Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Salvete,

I received a strange e-mail in the aediles mailbox the other day. It was simply titled "Novus Gaudeamus" encame with a Latin text.

I wonder what it means and because my Latin isn't as good as it used to be (if it ever was any good) I was wondering if some of the sodales could help me out.

This is the text:

1.
Gaudeamus igitur,
iuvenes dum sumus.
Post rebellem iuventutem,
post pacatam senectutem,
nos habebit humus.

2.
Vbi sunt qui ante nos
in mundo fuerunt?
Ossa sub terra crepant,
miseri nos increpant,
quod numquam vixerunt.

3.
Nos autem iam nolumus
obsequi isti legi,
neque argentum pro labore,
nec laborem pro amore,
neque regere nec regi.

4.
Si nescimus forsitan
quae fieri velimus,
at ea quae nos premunt,
at ea quae falsa sunt,
ea satis scimus.

5.
Cui prodest ista iam
negotiorum rota,
tot consortia fabricarum,
tot commercia catenarum?
Ipsamet sibi tota!

6.
Cui prosunt, quaesumus,
saecla gubernantum,
et imperia militaria
et officia statutaria?
Ipsamet sibi tantum!

7.
Pereat ergo Dominus
nummorum et fascium,
et rex qui mortificat
et lex quae iustificat,
et qui colunt mendacium.

8.
Pereat Accademia,
pereant professores,
et cathedrae quaelibet
et decani quilibet
simul ac rectores.


9.
Sed et scholae pereant
ingeniariorum,
pereat technica fatalis,
pereat scientia venalis,
opium populorum.

10.
Vivat liber amor et
fratrum et sororum,
vivat et inmunitas,
libertas, communitas
omnium conservorum.

11.
Vivat ars dialectica,
mors religionis;
nam quae ratio construit,
ratio ipsa destruit.
Vivat ius negationis!

12.
Vivat vita hominum,
si quid erit tale;
sin minus, vel pereat
et ad umbras transeat
animal rationale.


Valete,

Salve Tiberi,

The "Gaudeamus" was a drinking song, I think Draco (senior) has submitted that song (plus possibly a translation) to our site, under "Latin drinking songs" or something like that.

"Novus Gaudeamus" would suggest that this is a new one, though the first few lines seem the same to me as far as I can remember. The title doesn't make sense in latin, unless you translate it as "The new Gaudeamus".

You could always ask the sender what he intended by mailing this to you of course.

Vale bene
Lupus

Salvete Tiberi frater et Lupe,

Since I am somewhat familiar with the gaudeamus, which is often sung at cantusses, I do think this is a version with an altered text, but right now I don't have the time to make a translation. My first guess would be that it's some kind of political satire. Certainly worth taking a closer look at, at first sight, so it seems.

Valete,
Draco

Salve!
My attempt at a translation:

1.
Let us rejoice therefore,
while we are young.
After the war of our youth,
after the treaty of our old age,
the ground will have us.

2.
Where are those who were
before us in the world?
Their bones creak under the earth,
<uhh?>
because they never lived.

3.
We however do not want
to obey that law, <I'm guessing obsequi takes the dative?>
neither silver for work,
nor work for love,
neither to rule nor to be ruled.


(I got tired after that last one. Sorry.)

Titus Marius Crispus

I think this verse gives all away. If not a sophomor, than quite -ish. Nihilism, fads and all. A damn good swat at composing in Latin though, whatever the faults in fine points.

11.
Vivat ars dialectica,
mors religionis;
nam quae ratio construit,
ratio ipsa destruit.
Vivat ius negationis!

Salvete, I'll see if I can come up with a translation, though it could take a while, there's a 10-day party going on in Ghent, de "Gentse Feesten" for all belgae

Valete bene
Lupus