| O varium |
O varying |
O changeable, |
| Fortune lubricum, |
and slippery Fortune, |
O Fortune flexible, |
| dans dubium |
giving doubt |
Well doubtable |
| tribunal iudicum, |
to the tribunal of judges, |
By judge unbreakable. |
| non modicum |
not just a little |
Incapable: |
| paras huic premium, |
ready for this prize |
All but the shiftable |
| quem colere |
are those who worship |
One you favor, |
| tua vult gratia |
your willing gifts |
Spoiled by your company, |
| et petere |
and claim |
Life to savor |
| rote sublimia, |
a lofty place on the wheel; |
In high-Wheeled harmony. |
| dans dubia |
you give doubt |
Cacophony |
| tamen, prepostere |
however, preposterously |
You love, so You waver, |
| de stercore |
from manure |
From filthiness |
| pauperem erigens, |
lifting up the poor, |
Lift the impoverished, |
| de rhetore |
from the orators |
Pull princeliness |
| consulem eligens. |
choosing the consul. |
From lectors' gibberish. |
|
|
|
| Edificat |
What is built |
She fabricates |
| Fortuna, diruit; |
by Fortune, she levels; |
And then demolishes; |
| nunc abdicat, |
now resigns |
He abdicates |
| quos prius coluit; |
he who previously served; |
Who once accomplishes; |
| quos noluit, |
he who refused |
She banishes |
| iterum vendicat |
she claims again, |
For whom she advocates, |
| hec opera |
working |
With her fibbing, |
| sibi contraria, |
to the contrary, |
Twisting in irony, |
| dans munera |
giving gifts |
Fake gifts giving: |
| nimis labilia; |
too fleeting; |
Motley monotony. |
| mobilia |
fickle |
False gluttony, |
| sunt Sortis federa, |
are her many treaties, |
Her pact with the living: |
| que debiles |
the disabled |
Unable men |
| ditans nobilitat |
she makes powerful and noble, |
Power she allocates |
| et nobiles |
and the noble |
And noblemen |
| premens debilitat. |
she weakens with pressure. |
Crushes and suffocates. |
|
|
|
| Quid Dario |
How did Darius |
Felt Darius |
| regnasse profuit? |
profit from his reign? |
A king's advantages? |
| Pompeïo |
From Pompeii |
How glorious |
| quid Roma tribuit? |
what did Rome gain? |
Were Pompeii's homages? |
| Succubuit |
Overcome |
Sword-damages: |
| uterque gladio. |
was each by the sword. |
Defeated, furious. |
| eligere |
Choose |
To well run it, |
| media tutius |
to be safe in the middle |
Keep, on her vehicle, |
| quam petere |
rather than seek |
From the summit; |
| rote sublimius |
a higher place on the wheel, |
Shun all the spectacle, |
| et gravius |
the farther |
Wheel's pinnacle, |
| a summo ruere: |
to fall from the top: |
From high up to plummet: |
| fit gravior |
for graver |
Much heavier |
| lapsus a prosperis |
is a fall from prosperity, |
Falls from prosperity, |
| et durior |
and tougher, |
Much scarier |
| ab ipsis asperis. |
to desperation. |
To harsh obscurity. |
|
|
|
| Subsidio |
Relief |
Luxurious |
| Fortune labilis |
from Fortune is fleeting. |
But given carelessly! |
| cur prelio |
Why, though in battle |
Victorious, |
| Troia tunc nobilis, |
Troy was noble, |
Troy standing fearlessly, |
| nunc flebilis |
is it now tearfully |
Why recklessly |
| ruit incendio? |
burnt to ruins? |
Fell to the dubious? |
| Quis sanguinis |
Who for the blood |
Who laughed, shrieking |
| Romani gratiam, |
of Rome lusted, |
At Rome's futility? |
| quis nominis |
who made a memory |
Who stole speaking |
| Greci facundiam, |
of the Greeks’ eloquence, |
From Greek ability? |
| quis gloriam |
who the glory |
Who dignity |
| fregit Carthaginis? |
of Carthage broke? |
Of Carthage went seeking? |
| Sors lubrica, |
Slippery Fate, |
Fate various, |
| que dedit, abstulit; |
she gives, she takes; |
She gave, she took away; |
| hec unica |
the one |
Whom previous |
| que fovit, perculit. |
whom she cherishes, she shatters. |
Day loved, she threw away. |
|
|
|
| Nil gratius |
Nothing is more gratifying |
A miracle |
| Fortune gratia, |
than Fortune’s favor; |
Is Fortune's company, |
| nil dulcius |
nothing is sweeter |
A manacle |
| est inter dulcia |
among sweetness |
Well-made and cushiony, |
| quam gloria, |
than glory, |
Craved euphony |
| si staret longius. |
if it would stay for long. |
From happy oracle. |
| Sed labitur |
But it slips, |
It will falter |
| ut olus marcidum |
flabby as a vegetable, |
As blooms degradable; |
| et sequitur |
and it follows |
It will alter, |
| agrum nunc floridum, |
that the fields now in flower |
Dead fields untameable, |
| quem aridum |
will be dry, |
Once arable. |
| cras cernes. Igitur |
you will see tomorrow. So |
To fail to exalt her |
| improprium |
it would be improper |
As turnable |
| non edo canticum: |
not to send forth the song: |
Is impermissible: |
| o varium |
O varying |
O changeable, |
| Fortune lubricum. |
and slippery Fortune. |
O Fortune flexible! |
|
|
|
| Anonymous |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |