Tuesday, June 6, 2017

O Fortuna

O Fortuna from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana

“Fate, or some mysterious force, can put the finger on you or me for no good reason at all.” – Al Roberts, “Detour”

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 obdurate                  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!

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