Once I lived on the lakes

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Olim lacus colueram

(Sung text for setting by C. Orff)

See original

Language: Latin

Our translations: ENG ITA SPA

Olim lacus colueram
olim pulcher extiteram,
dum cignus ego fueram.

Miser, miser!
modo niger
et ustus fortiter!

Girat, regirat garcifer;
me rogus urit fortiter;
propinat me nunc dapifer.

Miser, miser!
modo niger
et ustus fortiter!

 ... 

Nunc in scutella iaceo,
et volitare nequeo,
dentes frendentes video.

Miser, miser!
modo niger
et ustus fortiter!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4,9-10 of the original text.

Composition:

Carl Orff

Carmina Burana

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, no title, appears in Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae, first published c1300

Go to the general single-text view

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Saúl Botero Restrepo) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2011-04-24
Line count: 30
Word count: 90

Once I lived on the lakes

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Orff)

See original

Language: English after the Latin

Once I lived on the lakes,
once I was beautiful,
when I was a swan.

Poor me, poor me!
Now black
and completely burnt!

The servant turns and turns me again;
the fire burns me intensely;
now the waiter serves me.

Poor me, poor me!
Now black
and completely burnt!

 ... 

Now I lie on a platter,
and cannot fly,
I see teeth champing.

Poor me, poor me!
Now black
and completely burnt!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-4,9-10 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Latin to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Latin by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , no title, appears in Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae, first published c1300
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-24
Line count: 30
Word count: 128