ῆ ῥα, καὶ ἀμφοτέρας ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔμαρπτε
σκαιῇ: δεξιτερῇ δ' ὰρ, ἀπ' ὤμων αἴνυτο τόξα.
αὐτοῖσιν δ' ὰρ ἔθεινε παρ' ούατα: μειδιόωσα.
ἐντροπαλιζομένην. ταχέες δ' ἔκπιπτον ὀϊστοί:
δακρυόεσσα δ' ὕπαιθα θεὰ φύγεν. ὥς τε πέλεια.
ἥ ῥά θ' ὑπ' ἴρηκος κοίλην εἰσέπτατο πέτρην
χηραμὸν: οὐδ' ἄρα τῇ γε ἁλώμεναι αἴσιμον ῆεν:
ὡς ἣ δακρυόεσσα φύγεν: λίπε δ' αὐτόθι τόξα:
Λητὼ δὲ προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργειφόντης:
Λητοῖ. ἐγὼ δέ τοι οὔ τι μαχήσομαι: ἀργαλέον γὰρ
πληκτίζεσθ' ἀλόχοισι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο:
ἀλλὰ μάλα πρόφρασσα μετ' ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν
εὔχεσθαι ἐμὲ νικῆσαι κρατερῆφι βίηφι:
Therewith she caught both the other's hands by the wrist with her left hand, and with her right took the bow and its gear from her shoulders, and with these self-same weapons, smiling the while, she beat her about the ears, as she turned this way and that; and the swift arrows fell from out the quiver. Then weeping the goddess fled from before her even as a dove that from before a falcon flieth into a hollow rock, a cleft—nor is it her lot to be taken; even so fled Artemis weeping, and left her bow and arrows where they lay. But unto Leto spake the messenger Argeiphontes: "Leto, it is not I that will anywise fight with thee; a hard thing were it to bandy blows with the wives of Zeus, the cloud-gatherer; nay, with a right ready heart boast thou among the immortal gods that thou didst vanquish me with thy great might."
