o fortuna

o fortuna

O Fortuna - O Fortune,
velut luna - like the moon
statu variabilis, - you are changeable,
semper crescis - ever waxing
aut decrescis; - and waning;
vita detestabilis - hateful life
nunc obdurat - first oppresses
et tunc curat - and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem, - as fancy takes it;
egestatem, - poverty
potestatem - and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. - it melts them like ice.

Sors immanis - Fate - monstrous
et inanis, - and empty,
rota tu volubilis, - you whirling wheel,
status malus, - you are malevolent,
vana salus - well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis, - and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata - shadowed
et velata - and veiled
michi quoque niteris; - you plague me too;
nunc per ludum - now through the game
dorsum nudum - I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. - to your villainy.


Sors salutis - Fate is against me
et virtutis - in health
michi nunc contraria, - and virtue,
est affectus - driven on
et defectus - and weighted down,
semper in angaria. - always enslaved.
Hac in hora - So at this hour
sine mora - without delay
corde pulsum tangite; - pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem - since Fate
sternit fortem, - strikes down the string man,
mecum omnes plangite! - everyone weep with me!



i had the distinct pleasure of going to see carmina burana with andrew this weekend. as a lover of overly dramatical events and bad horror movies, i am obviously a fan of the most famous "o fortuna." beyond that, the rest of the piece is also quite lovely. poems set to music, with a unsuspected amount of humor, including a song sung by a swan (the tenor) as he is eaten and one sung by a drunken baritone in revelry--one of my favorites for its dueling melodies:



Ego sum abbas Cucaniensis - I am the abbot of Cockaigne
et consilium meum est cum bibulis,- and my assembly is one of drinkers,
et in secta Decii voluntas mea est,- and I wish to be in the order of Decius,
et qui mane me quesierit in taberna, - and whoever searches me out at the tavern in the morning,
post vesperam nudus egredietur, - after Vespers he will leave naked,
et sic denudatus veste clamabit: - and thus stripped of his clothes he will call out:

(Baritone and Male Chorus)
Wafna, wafna! - Woe! Woe!
quid fecisti sors turpissima? - what have you done, vilest Fate?
Nostre vite gaudia - the joys of my life
abstulisti omnia! - you have taken all away!...

[...] Bibit hera, bibit herus, - The mistress drinks, the master drinks,
bibit miles, bibit clerus, - the soldier drinks, the priest drinks,
bibit ille, bibit illa, - the man drinks, the woman drinks,
bibit servus cum ancilla, - the servant drinks with the maid,
bibit velox, bibit piger, - the swift man drinks, the lazy man drinks,
bibit albus, bibit niger, - the white man drinks, the black man drinks,
bibit constans, bibit vagus, - the settled man drinks, the wanderer drinks,
bibit rudis, bibit magnus. - the stupid man drinks, the wise man drinks,

Bibit pauper et egrotus, - The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks,
bibit exul et ignotus, - the exile drinks, and the stranger,
bibit puer, bibit canus, - the boy drinks, the old man drinks,
bibit presul et decanus, - the bishop drinks, and the deacon,
bibit soror, bibit frater, - the sister drinks, the brother drinks,
bibit anus, bibit mater, - the old lady drinks, the mother drinks,
bibit ista, bibit ille, - this man drinks, that man drinks,
bibunt centum, bibunt mille. - a hundred drink, a thousand drink.
After seeing it, I was compelled to look up the translation and am not altogether surprised by the dark misery evident in even the love songs, though i am surprised by how sexual the love songs become:

...Siqua sine socio, - The girl without a lover
caret omni gaudio; - misses out on all pleasures,
tenet noctis infima - she keeps the dark night
sub intimo - hidden
cordis in custodia: - in the depth of her heart;

fit res amarissima. - it is a most bitter fate.....

[....] O sodales, ludite, - O friends, you are making fun of me,
vos qui scitis dicite - you do not know what you are saying,
michi mesto parcite, - spare me, sorrowful as I am,
grand ey dolur, - great is my grief,
attamen consulite - advise me at least,
per voster honur. - by your honour.

Tua pulchra facies - Your beautiful face,
me fay planszer milies, - makes me weep a thousand times,
pectus habet glacies. - your heart is of ice.
A remender - As a cure,
statim vivus fierem - I would be revived
per un baser. - by a kiss.....


[....] Mea me confortat - I am heartened
promissio, - by my promise,
mea me deportat nega - I am downcast by my refusal

(Soprano and boys)
Oh, oh, oh - Oh! Oh! Oh!
totus floreo - I am bursting out all over!
iam amore virginali - I am burning all over with first love!
totus ardeo, - New, new love is what I am dying of!
novus, novus amor
est, quo pereo.

(Men)
Tempore brumali - In the winter
vir patiens, - man is patient,
animo vernali - the breath of spring
lasciviens. - makes him lust.

(Baritone)
Oh, oh, oh, - Oh! Oh! Oh!
totus floreo, - I am bursting out all over!
iam amore virginali - I am burning all over with first love!
totus ardeo, - New, new love is what I am dying of!
novus, novus amor
est, quo pereo.

(Women)
Mea mecum ludit - My virginity
virginitas, - makes me frisky,
mea me detrudit - my simplicity
simplicitas. - holds me back.

(Soprano and Boys)
Oh, oh, oh, - Oh! Oh! Oh!
totus floreo, - I am bursting out all over!
iam amore virginali - I am burning all over with first love!
totus ardeo, - New, new love is what I am dying of!
novus, novus amor
est, quo pereo.

(Chorus)
Veni, domicella, - Come, my mistress,
cum gaudio, - with joy,
veni, veni, pulchra, - come, come, my pretty,
iam pereo. - I am dying! ....

ah, love. i remember you.
meanwhile, i am spending way too many shilingi on Amarula, but is it worth the extra 10,000/= to have a bit of africa as i dream? why yes i believe so. thank you 66st wines.