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O Fortuna is a poem from Carmina Burana, a collection of Latin poems written in early 13th century. Fortuna is the goddess of fortune in Roman Mythology. German composer Carl Orff selected 24 poems from the collection and set them to new music between 1935 and 1936. O Fortuna is the most famous movement from Orff's Carmina Burana composition, and opens and closes the cycle.

Orff's setting of the poem has become immensely popular and has been performed by countless classical music ensembles as well as the popular artists (listed below). It powerfully conveys the human condition of struggle. The composition appears in numerous movies and television commercials and has become a staple in popular culture, setting the mood for dramatic or cataclysmic situations.^[1] For instance, it is used to portray the torment of Jim Morrison's drug addiction in the film The Doors.^[2]

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 In popular culture 3 Bands and artists that have covered/sampled the work 4 Law suit 5 References

[edit] Lyrics

O Fortuna (Chorus) in Latin

English translation

O Fortuna velut luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis; vita detestabilis nunc obdurat et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem, egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem. Sors immanis et inanis, rota tu volubilis, status malus, vana salus semper dissolubilis, obumbrata et velata michi quoque niteris; nunc per ludum dorsum nudum fero tui sceleris. Sors salutis et virtutis michi nunc contraria, est affectus et defectus semper in angaria. Hac in hora sine mora corde pulsum tangite; quod per sortem sternit fortem, mecum omnes plangite!

O Fortune, like the moon Stands constantly changing, ever waxing or waning; hateful life now oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it; poverty and power it melts them like ice. Fate - monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, stand malevolent, well-being is vain and always fades to nothing, shadowed and veiled you plague me too; now through the game I bring my bare back to your villainy. Fate, in health and virtue, is against me driven on and weighted down, always enslaved. So at this hour without delay pluck the vibrating strings; since Fate strikes down the strong man, everyone weep with me!

[edit] In popular culture

	O Fortuna From Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

• Featured in a Gatorade and Old Spice after-shave commercial.
• Featured in a Carlton Draught beer ad called Carlton Draught: Big Ad. ^[3]
• Often used on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien when a video or picture of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is shown, suggesting that he is evil, demonic or satanic.
• Played as background music when the Evil Puppy is introduced on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
• Used in the soundtracks of the films Excalibur and The General's Daughter.
• It has been recently use in the trailer for the film Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
• A stirring rendition performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra and conducted by John Williams appeared on the Summon the Heroes album.
• A version of "O Fortuna" was used in a trailer for the anime film The End of Evangelion.
• It is the music that the Doncaster Rovers enter The Keepmoat Stadium to.
• It is performed by a convent of nuns in the episode "Gone Maggie Gone" of The Simpsons
• It is played in the beginning and end of Jackass: The Movie
• It is played in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen at the end of Dylan's party scene.
• A version is played at the beginning of a Pakistani documentary End of Times, The Hidden Truth.
• Irish boxer and WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Bernard Dunne enters the ring to a mix of O Fortuna and the Irish song The Irish Rover.
• It is played in the British sit-com Only Fools and Horses, whenever Rodney sees his young nephew Damien.
• It is played during a video on the Jumbotron before every home Pittsburgh Pirates home game.
• It is also sometimes used as an Entrance Music for the wrestler The Undertaker.
• It is also well known for being played in the movie "300" released in 2007

[edit] Bands and artists that have covered/sampled the work

• Aion
• Apocalyptica
• Apoptygma Berzerk^[4]
• Apotheosis^[5]
• Bornholm
• Botch
• Turetsky Choir
• DJ Irene
• DJ Korsakoff
• DJ Paul (Used in his 2009 single featuring Lord Infamous "You Don't Want It")^[6]
• Enigma^[7]
• Epica^[8]
• Era^[9]
• Highland
• Iced Earth on Night of the Stormrider
• KMFDM
• Lord Infamous (Used in the song "Ball Off" in his 2009 Album "After Sics" and is featured in DJ Paul's single "You Don't Want It")
• Massacra
• Milwaukee Children's Choir
• Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
• Ministry
• On Mystery Science Theatre 3000, it was used as the basis for Tom Servo's personal theme song.
• Rapper Nas uses it as the background music to his song "Hate Me Now"
• Ragnarok
• DJ Nick Skitz
• Onslaught
• Overkill
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Spiritual Project
• The Disco Biscuits
• Tristania
• Therion
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra^[10]
• Van Helsing's Curse (used at the end of the song "The Child")
• Vital Remains
• John Williams, on the album, Summon the Heroes
• Ysgol Glanaethwy ( Used for Last Choir Standing.)

[edit] Law suit

In 1991, when the group named Apotheosis produced a heavily re-sampled version of "O Fortuna", the estate of Carl Orff (who died in 1982) considered it was undignified that the Carmina Burana be reworked into popular culture, immediately and successfully sued to stop the distribution of the record ^[11][12].

[edit] References