Gaudeamus Igitur

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

(Let us rejoice therefore
While we are young.
After a pleasant youth
After a troublesome 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 were in the world before us?
You may cross over to heaven
You may go to 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
It will be finished shortly.
Death comes quickly
Atrociously, it snatches us away.
No one is spared.)

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

(Long live the academy!
Long live the teachers!
Long live each male student!
Long live each female student!
May they always flourish!)

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

(Long live all maidens
Easy and beautiful!
Long live mature women also,
Tender and loveable
And full of good labor.)

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 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!
Let whoever is against our school
Who laughs at it, perish!)

Quis confluxus hodie
Academicorum?
E longinquo convenerunt,
Protinusque successerunt

(In commune forum.
Who has gathered now of the university?
They gather from long distances,
Immediately joining
Our common forum.)

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

(Long live our fellowship,
Long live the studious!
May truth and honesty thrive,
Flourish with our fraternity,
And our homeland be prosperous.)

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

(May our Alma Mater thrive,
That which educated us;
Dear ones and comrades,
Who we let scatter afar,
Let us assemble.)

(vers. C. W. Kindeleben 1781)
 

From the Internet: "Gaudeamus" has been the traditional University student's song for two hundred years, and the tune is still played (and even sung along to, depending on the University) at graduation ceremonies today. Historically, it has also been the university student's traditional drinking song (!), and is regarded as the original embodiment of the free and easy student life.

Although Gaudeamus is regarded as being the oldest surviving student's song, claims that it was written as early as the 13th century are largely unfounded.The earliest known appearance of something close to the modern lyrics is in a handwritten student songbook from Germany dating between 1723 and 1750.

These were picked up by C.W. Kindleben (a priest in Leipzig who got kicked out because of his student songs), where he made important changes to them before he published the resultant (modern) lyrics in his "Studentlieder" in 1781.