature flees its enemy:
I pursue in my cause love! Miserable me! They march forward the fallen not deserving having
been harmed on the lower legs by a briar and I am caused pain to you. The place where you
race is rough: I beg to run more moderately to hold back flight, more moderately (510) I follow
that. Ask whom you might please however: I am not an inhabitant of the mountains nor am I a
shepherd nor in this place am I a rough overseer of flock and herd. You are ignorant, by chance,
reckless one, you are ignorant of whom you are fleeing and you therefore flee: the Delphic
earth (515) Claros, Tenedos, and the Patarean kingdom serve me; Jupiter is the father; through
me, because it has been and it will be and it is, to be clear; to harmonize through my song of
strings. Although our aim is certain, another arrow however is more certain, which wounds my
vacant heart! (520) the medicine is my invention, and I am said to be a helper through the world
and the power of herbs is subject to us. Oh for me, that love is not herbally curable, nor can the
arts that cure others cure their master. The daughter of Peneus flees him from the timid course
(525) about to speak more and she leaved behind her imperfect words with him. Even then she
appeared attractive; the winds were stripping the body, and the opposing winds were fluttering
against her clothes, and the light breeze pushing back her flowing hairs, and her beauty was
increased in flight. But also the young god does not (530) endure to waste any more charms, so
that love himself urged him on, at full speed he followed the traces of her step. Just as the Gallic
dog sees a rabbit in the empty field and with speed he seeks prey, she seeks safety; the one as if
he is about to grab her and now hopes to hold (535) and he grazes her footsteps with his
extended muzzle, and Daphne is uncertain, whether she is caught and snatches herself from his
bites and abandons the touching mouth: thus the god and the maiden are swift in regard to
hope, she is swift by fear. Yet the one who follows aided by the feathers of Love (540) is swifter
and denies rest and he almost on the back of the one fleeing, breathes on the hair scattered on
her neck. With her strength used up she grew pale and having been conquered by the works of
the swift flight seeing the waves of Peneus and she said, “Bring help, father! If your river gods
have divine power (545) destroy my figure, by which I have pleased too much by changing it!
(By changing me destroy the figure which did this as I am damaged) Before her wish was
scarcely finished, the heavy numbness occupies her limbs, the thin bark surrounds her tender
chest, her hair grows into leaves and her arms into branches (550) her swift feet stick as sluggish
roots, the top of the peak holds her head: yet beauty remains in her. Phoebus loves even this
and placing his right hand on the trunk he still feels her trembling heart under the new bark and
he grabbed the branches as if they were human limbs (555) and gives it a kiss; however it
shrank from his kisses. To which the god says “But since you are not able to be my wife you will
surely be my tree! And as always my hair, my lyre and my quiver will have you; you will adorn
the Roman leaders, when the cheerful voices (560) sing Triumphs and the Capitoline sees the
long parades; As a most faithful guard you will stand before the doorpost of Augustus and guard
his crown of oak in the middle, just as my head is youthful with uncut hairs, and you will always
bear the everlasting honors of leaves! (565) Paean finished: and as the laurel tree with newly
made branches nodded so that she seemed to shake the head as the top of the tree.
 Summary:
 Some of the creatures that the earth created had existed before the flood, but some
were new. Among the new ones was the horrible Python.
 The god Apollo, also known as Phoebus, didn't like the look of this varmint, and so he
shot him the death with arrows. To commemorate this event, he instituted the Pythian
athletic contests.
 Pleased as punch with his victory, Apollo runs into Cupid, the god of sexual desire, who is
stringing his own bow.
 Apollo tells Cupid to stick to inflaming people with his torch, and leave shooting arrows
to him.
 Cupid says, "No way, man," and flutters off to Mount Parnassus. There, he draws two
arrows from his quiver: one, made of gold, has a sharp tip. It kindles desire. The other,
made of lead, has a blunt tip; whomever it strikes will reject all love.
 Cupid shoots Apollo with the golden arrow, and shoots the nymph Daphne with the
leaden one.
 The result? Apollo totally gets the hots for Daphne, whereas she swears to remain a
virgin forever.
 One day, Apollo starts chasing Daphne, begging her to stop running and give herself to
him. He tries the old, "I'm a god, you know" pick-up line, but it doesn't work.
 Just when Apollo is about to catch her, however, Daphne prays to her father, the river
god Peneus for help.
 Help is granted. All of a sudden, Daphne stops running and turns into…an olive tree.
YepBut Apollo doesn't stop loving her. In fact, he tells her (in Mandelbaum's translation),
"since / you cannot be my wife, you'll be my tree." With that, he swears to wear olive
leaves in his hair, and on his lyre and his quiver. He also institutes the tradition of Roman
generals wearing olive wreaths to celebrate their victories.
 Daphne the laurel tree nods her branches in agreement.