Time to say goodbye to graduation season.
"De Brevitate Vitae" (Latin: "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 Western 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 is thought to originate in a Latin manuscript from 1287. 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 early universities and is the official song of many schools, colleges, universities, institutions, student societies and is the official anthem of the International University Sports Federation...A video with the Latin lyrics and English translation is here. Both texts can also be read at the Wikipedia link.
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.
Here are words in Finnish, but at student graduation it's sung always in Latin.
ReplyDeleteRiemuitkaamme, vielä on suonissamme tulta
jälkeen nuoruusajan armaan
jälkeen vanhuusajan harmaan,
meidät perii multa
Missä ovat entiset, vanhat ystävämme
ehkä tähtimaailmoissa
ehkä tuonen kartanoissa
turhaa kyselymme
Lyhyt elämämme on, loppuun äkin päästy
Kiirehesti kuolo kulkee,
meidät ryntäillensä sulkee.
Eikä kukaan säästy.
Eläköön yl'opisto,
opin ohjaajatki!
Eläkööt sen veteraanit
fuksit, civikset, betaanit
kukoistaakoot ratki!
Eläköön myös neitoset, keihut kainokaiset,
emännätkin hellät, oivat,
ahkerasti askaroivat,
töissään taitavaiset.