Carmina Burana – Carl Orff

Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana. Its full Latin title is Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanæ cantoribus et choris cantandæ comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis (Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magic images.) Carmina Burana is part of Trionfi, the musical triptych that also includes the cantata Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first and last movements are called "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" and start with the very well known "O Fortuna".

Carmina Burana (Orff)-Wikipedia



Carl Orff
Carmina Burana lyrics

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 obdurat (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)
Mecum omnes plangite! (everyone weep with me!)