Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra - Carmina Burana

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Carmina Burana Translations

Carmina Burana

FORTUNE, EMPRESS OF THE WORLD

O Fortune!
Like the Moon everchanging

Rising first then declining;

Hateful life treats us badly then with
kindness making sport with our desires,

Causing power and poverty alike
to melt like ice.

Dread Destiny and empty fate,
an ever turning wheel,

Who make adversity and fickle health
Alike turn to nothing,

In the dark and secretly
You work against me;

How through your trickery

My naked back
is turned to you unarmed.

Good fortune and strength
now are turned from me.

Affection and defeat
are always on duty,

Come now pluck the strings without delay;
and since by fate

The strong are overthrown
weep ye all with me.

I lament the wounds that Fortune deals

With tear-filled eyes for returning
to the attack she takes her gifts from me.

It is true as they say,
the well-thatched pate

May soonest lose its hair.

It is true as they say,
the well-thatched pate

May soonest lose its hair.

Once on Fortune’s throne I sat exalted
crowned with a wreath

Of Prosperity’s flowers.

But from my happy flower-decked paradise

I was struck down and stripped
of all my glory.

But from my happy flower-decked paradise

I was struck down and stripped
of all my glory.

The wheel of Fortune turns
dishonored I fall from grace

And another is raised on high.
Raised to over dizzy heights of power

The King sits in majesty
But let him beware his downfall!

For ‘neath the axle of Fortune’s wheel
Behold Queen Hecuba.

The King sits in majesty
But let him beware his downfall!

For ‘neath the axle of Fortune’s wheel
Behold Queen Hecuba.

SPRINGTIME

The joyous face of Spring
is presented to the World.

Winter’s army is conquered and put to flight.

In colorful dress Flora is arrayed
and the woods are sweet

With birdsong in her praise.

Reclining in Flora’s lap Phoebus again
Laughs merrily covered with many colorful flowers.

Zephyr breathes around the scented fragrance;

Eagerly striving for the prize
Let us compete in love.

Trilling her song
Sweet Philomel is heard

And smiling with flowers
the peaceful meadows lie,

A flock of wild birds rises from the woods;

The chorus of maidens brings a thousand joys.

All things are tempered by the Sun
So pure and fine.

In a new world are revealed
the beauties of April,

To thoughts of love
the mind of man is turned

And in pleasure’s haunts
the youthful God holds sway.

Nature’s great renewal in solemn Spring

And Spring’s example bid us rejoice;

They charge us keep to well-worn paths,
and in your Springtime

There is virtue and honesty
in being constant to your lover.

Love me truly!
Remember my constancy.

With all my heart and all my mind
I am with you even when far away.

Whoever knows such love
Knows the torture of the wheel.

Behold the welcome long awaited
Spring which brings back pleasure

And with crimson flowers adorns the fields.

The Sun brings peace to all around:
Away with sadness!

Summer returns and now departs cruel winter.

Melt away and disappear
Hail, ice and snow.

The mists flee and Spring is fed at Summer’s breast.

Wretched is the man who neither lives
nor lusts under Summer’s spell.

They taste delight and honeyed sweetness

Who strive for and gain Cupid’s reward.

Let us submit to Venus’s rule
and joyful and proud be equal to Paris.

ON THE GREEN

Dance

The noble forest
is decked with flowers and leaves.

Where is my old, my long-lost lover?

He rode away on his horse.

Alas who will love me now?

The noble forest
is decked with flowers and leaves.

Where is my old, my long-lost lover?

He rode away on his horse.

Alas who will love me now?

Salesman! Give me colored paint,

To paint my cheeks so crimson red,

That I may make these bold young men

Whether they will or no to love me.

Look at me, Young men all!
Am I not well pleasing?

Love, all you right-thinking men,
Women worthy to be loved!

Love shall raise your spirits high
and put a spring into your step.

Look at me, Young men all!
Am I not well pleasing?

Hail to thee, o world that art
in joy so rich and plenteous!

I will ever be in thy debt
surely for thy goodness’ sake!

Look at me, Young men all!
Am I not well pleasing?

Dance

They who here go dancing round
are young maidens all

Who will go without a man
this whole summer long.

Come, Come, dear heart of mine,
I so long have waited for thee.

I so long have waited for thee.
Come, come, dear heart of mine!

Sweetness rosy colored mouth,
Come and make me well again!

Come and make me well again,
Sweetest rosy colored mouth.

They who here go dancing round
are young maidens all

Who will go without a man
this whole summer long.

If the whole world were but mine
from the sea right to the Rhine

Gladly I’d pass it by if the Queen of England fair in my arms did lie.

IN THE TAVERN

Seething inside with boiling rage in bitterness. I talk to myself.

Made of matter risen from
dust I am like a leaf

Tossed in play by the winds.

