
Le monde.
Le monde va & ne revient,
Avecq luy passer nous convient,
Et si court d’une telle sorte
Que tout avecques luy emporte.

QUand dieu me feit j’estoys jeune & plaisant,
Mais maintenant je suis vieulx & pesant,
J’ay cheveulx blancz, la longue barbe grise,
Je suys tout nud sans robe & sans chemise,
Pource que tous qui sont de moy venus
En sont yssus & nez pauvres & nudz,
Et nudz mouront sans richesse emporter,
Puis j’ay aux piedz pour plustost me haster
Aelles mouvantz, aux espaules aussy
Qui m’ont porté & conduict jusques cy,
Je vois si tost & si legerement,
Qu’on ne me peult arrester seulement
D’ung petit poinct, le Ciel qui tousjours tourne
My [=M’y]
a contrainct, & sans que je retourne,
Je tire à moy celluy ciel & planetes
Ans, moys & jours, estoilles & commetes,
Leur cours & vol se meuvent si soubdain
Que tout se passe en ce siecle mondain.
Dessoubz mes pieds pour plus les faire habiles
Deux roues sont courantes & mobiles,
Et pour autant que par succession
Des ans & jours, on a probation
Des faictz passez, de ce qui est à faire,
Pour mieulx entendre & peser ton affaire
Et prendre au chois ce que bon tu reputes,
Je tiens en main les balances bien justes.
1. For the iconography of Time, see Erwin Panofsky, Studies in Iconology (New York, 1939), pp. 69-93. In fact, in this woodcut, the figure of Time corresponds more or less to the ancient perception of Kairos/Opportunitas (pp. 71-72).
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (story of) Saturn (Cronus) [91B111] Search | Browse Iconclass
- abstract concept represented by male figure [5(+12)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drawing, pulling something [31A2747] Search | Browse Iconclass
- earth, world as celestial body [25] Search | Browse Iconclass
- emblematical representation of concept [5(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flight of steps [46C1181] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- old male (human being) [31A(+813)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rocks [25H112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scales [46B3311] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stars [24D] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sun represented as face, wheel, etc. [24A6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the ages of man represented by a staircase [31D21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Turn of Fate, Wheel of Fortune [54F121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- waning moon represented as face [24B31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wheel (of vehicle) [46C19] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- allegorical representations of the effects of time [23A4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- birth of an animal [34(+941)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Choice; 'Elettione' (Ripa) [53A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- colours, pigments, and paints (with NAME) [22C4(WHITE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- comet [24E1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fugacity of Time [23A44] Search | Browse Iconclass
- God the Creator [11A1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hair [31A22621] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Inconstancy; 'Incostanza', 'Instabilità', 'Instabilità overo Incostanza' (Ripa) [53AA21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Judgment of Conduct [57B] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Mortality, Extinction of Life [58BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- nude human being [31D1(+89)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Poverty; 'Povertà', 'Povertà del doni', 'Povertà in uno ch'habbia bell'ingegno' (Ripa) [55BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Progression, Forward Movement [51L4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the twelve months (especially personifications); 'Mese in generale' (Ripa) [23I] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wealth, Opulence; 'Opulenza', 'Richezza' (Ripa) [55B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Worldliness; 'Appetito' (Ripa) [57AA661] Search | Browse Iconclass
- year, solar year [23C] Search | Browse Iconclass
- young versus old age; young and old [31D5] Search | Browse Iconclass
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