Carmina Burana

Fortune rota volvitur:
descendo minoratus;
alter in altum tollitur
nimis exaltatus
rex sedet in vertice
caveat ruinam!

The wheel of fortune spins:
One man is abased by its descent,
The other is carried aloft;
All too exalted sits the king at the top –
Let him beware ruin!

Carmina Burana is a collection of Latin (or occasionally Middle High German) songs written in and around the later 12th century. It is probably most famous through Carl Orff's re-setting of some of the poems.

See also: Archpoet

Quotes

• Fortune rota volvitur:
  descendo minoratus;
  alter in altum tollitur;
  nimis exaltatus
  rex sedet in vertice
  caveat ruinam!
  • The wheel of fortune spins:
    One man is abased by its descent,
    The other is carried aloft;
    All too exalted sits the king at the top –
    Let him beware ruin!
  • No. 16, "Fortune plango vulnera", line 17; translation from Edward Handyside Genba Kanri (Aldershot: Gower, 1997) p. 3.

• O Fortuna,
  velut luna
  statu variabilis.
  • O how Fortune, inopportune,
    Apes the moon's inconstancy.
  • No. 17, "O Fortuna", line 1; translation by David Parlett. [1]

• 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.
  • Fate, as vicious as capricious,
    You're a wheel whirling around:
    Evil doings, worthless wooings,
    Crumble away to the ground:
    Darkly stealing, unrevealing,
    Working against me you go:
    For your measure of foul pleasure
    Bare-backed I bow to your blow.
  • No. 17, "O Fortuna", line 13; translation by David Parlett. [2]

• Fas et nefas ambulant
  pene passu pari.
  • Right and wrong they go about
    Cheek by jowl together.
  • No. 19, "Fas et nefas ambulant", line 1; translation from Helen Waddell Mediaeval Latin Lyrics (London: Constable, [1929] 1943) p. 189.

• Hei, quam felix transitus amoris ad soporem,
  sed suavior regressus ad amorem!
  • Oh sweet the passing o'er from love to sleep,
    But sweeter the awakening to love.
  • No. 62, "Dum Diane vitrea", line 32; translation from Helen Waddell The Wandering Scholars (1927; repr. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1954) p. 170.

• Olim lacus colueram,
  olim pulcher exstiteram,
  dum cygnus ego fueram.
  miser! miser!
  modo niger
  et ustus fortiter!
  • Once I inhabited lakes,
    Once I stood out, beautiful,
    When I was a swan.
    Wretched! Wretched!
    Now I am black and burning fiercely.
  • No. 130, "Olim lacus colueram", line 1; translation by Rebecca Frost Davis. [3]

• Respondit Caritas;
  "homo, quid dubitas,
  quid me sollicitas?
  non sum quod usitas
  nec in euro nec in austro,
  nec in foro nec in claustro,
  nec in bysso nec in cuculla,
  nec in bello nec in bulla.
  de Iericho sum veniens,
  ploro cum sauciato,
  quem duplex Levi transiens
  non astitit grabato."
  • Then Love replied,
    "Man, wherefore didst thou doubt?
    Not where thou wast wont to find
    My dwelling in the southern wind;
    Not in court and not in cloister,
    Not in casque nor yet in cowl,
    Not in battle nor in Bull,
    But on the road from Jericho
    I come with a wounded man."
  • No. 131, "Dic, Christi veritas", line 13; translation from Helen Waddell Mediaeval Latin Lyrics (London: Constable, [1929] 1943) p. 195.

• Tempus est iocundum, o virgines!
  modo congaudete, vos iuvenes!
  o! o!
  totus floreo!
  Iam amore virginali totus ardeo;
  novus, novus amor est, quo pereo!
  • The time of joy is here now – come every girl!
    Now share in the revels – come every lad!
    Oh, oh, all flowering with love,
    I am all on fire with new-wakened love –
    It is new love, new love, love that makes me die!
  • No. 179, "Tempus est iocundum, o virgines!", line 1; translation from Peter Dronke The Medieval Lyric (Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer, 2002) p. 192.

• Tempore brumali vir patiens,
  animo vernali lasciviens.
  • In the time of winter a man can wait,
    But spring stirs his senses to love's delight.
  • No. 179, "Tempus est iocundum, o virgines!", line 37; translation from Peter Dronke The Medieval Lyric (Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer, 2002) p. 193.

• Potatores exquisiti,
  licet sitis sine siti,
  et bibatis expediti
  et scyphorum inobliti.
  • To you, consummate drinkers,
    Though little be your drought,
    Good speed be to your tankards,
    And send the wine about.
  • No. 202, "O potatores exquisiti", line 1; translation from Helen Waddell Mediaeval Latin Lyrics (London: Constable, [1929] 1943) p. 185.

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Carmina Burana on Wikipedia
• Media related to Carmina Burana manuscript on Wikimedia Commons
• Complete text of the Carmina Burana.