Carmina Burana: O Fortune plango vulnera

Fortune plango vulnera / I bemoan the wounds of Fortune
stillantibus ocellis / with weeping eyes,
quod sua michi munera/ for the gifts she made me
subtrahit rebellis./ she perversely takes away.
Verum est, quod legitur, / It is written in truth,
fronte capillata, / that she has a fine head of hair,
sed plerumque sequitur / but, when it comes to seizing an opportunity
Occasio calvata. / she is bald.
In Fortune solio / On Fortune's throne
sederam elatus, / I used to sit raised up,
prosperitatis vario / crowned with
flore coronatus; / the many-coloured flowers of prosperity;
quicquid enim florui / though I may have flourished
felix et beatus, / happy and blessed,
nunc a summo corrui / now I fall from the peak
gloria privatus. / deprived of glory.
Fortune rota volvitur: / The wheel of Fortune turns;
descendo minoratus; / I go down, demeaned;
alter in altum tollitur; / another is raised up;
nimis exaltatus / far too high up
rex sedet in vertice / sits the king at the summit -
caveat ruinam! / let him fear ruin!
nam sub axe legimus / for under the axis is written
Hecubam reginam. / Queen Hecuba.



Credits
Writer(s): Carl Orff, Cornelius Oberhauser
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com

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