Gaudeamus Igitur | אָז עוֹדֶֽנּוּ צְעִירִים | Az Odenu Tse’irim (So, let us rejoice), a Hebrew translation by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer of De Brevitate Vitæ (1287)

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation), Christopher S. Morrissey (translation) and Unknown Author(s)

Shared on:

29 May 2023 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Categories:

Learning, Study, and School

Tags:

13th century C.E., 51st century A.M., graduation, commencement, Latin vernacular, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Hebrew translation

An original Hebrew translation of the popular medieval commercium song and graduation anthem “De Brevitate Vitæ,” more commonly known as “Gaudeamus Igitur.” First attested in 1287, this Latin poem is irrevocably associated with college life for academics all over the world. It has been translated into many languages, and this Hebrew edition can be added to the list.

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Source (Latin)	Translation of Latin (Hebrew)	Translation of Latin (English)
Gaudeamus igitur, Juvenes dum sumus, Post jucundam juventutem Post molestam senectutem Nos habebit humus.	אָז עוֹדֶֽנּוּ צְעִירִים נָא נִשְׂמַח כֻּלָּֽנוּ! אַחֲרֵי סוֹף נְעוּרֵֽינוּ וְצָרוֹת בְּזִקְנוּתֵֽנוּ קֶֽבֶר יֹאחַז בָּֽנוּ	So, let us rejoice 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 ad inferos, Ubi jam fuere.	מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵי־זֶה הוּא הָיָה כָּאן בְּקֶֽדֶם? מִי עָלָה לִשְׁמֵי עֶלְיוֹן מִי שְׁאֹֽלָה הַתַּחְתּוֹן כְּבָר חַיֵּיהֶם גֶּֽדֶם!	Where are they who, before us, Were in the world? Go to the heavens Cross over into hell Where they went through already.
Vita nostra brevis est, Brevi finietur, Venit mors velociter, Rapit nos atrociter, Nemini parcetur.	מַה קֻּצְּרוּ יְמֵי חַיִּים, קָרוֹב יִגָּמֵֽרוּ! בִּמְהֵרָה יָבוֹא הַמָּֽוֶת יְבַלְּעֵנוּ כְּתִקְרֹֽבֶת אֵין אִישׁ יִשָּׁמֵֽרוּ.	Our life is brief Soon it will end. Death comes quickly Snatches us cruelly To nobody shall it be spared.
Vivat Academia, Vivant Professores, Vivat membrum quodlibet, Vivant membra quælibet, Semper sint in flore!	תְּחִי תְּחִי הַיְּשִׁיבָה יִחְיוּ־נָא רַבָּנֵֽינוּ! וְכׇל־תַּלְמִיד יְהִי בָּרוּךְ! יְחִי מוֹסָד זֶה בַּחִנּוּךְ! לָעַד יְחַנְּכֵֽנוּ!	Long live the academy! Long live the professors! Long live each student; Long live the whole fraternity; For ever may they flourish!
Vivant omnes virgines Faciles, formosæ Vivant et mulieres Teneræ, amabiles Bonæ, laboriosæ.	גַּם תִּחְיֶינָה עַלְמְתִיּוֹת יָפוֹת וּנְעִימוֹת! גַּם תִּחְיֶינָה מַטְרוֹנִיּוֹת אֲדִיבוֹת וַחֲבִיבוֹת בַּעֲלוֹת שֵׁמוֹת!	Long live all virgins, Easy [and] beautiful! Long live [mature] women too, Tender [and] lovable, Good [and] hard-working.
Vivat et respublica, Et qui illam regit, Vivat nostra civitas, Mæcenatum caritas, Quæ nos hic protegit.	תְּחִי מַלְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים! יִחְיוּ מוֹשְׁלֵי מֶמְשַׁלְתָּהּ! תְּחִי הָעִיר; הִיא בִּירָתֵנוּ! מִצְוַת צְדָקָה לְמַעֲנֵנוּ לִשְׁמֹר עַל־מִשְׁמַרְתָּהּ.	Long live the state as well And he 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.	יֹאבַד צַֽעַר, יָנוּס יָגוֹן יִכָּרְתוּ שׂוֹנְאֵֽינוּ נָא יֻרְחַק יֵֽצֶר הָרַע עִם כׇּל־קוֹשְׁרִים עָלֵֽינוּ רַע וְעִם כׇּל־לוֹעֲגֵֽינוּ.	May sadness perish! May haters perish! May the devil perish! And also the opponents of the fraternities And their mockers, too!
Quis confluxus hodie Academicorum? E longinquo convenerunt, Protinusque successerunt In commune forum.	מַה־גָּדְלוּ בְּיוֹם כָּזֶה הַקְהָלַת הַכּוֹלֵל! מִשִּׁבְעִים אֶֽרֶץ נִקְהֲלוּ מִיָּד עָמְדוּ, מִיָּד עָלוּ לוֹמַר דִּבְרֵי הַלֵּל.	What a gathering of academics is there today? From far away they gathered, Immediately they advanced Into the public forum
Vivat nostra societas, Vivant studiosi! Crescat una veritas, Floreat fraternitas, Patriæ prosperitas.	יְחִי הַקָּהָל בַּתּוֹרָה וְכׇל־מִתְעַסְּקִים בָּהּ! אֱמֶת וָחֶֽסֶד נָא־יַפְרִֽיחוּ! רַוְחַת הָאָֽרֶץ, כֹּל יַרְבִּֽיחוּ! אַחְוָה וְאַהֲבָה!	Long live our fellowship, Long live the students; May truth alone thrive May brotherhood flourish (and) the prosperity of the country.
Alma Mater floreat, Quæ nos educavit, Caros et commilitones, Dissitas in regiones Sparsos, congregavit.	יִפְרַח יְסוֹד יְשִׁיבָה זוֹ בְּחַצְרוֹתֶֽיהָ לָמַֽדְנוּ לְמַֽעַן אַחַי וְרֵעַי וּלְמַֽעַן כׇּל־נְפוּצוֹתַי לִמְקוֹמָהּ הׇאֳחַֽדְנוּ׃	May our Alma Mater flourish, Which has taught us; Dear ones and comrades, (and) the scattered into places Various, she congregated.

“Gaudeamus igitur” was written by an unknown author in 1287. I have set the Latin source side-by-side with Isaac Gantwerk Mayer’s original Hebrew translation, and for those not fluent in Hebrew or Latin, an English translation. The English translation provided here was adapted slightly by English Wikipedia editors from the one originally published by Dr. Christopher S. Morrissey on his personal website.

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“Gaudeamus Igitur | אָז עוֹדֶֽנּוּ צְעִירִים | Az Odenu Tse’irim (So, let us rejoice), a Hebrew translation by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer of De Brevitate Vitæ (1287)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Christopher S. Morrissey (translation)

Dr. Christopher S. Morrisset is the Sessional Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Western University.

Unknown Author(s)

Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.

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Antique postcard of a graduation festival with students on parade in a horse driven wagon. The illustration is accompanied by a quote from the song “Gaudeamus igitur.”

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17