But whereas it befits a wise man
to build his house

On a rock, I, poor fool,
am like a meandering river

Never keeping to the same path.

I drift along like a pilotless ship
or like an aimless bird.

Carried at random through the air
No chains hold me captive,

No lock holds me fast,
I am looking for those like me

And I join the depraved.

The burdens of the heart
Seem to weigh me down;

Jesting is pleasant
And sweeter than the honeycomb.

Whatever Venus commands is pleasant toil, she never dwells in craven hearts.

On the broad path I wend my way

As is youth’s wont,
I am caught up in vice

And forgetful of virtue,
Caring more voluptuous pleasure

Than for my health, dead in spirit,
I think only of my skin.

Once in lakes I made my home

Once I dwelt in beauty that
was when I was a swan.

Alas, poor me! Now I am
black and roasted to a turn!

On the spit I turn and turn;

The fire roasts me through

Now I am presented at the feast

Alas, poor me! Now I am
black and roasted to a turn!

Now in a serving dish I lie and can no longer fly gnashing teeth confront me.

Alas poor me! Now I am
black and roasted to a turn!

I am the abbot of Cucany

And I like to drink with my friends.

I belong from choice to the sect of Decius,

And whoever meets me in the morning
at the tavern

By evening has lost his clothes,
and thus stripped of his clothes cries out

Wafna! Wafna!

What has thou done, oh wicked fate?

All the pleasures of this life
Thus to take away!

When we are in the tavern

We spare no thought for the grave

But rush to the gaming tables

Where we always sweat and strain.

What goes on in the tavern

Where a coin gets you a drink

If this is what you would know

Then listen to what I say.

If this is what you would know

Then listen to what I say.

Some men gamble, some men drink,
Some indulge in indiscretions,

But of those who stay to gamble
Some lose their clothes,

Some win new clothes,
while others put on sack cloth,

There no-one is afraid of death
But for Bacchus plays at games of chance.

First the dice are thrown for wine:
This the libertines drink.

Once they drink to prisoners,
Then three times to the living,

Four times to all Christians,
Five to the faithful departed,

Six times to the dissolute sisters,
Seven to the bush-rangers.

Eight times to delinquent brothers,
Nine to the dispersed monks,

Ten times to the navigators,
Eleven to those at war,

Twelve to the penitent,
Thirteen to travelers.

They drink to the Pope and King alike,
All drink without restraint.

The mistress drinks, the master drinks,
The soldier drinks, the man of God,

The man drinks, this woman drinks,
The manservant with the serving maid,

The quick man drinks, the sluggard drinks,
The white man the black man drink,

The steady man drinks, the wanderer drinks,
The simpleton drinks, the wiseman drinks.

The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks,
The exile drinks and the unknown,

The boy drinks, the man drinks,
The Bishop drinks and the Deacon,

Sister drinks and brother drinks,
The old crone drinks, the mother drinks,

This one drinks, that one drinks,
A hundred drink, a thousand drink.

Six hundred coins are not enough
When all these drink too much

And without restraint
although they drink cheerfully.

Many people censure us
and we shall always be short of money

May our critics be confounded
and never be numbered among the just.

THE COURTS OF LOVE

Love flies everywhere and is seized by desire,

Young men and women are matched together.

If a girl lacks a partner she misses all the fun;

In the depths of her heart is darkest night;
It is a bitter fate.

Day, night and all the world are against me,

The sound of maidens’ voices make me weep.

I often hear sighing and it makes me more afraid.

O friends, be merry, say what you will,

But have mercy on me, a sad man,

For great is my sorrow, yet give me counsel

For the sake of your honor.

Your lovely face makes me weep a thousand tears

Because your heart is of ice, but I would be restored

At once to life by one single kiss.

There stood a young girl in a red tunic;

If anyone touched her the red tunic rustled.

Heigho. There stood a girl fair as a rose,

Her face was radiant, her mouth like a flower. Heigho

My breast is filled with sighing

For your loveliness and I suffer grievously.

Manda liet, Manda liet, My sweetheart comes not.

Your eyes shine like sunlight,

Like the splendor of lightning in the night.

Manda liet, Manda liet, My sweetheart comes not.

May God grant, may the Gods permit

The plan I have in mind to undo the bonds of her virginity.

Manda liet, Manda liet, my sweetheart comes not.

If a boy and a girl linger together,

Happy is their union; Increasing love

Leaves tedious good sense far behind,

And inexpressible pleasure fills

Their limbs, their arms, their lips.

Come, come pray come, Do not let me die,

Hyrca, Hyrca, nazaza, trillirivos…

Lovely is your face, the glance of your eyes,

The braids of your hair, Oh how beautiful you are!

In the scales of my wavering indecision

Physical love and chastity are weighed.

But I choose what I see.

I bow my head in submission

Pleasant is the season. O maidens,

Now rejoice together young men.

Oh, Oh, I blossom now with pure love