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FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI 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 mihi quoque niteris; nunc per ludum dorsum nudum fero tui sceleris. Sors salutis et virtutis mihi 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!
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, appears in Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae, first published c1300 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Carl Orff (1895 - 1982), "O Fortuna", 1935-6 [ chorus ], from Carmina Burana, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Carl Orff (1895 - 1982), "O Fortuna", 1935-6 [ chorus ], from Carmina Burana, no. 25 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "O Fortune", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "O Fortuna (Coro)", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , "Oh, Fortuna", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2011-04-24
Line count: 37
Word count: 86
Fortuna, emperatriz del mundo Oh, Fortuna, cual la Luna, eres variable, siempre creces o decreces, la detestable vida ya oprime, ya estimula la mente como juego, y pobreza y opulencia disuelve como el hielo. Suerte cruel e inútil, rueda voluble, salud mala, felicidad vana, siempre fugitiva, oscura y velada apareces para mí. Ahora por el juego, la espalda desnuda por tu maldad llevo. La salud y la fuerza en mi contra están, y las tenga o no las tenga, siempre agobiado. En esta hora, sin demora, pulsad las cuerdas, que la suerte derriba al fuerte, ¡llorad todos conmigo!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Latin to Spanish (Español) copyright © 2015 by Saúl Botero Restrepo, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Latin by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , appears in Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae, first published c1300
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-14
Line count: 37
Word count: 99