Cornelis Anthonisz.: The story of Carelessness, part 6 - Carelessness lives in proverty (1541)
(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Netherlands)
The last part of the story of Carelessness by the Dutch artist Cornelis Anthonisz. (1505-1553): Having lost everything, Carelessness is now living with Poverty and Poor. Carelessness is dressed in filthy clothes, uses straw for fire, his friends have also abandoned him.
The text (Translation by Michael Hoyle, Amsterdam, 1985):
The words of Carelessness:
‘Och, hoe deerlick heb ick hier Armoede ghelaeyen,
Ende Pouer stoot my van achteren te niet voort.
Vrienden ende maghen gaen van my draeyen,
Dus heb ickt met mijn quaet regement verdoort.
Die hont ende die catte pijpen accoort,
Die kat sit int scapra, ende die hont lickt die pot hier,
Ende Armoede cooct wat met sinnen verstoort.
Met stro, ouwe stoelen ende clompen onderhouwen wy tfier,
Want turf ende hout is ons te dier.
Ja met stinckende spierinck ende een garstighen harinck quaet
Daer moet Sorgheloose als nv me worden versaet’.
Translation
Poverty rides me, I shrink at the pain,
While Indigence urges me onwards.
My friends and relations all turn away.
Through my folly and wickedness all is quite spoiled;
The dog and the cat pipe their agreement.
The cat's in the larder, the dog licks the pot,
And Poverty cooks with a sullen air.
Our fuel is straw, old stools and clogs,
For there's nothing to pay for peat and logs.
Yea, with stinking sprats and rancid herring,
Must Careless now seek to fill his belly.
The words of the poet:
Elck neemt in danck als nv ten tyen!
Twert hier ghestelt duer der minnen fonck,
Om dat een yeghelick leven sal meyen.
Elck neemt in danck als nv ten tyen!
Wy spreken niet op een eerlick verblyen,
Met vrienden ende maghen te drincken eenen goeden dronck.
Elck neemt in danck als nv ten tyen!
Twert hier ghestelt duer der minnen fonck
Van een, ghenaemt Jacob Jacobzoon Jonck.
Gheprent tot Aemstelredam aen die oude side in die Kerks
traet by my Jan Ewoutzoon Figuer snijder wonende
inden vergulden Passer
Translation:
Take this now, everyone, be grateful,
It was brought to you by the spark of love
To show you of the life to shun.
Take this now, everyone be grateful,
Our tale was not of honest enjoyment,
Of a good glass raised with friends and relations.
Take this now, everyone, be grateful,
It was brought to you by the spark of love
Of one named Jacob Jacobszoon Jonck.
Imprinted at Amsterdam on the Old Side in
Kerkstraat by me, Jan Ewoutzoon, woodcutter,
At the sign of the Golden Compasses.
The individual engravings:
Part1: The Hunt
Part2: The Meal
Part3: The Ball
Part4: The Gamble
Part5: Carelessness is driven from the tavern by poverty
Part6: Carelessness lives in proverty
Complete Version: The story of Carelessness