Carmina burana o fortuna?

Question

What does "Carmina burana o fortuna" mean?

Answer 1

My Latin studies are long past, but the context involves the (invocation of) Goddess of (good )fortune, perhaps Venus?  And the music is certainly beautiful:  Oh, fortuna --

                                                                velut luna     ?

Answer 2

Carmina Burana, which was a collection of manuscripts containing poems and songs, is the Latin translation of "Songs of Beuern," Beuern being a German abbey where the manuscript was found.  O Fortuna is just what it sounds like "Oh, Fortune" and was one of the poems.  Alternatively (and perhaps better known in this form), they are the titles of a work by Carl Orff based on these manuscripts composed in the 1930's.

Answer 3

O Fortune,

like the moon

you are changeable,

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 turning wheel,

you are malevolent,

your favor is idle

and always fades,

shadowed,

veiled,

you plague me too.

I bare my back

for the sport

of your wickedness.

In prosperity

or in virtue

fate is against me,

Both in passion

and in weakness

fate always enslaves us.

So at this hour

pluck the vibrating strings;

because fate

brings down even the strong,

everyone weep with me.

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/20thc...