- Gaudeamus igitur
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- "De Brevitate Vitae" and "Gaudeamus" redirect here. For the work by Seneca the Younger, see De Brevitate Vitae (Seneca). For the Gaudeamus Foundation and Prizes, see Gaudeamus Foundation. For the rodent genus, see Gaudeamus (rodent).
Postal card with symbols of traditional German student life of 1898
"De Brevitate Vitae" ("On the Shortness of Life"), more commonly known as "Gaudeamus Igitur" ("So Let Us Rejoice") or just "Gaudeamus", is a popular academic commercium song in many European countries, mainly sung or performed at university graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted composition that pokes fun at university life. The song dates to the early 18th century, based on a Latin manuscript from 1287.[1] It is in the tradition of carpe diem ("seize the day") with its exhortations to enjoy life.
It was known as a beer-drinking song in many ancient universities and is the official song of many schools, colleges, universities, institutions, and student societies.
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The lyrics reflect an endorsement of the bacchanalian mayhem of student life while simultaneously retaining the grim knowledge that one day we will all die. The song contains humorous and ironic references to sex and death, and many versions have appeared following efforts to bowdlerise this song for performance in public ceremonies. In private, students will typically sing ribald words.
The song is sometimes known by its opening words, "Gaudeamus igitur" or simply "Gaudeamus". In the UK, it is sometimes affectionately known as "The Gaudie". The centuries of use have given rise to numerous slightly different versions.
Johannes Brahms quoted the hymn in the final section of his Academic Festival Overture. Sigmund Romberg used it in the operetta The Student Prince, which is set at the University of Heidelberg. The hymn is also quoted, along with other student songs, in the overture of Franz von Suppé's 1863 operetta Flotte Burschen (the action being once again set at the University of Heidelberg).
Lyrics
Below is an 18th-century version of the song (C.W. Kindleben, 1781) with a translation to English. This version uses the convention that consonantal i and u in the Latin are written as j and v, respectively. The word antiburschius is not Latin but came to refer to the 19th-century politically active German student fraternities.
When sung, the first two lines and the last line of each stanza are repeated; for instance:
- Gaudeamus igitur.
- Iuvenes dum sumus.
- Gaudeamus igitur.
- Iuvenes dum sumus.
- Post iucundam iuventutem.
- Post molestam senectutem.
- Nos habebit humus —
- Nos habebit humus.
Latin English - Gaudeamus igitur
- Iuvenes dum sumus.
- Post iucundam iuventutem
- Post molestam senectutem
- Nos habebit humus.
- Let us rejoice, therefore,
- While we are young.
- After a pleasant youth
- After a troubling old age
- The earth will have us.
- Ubi sunt qui ante nos
- In mundo fuere?
- Vadite ad superos
- Transite in inferos
- Hos si vis videre.
- Where are they who, before us,
- Were in the world?
- Go to the heavens
- Cross over into hell
- If you wish to see them.
- Vita nostra brevis est
- Brevi finietur.
- Venit mors velociter
- Rapit nos atrociter
- Nemini parcetur.
- Our life is brief
- Soon it will end.
- Death comes quickly
- Snatches us cruelly
- To nobody shall it be spared.
- Vivat academia!
- Vivant professores!
- Vivat membrum quodlibet;
- Vivant membra quaelibet;
- Semper sint in flore.
- Long live the academy!
- Long live the professors!
- Long live each student;
- Long live the whole fraternity;
- For ever may they flourish!
- Vivant omnes virgines
- Faciles, formosae.
- Vivant et mulieres
- Tenerae, amabiles,
- Bonae, laboriosae.
- Long live all girls,
- Easy [and] beautiful!
- Long live [mature] women too,
- Tender, lovable,
- Good, [and] hard-working.
- Vivat et res publica
- et qui illam regit.
- Vivat nostra civitas,
- Maecenatum caritas
- Quae nos hic protegit.
- Long live the state as well
- And he who rules it!
- Long live our city
- [And] the charity of benefactors
- Which protects us here!
- Pereat tristitia,
- Pereant osores.
- Pereat diabolus,
- Quivis antiburschius
- Atque irrisores.
- Let sadness perish!
- Let haters perish!
- Let the devil perish!
- And also the opponents of the fraternities
- And their mockers, too!
Performances
The song is often performed as the opening piece of concerts by the Yale Glee Club.
This song is sung in addition to the School Song at all assemblies at the prominent Fort Street High School in Sydney, Australia.
A performance of the first, most characteristic strophe was recorded in mid-20th century by the Italian-American tenor Mario Lanza, and is still available under the title "Gaudeamus Igitur". Lanza recorded a version of "The Student Prince" (see above).
An excerpt of the song was performed by cast members of the television series The West Wing during the episode entitled "Debate Camp".
The song is sung in Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire by a number of academics at a party where they are celebrating the upcoming nuptials of a professor played by Gary Cooper.
It was also performed as the musical theme of the classic 1951 Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film People Will Talk, delightfully "conducted" by Cary Grant . This movie is a remake of the German Frauenarzt Dr. Praetorius, in which actor/director Curt Goetz performs that scene with the same music in the movie based on his own play and screenplay.
A fairly modern vocal version is sung during graduation ceremonies in the movie Lord Love a Duck.
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) adopted the song as its anthem to be played during the medal-awards ceremonies and the opening ceremonies of the Universiades.
The Jagiellonian University in Kraków has the song sung as its anthem at official ceremonies, including especially the successive inaugurations of academic years (in 2011 for the 648th time).[2]
This song was referenced in satirist Tom Lehrer's song "Bright College Days" in 1959 on the album An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer in the line "Turn on the spigot, pour the beer and swig it, and gaudeamus igit-ur."
In LucasArts' classic point-and-click adventure game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, the large Nazi thug Arnold sings the first line of this song before being killed by a boulder released by Indiana Jones.
The first few bars of the song are used in the PopCap game BookWorm at level up or game over.
Peter Alexander sang this song in a medley in the 1963 film Der Musterknabe.
In Belgian studentclubs (more specifically those from Ghent and Leuven) the 1st, 3rd, and 7th stanzas are sung when former members of the presidium enter the cantus room.
The melody is woven through the soundtrack of Harold Lloyd's silent film "The Freshman" (1925).
In Finland the song is traditionally sung by the new graduates during the high school graduation ceremony.
In the middle section of the Alan Sherman song "Dropouts March", An Alma Mater Chorus sings the following humorous line set to that melodic piece: "Ignoramus There you are/ Sitting in your hopped-up car/ And your brains ain't up to par/ And your ears stick out too far". (Source: "Dropouts March" from the Alan Sherman album "Allan in Wonderland" from 1964.)
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Commercium songs
- Latin words and phrases
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