Gaudeamus Igitur

"Gaudeamus Igitur" is an erudite college drinking song.

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

After a joyful youth and a tiresome old age,
The ground will have us.
Let us rejoice, therefore, while we are young.

Vivant omnes virgines graciles, formosae
vivant et mulieres, tenerae, amabiles
bonae laboriosae.

Long live all the maidens, graceful and shapely.
Long live our wives, tender, loving, good and hard-working

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

Our life is short, it will end soon.
Death comes rapidly, snatching us fiercely --
No one will be spared

Vivat academica, vivant proffesores
vivant membrum quodlibet, vivant membra quaelibet
omnes sint in flore.

Long live academia, long live our professors.
Long live anyone you please.
May all be in their prime.

Ubi sunt qui ante nos in mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos, transite ad inferos
ubi iam fuere.

Where are those who were in the world before us?
Go to heaven, go to hell
Where they are now.

Vivat nostra societas, vivant studiosi
crescat una veritas, florat fraternitam
patriae prosperitas.

Long live our society and our scholars.
One truth arises, brotherhood and the prosperity of the homeland flourish.

Vivat et res publica, et qui illam regit;
vivat nostra civitas, maecenatum charitas
quae nos hic protegit.

Long live the republic, and he who rules it,
Long live our citizens, and charity
Which protects us.

Pereat tristitia, pereant osores
pereant diabolus, quivis antiburachius
atque irrisores.

May sadness and hate perish.
May the devil and any scoffer perish.

Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus is a student song common to the entire European University culture. The lyrics derive from a penitential psalm probably dating from the 13th century.

References in many plays of the 18th century (e.g. Ludvig Holberg's comedies from the 1720s) attest to its near-universal popularity, but it did not reach its current/final version until it was published by the German C.W. Kindleben in 1781.

The melody now associated with the song has been in use since around 1740, and is used in the finale of Johannes Brahms' Akademische Festouverture (opus 80, 1880).

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There are a few errors in transcription in jliszka's otherwise fine writeup, above, so I'll add the full (Kindleben) text in Latin here:

Gaudeamus igitur,
Iuvenes dum sumus;
Post iucundam iuventutem,
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus,
Nos habebit humus.

Ubi sunt, qui ante nos
In mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos,
Transite ad inferos,
Ubi iam fuere,
Ubi iam fuere.

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

Vivat academia,
Vivant professores,
Vivat membrum quod libet,
Vivant membra quae libet;
Semper sint in flore,
Semper sint in flore.

Vivat et respublica
Et qui illam regit,
Vivat nostra civitas,
Maecenatum caritas,
Quae nos hic protegit,
Quae nos hic protegit.

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

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

Quis confluxus hodie
Academicorum?
E longinquo convenerunt,
Protinusque successerunt
In commune forum,
In commune forum.

Vivat nostra societas,
Vivant studiosi
Crescat una veritas,
Floreat fraternitas,
Patriae prosperitas,
Patriae prosperitas.

Alma Mater floreat,
Quae nos educavit;
Caros et commilitones,
Dissitas in regiones
Sparsos, congregavit,
Sparsos, congregavit.