O Fortuna
You may have seen the opera item in my Shared RSS links earlier. (You can see them on the bottom left hand side of this page.) If not, check it out. I already owned the song O Fortuna from the opera Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff. It’s a pretty sweet song. I looked up the lyrics (original Latin from the Carmina Burana Codex), the English translation, and the Japanese translation and thought I’d present them. Then, I thought, why not re-translate the Japanese lyrics into English. (I am not capable of re-translating them back into Latin, though. Sad. Chuck?)
First, the Latin and its English translation.
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O Fortuna
velut luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis; vita detestabilis nunc obdurat et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem, egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem. *** 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. *** Sors salutis et virtutis michi nunc contraria, est affectus et defectus semper in angaria. Hac in hora sine mora corde pulsum tangite; quod per sortem sternit fortem, mecum omnes plangite! |
O Fortune,
like the moon you are constantly changing, ever waxing and waning; hateful life first oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it; poverty and power it melts them like ice. *** Fate - monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent, well-being is vain and always fades to nothing, shadowed and veiled you plague me too; now through the game I bring my bare back to your villainy. *** Fate is against me in health and virtue, driven on and weighted down, always enslaved. So at this hour without delay pluck the vibrating strings; since Fate strikes down the strong man, everyone weep with me! |
Now, for the Japanese lyrics and re-translation into English.
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おお 運命の女神よ
まるで月とそっくりに いつも姿態が変わりやすく しょっちゅう大きくなってみたり あるいは小さくなったりする まったく呪わしいこの人生は 意地悪な目つきをすると思えば 今度はまた愛想よくして見せる ふざけた気持ちで 時に は窮乏を 時には権力を 氷のようにかき消してみせる *** 恐ろしく非情に しかも何の実もない （空しい）運よ お前はぐるぐる回る車輪みたいに 怪しからん 悪性のものだ その安心とて あてにできず すぐに潰え去ってしまう。 今はすっかり影に隠れ 暗い姿で私のところへも掛かってくるのだ それでもうお前の非道な戯れのため 私は現在 背中を蔽う衣さえ失くなってしまった。 *** 心身の安全さと徳性との運も今は 私を見捨て去った しょっちゅうそれは情欲と不足との 隷従に陥ってしまう。 さらばこの時に当たり 一刻の猶予も無く 脈打つ心にお触りなさい 時運によって強い者までとり挫いだ それを私と一緒に 皆さんも嘆いてください！ |
O Fortuna
Resembling the moon in entirety Your form always easily changed Incessantly growing larger Or shrinking down again This life is truly cursed Thinking of (your) evil looks This time again displaying grace On occasion playfully Dispensing poverty or authority Or having them disappear like ice *** Dreadful, heartless, Moreover, untrustworthy (vacant) fortune You are like a furiously spinning wheel A thing of unspeakable evil Respite is not possible, for it Immediately collapses Now buried in shadow entirely To the dark place where I am you come Because of your unjust sport Already I’ve turned my back on you *** In the safety of mind, body, and character Fate has abandoned me Constantly due to lust and dearth I fall into slavery So be it that at this time and place Without a moment’s postponement Touch my pounding heart With the tides of the times, even the strong Are crushed, so now everyone Lament together with me! |
Obviously, this is not a professional translation. It’s beyond amateur. So feel free to submit corrections or suggestions in the comments. (Of course, regular comments are welcome as well!) Mmmm. Good opera. Very melodramatic. I’ll have another, please. (Not another helping of despair, mind you. Just more opera. Probably from that list I mentioned above.)