[1]
Fortūne [ML = CL: Fortūnae] plangō vulnera │ I lament the wounds of Fortune
stillantibus ocellīs, │ with dripping [flowing / tearful] eyes
quod sua michi [ML = CL: mihi] munera / subtrahit rebellis. │ because she rebelliously withdraws her gifts from me
vērum est, quod legitur │ It is true what is read
fronte capillāta / sed plērumque sequitur / [i] Occāsiō calvāta. │ [i] Opportunity has hair at the front, but generally a bald patch follows
“Opportunity is described as having hair only on the front of her head - she can be seized as she approaches, but once she has passed, a person grabs futilely at the back of her head.” (Betts)
calvātus, -a, -um: bare; made bald
capillātus, -a, -um: having hair
plangō, -ere, plānxī, plānctus [3]: bewail; lament; mourn
sequor, sequī, secūtus sum [3/deponent]: follow
stīllō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: drip; trickle
stillāns, stillantis: present active participle > ocellīs stillantibus │ with dripping eyes
subtrahō, -ere, -trāxī, -trāctus [3]: remove; withdraw
sua michi [dative] munera subtrahit │ She removes / takes away her gifts from me
[2] “In the second and third stanzas reference is made to the Wheel of Fortune, a common motif in the Middle Ages and often represented in art, where it was conceived as a primitive Ferris wheel accommodating four - one up, one down, one about to achieve prosperity, one about to be plunged into misery.” (Betts)
Note in this stanza the use of perfect passive participles and adjectives derived from them
ēlātus
coronātus
beātus
privātus
In Fortūn(a)e soliō │ On the throne of Fortune
sēderam ēlātus, │ I had sat [pluperfect tense] (having been) exalted (raised up; elevated) [perfect passive participle]
prōsperitātis ¦ variō / flōre [ablative] ¦ corōnātus; │ (having been) Crowned [perfect passive participle] ¦ with the many-coloured flower of prosperity
quicquid enim flōruī │ for however (in whatever way) I have flourished
fēlīx et beātus │ happy and blessed
nunc ā summō corruī │ Now I have fallen down from the top
glōriā prīvātus. │ (having been) deprived [perfect passive participle] of glory.
corruō, -ere, -uī, corrutus [3]: fall down
solium, -ī [2/m]: [i] seat; chair [ii] (here) throne
[i] sēderam ēlātus │ I had sat (having been) exalted (raised up)
The verb ferō (carry; bear), which will be discussed in greater depth in later posts, has unusual principal parts: ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus (why that happens will be explained)
lātus: having been carried
Those same principal parts will apply to compound forms of ferō:
ēlātus: having been lifted up
[ii] gloriā [ablative] prīvātus │ deprived of glory [literally: deprived from glory]
the ablative case can be used to express separation from something e.g. eōs timōre līberāvit │ he freed them from fear
[3]
Fortūn(a)e rota volvitur; │ the wheel of Fortune is turned
dēscendō minōrātus; │ I descend (having been) diminished
alter in altum tollitur; │ another is raised up on high
nimis exaltātus │ (having been) too exalted
rēx sedet in vertice │ the king sits at the top
caveat ruīnam! │ let him beware ruin!
nam sub axe legimus │ for below the axle we read
Hecubam rēgīnam. │ Queen Hecuba.
axis, -is [3/m]: axle (of a wheel)
minōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1] (late latin): reduce; diminish
vertex, verticis [3/m]: (here) highest point; summit; top
caveat ruīnam │ let him beware ruin; subjunctive, known in grammar as the jussive subjunctive that forms a command / suggestion usually referring to a third person rather than directly addressing somebody
Hecuba: “The name of Hecuba was a suitable inscription for the axle as she was the supreme example of Fortune's malice. From being Queen of Troy, after its sack she suffered such misery as a captive of the Greeks that the gods, out of pity, turned her into a dog.” (Betts)
