Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Carmina Burana, O Fortuna

Audio here for Orff's Version, with lyrics, to my mind the 20th century's greatest work of choral music.
O Fortuna,O Fortune,
velut lunalike the moon
statu variabilis,you are changeable,
semper crescisever waxing
aut decrescis;and waning;
vita detestabilishateful life
nunc obduratfirst oppresses
et tunc curatand then soothes
ludo mentis aciem,as fancy takes it;
egestatem,poverty
potestatemand power
dissolvit ut glaciem.it melts them like ice.
Sors immanisFate - monstrous
et inanis,and empty,
rota tu volubilis,you whirling wheel,
status malus,you are malevolent,
vana saluswell-being is in vain
semper dissolubilis,and always fades to nothing,
obumbratashadowed
et velataand veiled
michi quoque niteris;you plague me too;
nunc per ludumnow through the game
dorsum nudumI bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris.to your villainy.
Sors salutisFate is against me
et virtutisin health
michi nunc contraria,and virtue,
est affectusdriven on
et defectusand weighted down,
semper in angaria.always enslaved.
Hac in horaSo at this hour
sine morawithout delay
corde pulsum tangite;pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortemsince Fate
sternit fortem,crushes the strong,
mecum omnes plangite!everyone weep with me!

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