Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis . . .
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So now an explanation for those who would like one:
As I took the above photo today near the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, the opening section O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana came to mind and it stayed there for a while. Here is an excellent recording of the widely used piece, which many will recognize at least in part even if they don't know its name, with Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus:
You can find the lyrics alongside an English translation here. The translation for the excerpt I shared above is:
Fate — monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel . . .
While much of Carmina Burana isn't as familiar to most people as the movement O Fortuna, it is certainly worth listening to in full while following along with a translation. There are even a few more references to the wheel.
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