O Fortuna (2:38)

The uncertainty of Fortune was a regular motif in medieval literature; various symbols and examples of her caprice became commonplace. Of the several poems in the Carmina Burana on this subject the following is certainly not the best; its vagueness suggests that some expressions may have been chosen simply through the demands of rhyme. It is, however, considerably enhanced by the musical setting which Orff has given it. Some phrases deserve comment:

mentis aciem in Classical Latin the words would mean mental perception, but this seems wholly out of place here; perhaps feelings, sensibilities, is what the author meant.

status malus this seems to refer to the instability of Fortune.

est affectus … angaria the last word signifies the service (usually in the form of manual work) which a medieval serf was obliged to render to his lord.

affectus et defectus apparently means willingness and unwillingness: in the translation the concrete has been substituted for the abstract.

cordae pulsum tangite lit. touch the beat of the string.