Wow, we're back an into the swing of things like there hadn't even been a break! It's amazing how that happens.

It's good to be back, and see everyone again. I have a hope that this semester will be better than the last, now that I know what I need to work on and how much time i'm going to have to put into it.

Now, when i walk around and see random latin words, it always makes me smile. even if I can't understand all of them, I know that my level of proficency is growing with each class period, and I hope to continue with it for a while.

Last semester, I took a Arts and Humanties class on the Middle Ages, and our class song was actually in Latin, an old drinking song from a german university. "Gaudeamus igitur"- "And so we rejoice" It was pretty neat to be able to look at the untranslated song and understand a word here, and a word there. It always made me smile.

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

Ubi sunt qui ante nos
In mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos
Transite in inferos
Hos si vis videre.

Vita nostra brevis est
Brevi finietur.
Venit mors velociter
Rapit nos atrociter
Nemini parcetur.

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

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

Vivant et republica
et qui illam regit.
Vivat nostra civitas,
Maecenatum caritas
Quae nos hic protegit.

Pereat tristitia,
Pereant osores.
Pereat diabolus,
Quivis antiburschius
Atque irrisores.

The translation:

Let us rejoice therefore
While we are young.
After a pleasant youth
After a troublesome old age
The earth will have us.

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.

Our life is brief
It will be finished shortly.
Death comes quickly
Atrociously, it snatches us away.
No one is spared.

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

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

Long live the State
And the One who rules it!
Long live our City
And the charity of benefactors
Which protects us here!

Let sadness perish!
Let haters perish!
Let the devil perish!
Let whoever is against our school
Who laughs at it, perish!

There's a link to the song here, if you'd like to download it!

Mia Tignor