Carmina Burana
Michel Plasson Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse & Orfeon Donostiarra Lyrics
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Velut luna
Statu variabilis
Semper crescis
Aut decrescis
Vita detestabilis
Et tunc curat
Ludo mentis aciem
Egestatem
Potestatem
Dissolvit ut glaciem
Sors immanis
Et inanis
Rota tu volubilis
Status malus
Vana salus
Semper dissolubilis
Obumbrata
Et velata
Michi quoque niteris
Nunc per ludum
Dorsum nudum
Fero tui sceleris
Sors salutis
Et virtutis
Michi nunc contraria
Est affectus
Et defectus
Semper in angaria
Hac in hora
Sine mora
Cordum pulsum tangite
Quod per sortem
Sternit fortem
Mecum omnes plangite
"O Fortuna" is a Latin poem that portrays the fickleness of fortune and the unpredictability that comes with it. The first stanza describes fortune as changeable like the moon, always growing or waning. It emphasizes the unpleasant nature of life, where fortune can have a positive or negative impact. The second stanza highlights the power of fortune to blind and deceive the mind, making one feel rich or poor at any given moment. It also portrays fortune as a force that can break down powerful people and dissolve them like ice.
The third stanza portrays fortune as a wheel that turns constantly, wreaking havoc on people's destinies. The fourth stanza is directed at the poet himself, who laments the loss of his good fortune and the resulting dangers he faces. There is a shift in tone to the somber, as the fifth stanza speaks of how the fortunes of people can rise and fall brutally. The sixth stanza shows the poet's personal experience of adverse fate and defects, which tend to oppress him continually. In the final stanza, the singer calls on everyone to lament the fortunes of those who are sternly unchosen, including himself.
Line by Line Meaning
O Fortuna
Oh fate
Velut luna
Like the moon
Statu variabilis
You are changeable
Semper crescis
Always increasing
Aut decrescis
Or decreasing
Vita detestabilis
Hateful life
Nunc obdurat
Now hardens
Et tunc curat
And then cares
Ludo mentis aciem
Sharpens the edge of the mind
Egestatem
Poverty
Potestatem
Power
Dissolvit ut glaciem
Melts like ice
Sors immanis
Cruel fate
Et inanis
And empty
Rota tu volubilis
You whirling wheel
Status malus
Bad state
Vana salus
False hope
Semper dissolubilis
Always fading
Obumbrata
Veiled
Et velata
And covered
Michi quoque niteris
You also shine to me
Nunc per ludum
Now through the game
Dorsum nudum
Bare back
Fero tui sceleris
I bear the punishment for your wickedness
Sors salutis
Fate of salvation
Et virtutis
And virtue
Michi nunc contraria
Now against me
Est affectus
There is sadness
Et defectus
And failure
Semper in angaria
Always in servitude
Hac in hora
At this hour
Sine mora
Without delay
Cordum pulsum tangite
Touch the shaken heart
Quod per sortem
Because by fate
Sternit fortem
It strikes down the strong
Mecum omnes plangite
Join me in weeping
Writer(s): Carl Orff
Contributed by Connor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.