Gaudeamus Igitur - A Student's Traditional Song

Gaudeamus Igitur

 

 

(the student hymn)

Alongside the Jagiellonian University's official hymn, Gaude Mater, there is also a student song of great popularity, Gaudeamus Igitur. It is frequently sung at University functions all across Europe such as the opening of the academic year. Students traditionally stand while singing it.

Gaudeamus igitur (While we are you, let us rejoice),
Juvenes dum sumus (Singing out in gleeful tones),
Post jucundum juventutem (After youth's delightful frolic),
Post molestam senectutem (And old age so melancholic),
Nos habebit humus. (Earth will cover our bones),
 
Vita nostra brevis est (Life is short and all too soon),
Brevi finietur (We emit our final gasp),
Venit mors velociter (Death ere long is on our back),
Rapit nos atrociter (Terrible is his attack),
Nemini parcetur (None escapes his dread grasp).

Vivat academia (Long live our academy),
Vivant professores (Teachers whom we cherish),
Vivat membrum quodlibet (Long live all the graduates),
Vivat membra quaelibet (And the undergraduates),
Semper sint in flore (Every may they flourish)!

Vivat nostra societas (Long Live our society),
Vivant studiosi (Scholars wise and learned);
Cescat una veritas (May truth and sincerity),
Floreat fraternitas (Nourish our fraternity),
Patriae prosperitas (And our land's prosperity).

Alta Mater floreat (May our Alta Mater thrive),
Quae nos educavit (A font of education);
Caros et commilitones (Friends and colleagues, where'er they are),
Dissitas in regiones (Wether from near of from afar),
Sparsos, congregavit (Heed her invitation).


Catatan:

Gaudeamus Igitur is regarded as the oldest student song, based on a latin manuscript of 1287. The oldest known version of the Latin words is in a handwritten student song book dated between 1723 and 1750, but the modern version of the words seems to date from 1781 and the music from 1794. The music is best knows, however, from its use by Johannes Brahms in his Academic Festival Overture (Opus 80) composed in 1880. The overture is a medley of student songs whose climax is a majestic rendition of Gaudeamus Igitur. It is used in countless graduation ceremonies throughout the world and particularly in Europe. It is sung in keeping with an academic tradition of at least 900 years which began with the foundation of the University of Bologna, the Alma Mater of European universities.

Although the text has been translated into most of the languages of the world (including Polish), it is usually sung in Latin at the Jagiellonian University. Where a shorter version is needed, verses 1 and 4 are usually sung without the rest. The oldest kernel of the song is the grim middle: Ubi sunt qui ante nos in mundo fuere? ("Where are they who before us went into the world?"). They are from a Latin penitential hymn dated to 1267, which was sung to a very different tune.

In 1717, a poem by Silesian balladeer Johann Christian Günther includes a German translation of verses 2 and 3. However, they had already become wrapped in the happier sentiments of a song entitled Brüder, lasst uns lustig sein (Brothers, let's celebrate!) Although the printed version did not indicate a melody, the style of the music used today (a stately sarabande) suggests that it was written about the same time as Günther's lyrics. In 1781, Christian Wilhelm Kindelben first printed his version of the Latin text, which has become the standard used by most Universities today.

If you go into the courtyard of the Jagiellonian University's Collegium Maius, at 11:00 and 13:00 each day you can hear the clock chime out Gaudeamus Igitur while figures of Rectors, Professors and Students march out of little doors and around a track.