Despite her not yet knowing who pursues her, Apollo seems to know exactly who she is, calling, "Wait nymph, daughter of Peneus, I beg you! I who am chasing you am not your enemy." He comments that she is running from him as prey would from a predator, but tells her that he is spurred on by love and a desire to be with her, not destroy her, so she should have pity on him. He then says that he is worried that she will be injured in the chase and cause him guilt, so if she slows down he will too, but she continues.

He goes on to finally reveal to her who he is—stating that he's not just some random farmer or shepherd, but rather "Delphi's lands are mine, Claros and Tenedos, and Patara acknowledges me king. Jupiter is my father. Through me what was, what is, and what will be, are revealed. Through me strings sound in harmony, to song." He mentions that, even though he is a master archer and patron of medicine, "an arrow truer than mine, has wounded my free heart! ... But love cannot be healed by any herb..."

Daphne becomes the laurel

Apollo continually followed her, begging her to stay, but the nymph continued to reject him. They were evenly matched in the race until Eros intervened, urging Apollo on until he is at full speed. He reaches out to grab her, but she manages to escape his grasp and quicken her pace. Eros further assists Apollo by giving him wings, then hangs onto Daphne's shoulders in an attempt to slow her gait.

They were soon within sight of her father's waters. Exhausted, overcome by the efforts of her escape, and sensing that she was about to be caught, she ran toward the banks and cried out, "Help me father! If your streams have divine powers change me, destroy this beauty that pleases too well!" No sooner than the cry left her mouth she felt "a heavy numbness seized her limbs, thin bark closed over her breast, her hair turned into leaves, her arms into branches, her feet so swift a moment ago stuck fast in slow-growing roots, her face was lost in the canopy." She had become the laurel tree.

Apollo honors the laurel

Even in this state, Apollo could not help but love her. He touched the trunk of the tree and could feel her heartbeat. He tried to kiss the bark, but the wood shrank away from him still. In spite of Daphne's clear terror and fervent insistence that he leaves her be, Apollo vowed to honor her forever, "We kiss before we burn. You shall be treasured forever as my now precious tree." He says that he will wear her leaves in his hair, will use her wood to make his bow and lyre, and that a crown made of her branches will adorn the heads of royalty and champions of game and battle.

Apollo also used his powers of eternal youth and immortality to render Daphne evergreen, "you also will wear the beauty of undying leaves." The laurel bowed her branches, her leaves seemingly shuddered in surrender. She does not wish to burn with him.