I couldn’t resist posting this. This is the choir of Glasgow University, and I was a member of that choir … a long time ago. It brought a tear to my eye, because gaudeāmus igitur was performed at our graduation ceremony, and the whole ceremony was conducted in Latin.
Gaudeāmus igitur ¦ Let us, therefore,
rejoice
Iuvenēs dum sumus ¦ While we
are young
Post iūcundam iuventūtem ¦
After pleasant youth
Post molestam senectūtem ¦
After troublesome old age
Nōs habēbit humus ¦ The
earth will have us
Vīvat acadēmia ¦ Long live
the academy
Vīvant professōrēs ¦ Long
live the professors
Vīvat membrum quodlibet ¦
Long live each student [member]
Vīvant membra quaelibet ¦
Long live the fraternity [the members]
Semper sint in flōre ¦ May
they always flourish!
Notes:
gaudeāmus: subjunctive form
of the verb; here it means Let us rejoice
vīvat / vīvant: subjunctive
forms of the verb; here, they translate as may something
happen:
vīvat acadēmia: May the
academy live = Long live the academy
vīvant professōrēs: May the
professors live = Long live the professors
Similarly:
Semper sint in
flōre: sint is the subjunctive of esse i.e. May
they always be in bloom = May they always flourish
The subjunctive is still far
away in these posts, but, if it crops up, I’ll mention briefly what it does.
Just enjoy the music and
don't worry about the subjunctive
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