De Brevitate Vitae is a song in Latin that is a popular academic commercium song in many European countries. In many modern Western nations it is sung as an anthem at University graduation ceremonies. The melody is inspired by a medieval hymn by Strada, bishop of Bologna in 1267. Although this sounds very dignified, the song has been adopted by students as a form of prank and the lyrics are in fact pretty cheerful.
Jump to: navigation, search Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Commercium songs are traditional academic songs that are usually being sung during commerciums and tablerounds. ... An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... Academic procession during the University of Canterbury graduation ceremony. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Bologna (from Latin Bononia, Bulaggna in the local dialect) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, between the Po River and the Apennines. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ...

It has been known as a beer-drinking song in German and Dutch (and also United Kingdom and even Australian) universities by many generations of students. The lyrics reflect a joyful embracing of the bacchanalian mayhem of life (especially life as found in fraternities and sororities) while simultaneously retaining the grim knowledge that one day we will all die.
The Bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Roman god Bacchus. ... While the terms fraternity and sorority may be used to describe any number of social and charitable organizations, including the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, International, and the Shriners, in the United States and Canada fraternities and sororities are most commonly known as social organizations of higher education students (though...

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.
Thomas Bowdler (July 11, 1754 – February 24, 1825), an English physician, has become (in)famous as the editor of a childrens edition of William Shakespeare, the Family Shakespeare, in which he endeavoured to remove every thing that could give just offence to the religious and virtuous mind. ... Ribaldry is the third and somewhat neglected genre of sexual entertainments, something different from either pornography or erotica, yet is often confused with them. ...

An eighteenth century version (C. W. Kindeleben 1781) is shown here with each verse translated into English. A later, even more bowdlerised, version follows below.

• MP3: De Brevitate Vitae performed by the University of Stuttgart
  

Gaudeamus igitur
Juvenes dum sumus.
Gaudeamus igitur
Juvenes dum sumus.
Post jucundum juventutem
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus.

Let us rejoice therefore
While we are young.
Let us rejoice therefore
While we are young.
After a pleasant youth
After the troubles of old age
The earth will have us.

Ubi sunt qui ante nos
In mundo fuere?
Ubi sunt qui ante nos
In mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos
Transite in inferos
Hos si vis videre.

Where are they
Who were in the world before us?
Where are they
Who were in the world before us?
You may cross over to heaven
You may travel into hell
If you wish to see them.

Vita nostra brevis est
Brevi finietur.
Vita nostra brevis est
Brevi finietur.
Venit mors velociter
Rapit nos atrociter
Nemini parcetur.

Our life is brief
It will be finished all too soon.
Our life is brief
It will be finished all too soon.
Death is here quickly
We are snatched in an atrocity.
No one is spared.

Vivat academia!
Vivant professores!
Vivat academia!
Vivant professores!
Vivat membrum quodlibet
Vivat membra quaelibet
Semper sint in flore.

Long live the academy!
Long live the teachers!
Long live the academy!
Long live the teachers!
Long live the curious man!
Long live the questioning woman!
May they always flourish!

Vivant omnes virgines
Faciles, formosae.
Vivant omnes virgines
Faciles, formosae.
Vivant et mulieres
Tenerae amabiles
Bonae laboriosae.

Long live the virgins
Easy and beautiful!
Long live the virgins
Easy and beautiful!
Long live mature women also,
Tender and loveable
And full of good labor.

Vivant et republica
et qui illam regit.
Vivant et republica
et qui illam regit.
Vivat nostra civitas,
Maecenatum caritas
Quae nos hic protegit.

Long live the State
And the One who rules it!
Long live the State
And the One who rules it!
Long live our City
And the charity of benefactors
Which protects us here!

Pereat tristitia,
Pereant osores.
Pereat tristitia,
Pereant osores.
Pereat diabolus,
Quivis antiburschius
Atque irrisores.

Let sadness perish!
Let haters perish!
Let sadness perish!
Let haters perish!
Let the devil perish!
Let whoever is against our school
Who laughs at it, perish!

The song is sometimes known by its opening words "Gaudeamus igitur" or simply "Gaudeamus". The many centuries of use have given rise to numerous slightly different versions. This is one of them:

DE BREVITATE VITAE

Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus!
Post iucundam iuventutem, post molestam senectutem
nos habebit humus.

Ubi sunt, qui ante nos in mundo fuere?
Scandite ad superos, vadite ad inferos,
ubi iam fuere!

Vita nostra brevis est, brevi finietur,
venit mors velociter, rapit nos atrociter,
nemini parcetur.

Vivat academia, vivant professores!
Vivat membrum quodlibet, vivant membra qualibet,
semper sint in flore!

Vivant omnes virgines, faciles, formosae!
Vivant et mulieres, tenerae, amabiles
bonae laboriosae!

Vivat et res publica et qui illam regit!
Vivat nostra civitas, Maecenatum caritas,
quae nos hic protegit!

Pereat tristitia, pereant osores!
Pereat diabolus, quivis antiburschius,
atque irrisores!

ROUGH TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH

Let us therefore rejoice while we are young;
After our pleasant youth, after troublesome old age
The ground will hold us.

Where are those who were in the world before us?
You may go up to the gods, you may cross into hell
If you wish to see them.

Our life is brief, it will shortly end;
Death comes quickly, cruelly snatches us;
No one is spared.

Long live the university, long live the teachers,
Long live each male student, long live each female student;
May they always flourish!

Long live all maidens, good-natured and beautiful!
Long live wives as well, tender, loveable,
Honest, hardworking.

Long live the state and those who rule it.
Long live our city, and the charity of benefactors
Which protects us here.

Let sadness perish, Let haters perish.
Let the devil perish, whoever is against the students,
And those who mock us!

See also: Anthem Ribaldry An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... Ribaldry is the third and somewhat neglected genre of sexual entertainments, something different from either pornography or erotica, yet is often confused with them. ...