Cornelis Anthonisz.: The story of Carelessness, part 4 - The Gamble (1541)
(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Netherlands)
The fourth part of the story of Carelessness by the Dutch artist Cornelis Anthonisz. (1505-1553): Carelessness is now gambling with cards and dices. Everything is going for Carelessness until fate ('Lichte Fortune'), Poor ('Pover') and Poverty ('Armoede') come in and visit the gaming table.
The text (Translation by Michael Hoyle, Amsterdam, 1985):
The words of Carelessness:
‘O wreede fortuyne, hoe valdi mijn dus fel,
Dat alle mijn patrimonien daer is ghebleuen!
Thert lijt inwendich groot ghequel,
Want Weelde, mijn lief, wil mijn begheuen
Met Ghemack, mijn pagie, dier zijn int herte verheuen.
Want Pouer ende Aermoede beghinnen my te locken,
Voor goet wert my tquaet noch toe ghedreuen,
Om dat ick gheen payment weet meer te docken.
Och, mijn ghelt, mijn pandt ende alle mijn schoene rocken
Heb ick verlooren in eender canschen.
Wat noot, waert, mocht ick met Weelde int wambosch danschen?
Translation:
Ah cruel fortune, why cast me so low
That nothing remains of my patrimony?
My heart is stricken, I grieve within,
For Luxury, my love, is turning to go
With Ease, my page, who both have my heart.
Indigence and Poverty have just started beckoning.
From good I am cast down to evil,
For I have naught to pay my reckoning.
My money, my pledge, and all my fine gowns
Have I lost at the table of chance.
But even in my tunic with Luxury I'll dance.
The words of the poet:
Ghi jonghe gheesten, bruyct doch mate soet
In uwen leuen, dat onlang is duerlick!
Speelt doch so haest niet om nobelen of ducate goet,
Merct op den Sorgheloose, hier ghestelt figuerlick,
Ende wilt doch leyen een leuen puerlick,
Als christen menschen behooren met herten vuerlick.
Twoort hebt niet inden mont, maer leeft schriftuerlick.
Tquaet en dorfdi niet leeren, maer tcomt wel tijelich.
Aenuaert die echt met herten blijelick,
Op dat duer gheen amye tuwe wert ontstolen.
Want si weten drae, watter inder herten is verholen.
Translation:
All ye young spirits, use sweet moderation
Throughout your lives, short though they be.
Do not hasten to wager for nobles and ducats.
Note Careless, presented symbolically here,
And live your lives purely
As true Christians should.
Do not boast of it openly, but live by the Gospel.
Hasten not to learn evil, for it comes of its own.
Embrace marriage with hearts full of joy,
So that none your loved one shall steal,
For they learn soon enough what the heart conceals.
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