English Original
Daphne was a lovely fairy maiden. One day, while playing in the woods, she caught Apollo, the sun-god, staring at her with intense admiration. Frightened by his gaze, she fled. Apollo, his passion ignited by her beauty, pursued her eagerly, calling for her to stop.
The swift maiden ran through rough fields and pathless woods, but Apollo drew ever nearer. As he ran, he begged her to slow down, fearing she might fall and injure herself. Daphne paid no heed and glanced back only once. Exhausted and breathless, she cried out to her father, a river god, for help.
Her prayer was instantly answered. She found herself rooted to the ground as soft bark grew over her skin, transforming her into a laurel tree. Apollo sighed and embraced the trunk, which seemed to shrink from his touch. To honor his undying love, he declared the laurel his sacred tree and decreed it the prize of honor for immortal poets and poetry. Thus, the greatest poets aspire to become poet laureates.
中文翻译
达芙妮是一位可爱的仙女。一天，她在林中嬉戏时，发现太阳神阿波罗正以无比倾慕的目光凝视着她。她被这炽热的目光吓到，转身逃跑。阿波罗被她的美丽与优雅点燃了爱火，急切地追赶着她，呼唤她停下。
敏捷的仙女穿过崎岖的田野和无路的树林，但阿波罗却越来越近。他一边追赶，一边恳求她慢下来，担心她会摔倒受伤。达芙妮毫不理会，只回头看了一眼。最终她筋疲力尽，气喘吁吁，向她的父亲——一位河神——呼救。
她的祈祷立刻得到了回应。她发现自己被固定在地上，柔软的树皮覆盖了她的肌肤，将她变成了一棵月桂树。阿波罗叹息着拥抱树干，树干似乎因他的触碰而变得纤细。为了纪念他不朽的爱，他宣布月桂树为他的圣树，并规定它是授予不朽诗人和诗歌的荣誉奖赏。因此，最杰出的诗人总是渴望成为“桂冠诗人”。