"O Fortuna!" - cover, by Yours Truly

Me, via Rumble ^ | 12/24/2025 | Carl Orff (composer); Hopalong Ginsberg (performance)

[Slings and Arrows]

Welcome to Hoppy-Empties-His-Slushpile Theater. I've suffered for my art; now it's your turn.

[Slings and Arrows]

Instrumental; no lyrics.

[Slings and Arrows]

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[basalt]

1981..saw Ozzy Osbourne with Randy Rhoads on guitar on his first solo tour. This song is what they came onstage to...was very cool.

[Nateman]

I've done a deep dive on this music before. "O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem which is part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana, written in the early 13th century. It is a complaint about Fortuna, the inexorable fate that rules both gods and mortals in Roman mythology.

One picture can't capture all of its history and complexity. It would even be very difficult to produce a music video to do it justice.

[Savage Beast]

Carmina Burana is Karl Orff's greatest masterpiece. Orff set to magnificent music European macaronic texts from the 11th through 13th centuries.

When Rome fell, ca. 476 A.D, the Latin language was already deeply corrupted into Latinitas vulgaris or vulgar Latin. Classical Latin was still spoken by very few people. After the fall, the languages of Western Europe quickly deteriorated into unique local patois so distinct that in many cases people of one village could not understand the language of those in a nearby village. Carmina Burana is written in mixtures of vulgar Latin and Germanic languages.

The most beautiful of all its songs and one of the most beautiful ever written is In Trutina, in the section Cour d'amours or The Court of Love:

Addie Hamilton
University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra Concert
November 6, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQPZD7-Ucq8

Kathleen Battle
1986
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNrnhb9N_HM

[Savage Beast]

IN THE BALANCE
IN TRUITINA

In the wavering balance of my feelings
In trutina mentis dubia

contrary things contend
fluctuant contraria

lustful love and modesty.
lascivus amor et pudicitia.

But I choose what I see,
Sed eligo quod video,

submitting my neck to the yoke;
collum iugo prebeo:

I yield to the sweet yoke.
ad iugum tamen suave transeo.

https://www.letras.com/carmina-burana/1066577/english.html

I know just how he felt (the Medieval man who wrote this). I tend to yield to the sweet yoke myself. Judging from his music, I expect that Karl Orff did too.

[fso301]

what’s with the college band directors thinking this is a good stadium song at football games?

[kvanbrunt2]

That’s pretty bad. Get the audio made by boston symphony. It’s great and the vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4tapW2qvuI

[buckalfa]

Thank you. May we all have good fortune in our choices.

[Slings and Arrows]

You’re very welcome.