Cornelis Anthonisz.: The story of Carelessness, part 5 - Carelessness is driven from the tavern by poverty (1541)
(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Netherlands)
The fifth part of the story of Carelessness by the Dutch artist Cornelis Anthonisz. (1505-1553): Carelessness has lost all his money and is chased from the house of Luxury by Poverty and Poor. Comfort and Wealth also abandon Carelessness
The text (Translation by Michael Hoyle, Amsterdam, 1985):
The words of Carelessness:
‘Och leyder, wat staet mijn te beginnen?
Weelde en Ghemack gaen mijn ontlopen.
Desperacie bestrijt my heel van binnen,
Want op die twee stont alle mijn hopen.
Sy souden niet hooren, al werde van mi gheroepen,
Mijn duecht, die ick ghedaen heb, is al vergheten.
Dats, om dat mijn boerse niet langher mach open,
Want Pouer bijt my, ia worde van Armoede ghesmeeten.
Och, had ick, wat ick sout wel eeten!
Daer ick onlancx nyet en wiste, wat my was lustende,
Nv mach ick by die schorluynen int stro zijn rustende’.
Translation:
Alas and alack, what am I to do?
Luxury and Ease ignore me entirely;
And despair is my master now,
For upon them I had pinned all my hopes.
And now, if I cry, they would turn a deaf ear,
Forgetful of all I have done,
Because now my purse is fast closed.
For Indigence bites me, yea Poverty smites me
Oh, would that I had a morsel to eat.
I bathed in abundance but a short while ago,
But now I must lie in the straw with the rogues.
The words of the poet:
Dat eynde van blijschap is droefheyt voorwaer,
Als Salemon dat seer suy[v]erlick wt leyt.
Dus elck wil hem reguleren een paer,
Om mate te ghebruycken ende sinen tijt bereyt,
Op dat namaels tbeginsel niet en wert beschreyt
Met den Sorgheloose, als elck mach aenschouwen.
Want therten der vrouwen hem so diuerschelick niet,
So datter weynich is in te betrouwen hier.
Si vullen een caproen wel duer haer woort ontrowen hier,
Maer tende na volcht een swaer verdriet,
Want het hert volcht dick die woorden niet.
Translation:
The end of joy is sadness truly
As Solomon explained most purely
So all should keep their lives in order,
Be moderate and be prepared,
Lest you rue your life's beginning,
Like Careless does, as all can see,
Felled by women's hearts so variously.
There is little to place one's trust in here.
With their faithless words they will lead you a dance.
The sorrow is heavy when it finally comes,
For often the heart and the words are not one.
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