Erfurt's dance of death, The student

The Student

Götz: Student

Kruspe: Student

The student lives the happy life: clay pipe in one hand, wine bottle in the other, books on the table, playing cards on the floor and a rapier on the wall.

Götz' watercolour (above) is imprecise, because Bellermann and Naumann both inform us that Death shows the student a book which contains a Latin quote: "Disce mori". Evidently Kruspe's drawing (to the right) is correct.

Usually the quote is: "Vivere disce, cogita mori", "learn to live, remember death". Death shows him the brief version: learn to die.

Der Tod zum Studenten:
Schau, Bruder Studio, mich den Professor an,
Den weder "Pereat!" noch "Vivat!"(1) rühren kann.
Fort, leg die Pfeife hin, setz die Bouteille nieder,
Wirf Karten, Knaster(2) weg, und Doris Lobelieder,(3)
Den Degen brauchst du nicht, lass auch die Stiefeln stehen,
Und Andere ohne dich anjetzt zu Dorfe gehen,
Von deiner Brüderschaft musst du dich nun entfernen,
Und gleich das harte Wort, das "Mori" von mir lernen.

Death to the Student:
Look, Brother Studio, at me, the professor,
whom neither "Pereat!" nor "Vivat!"(1) can move.
Away, put down your pipe, put down the bottle,
Throw away cards, tobacco,(2) and Doris's songs of praise,(3)
You don't need your sword, leave your boots behind too,
and let others go to the village without you now.
You must now distance yourself from your brotherhood,
and learn the harsh word, the "Mori" from me.

Der Student:
Ich lebte "bursikos", und nach Studentenbrauch,(4)
Bedachte nicht, dass auch mein Leben nur ein Rauch,
Ich lernte manche Kunst und viele Nebensachen,
Die mich nicht konnten fromm, viel minder selig machen.
Ihr Brüder, lebet wohl! ich muss von hinnen gehen,
Und bei dem Todtentanz mit an den Reigen stehen!
Lernt euch von Eitelkeit und Thorheit bald entfernen,
So kommt ihr hochgelehrt dereinst zur Burg der Sternen.

The Student:
I lived "bursikos" and according to student customs,(4)
I did not consider that my life also was just smoke,
I learned many arts and many minor things,
which could not make me pious, much less blessed.
You brothers, farewell! I must go from here,
and join the line in the dance of death!
Learn soon to get rid of vanity and foolishness,
then you will come highly educated to the Castle of the Stars.

Atypically, each verse has eight lines.

Götz lacks an "l" in the last line: »So kommt ihr hochgeehrt dereinst zur Burg der Sternen«. The student will arrive highly honoured to the star-castle, not highly learned (»hochgelehrt«).

Footnotes: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Pereat […] Vivat . . .: means "may it perish" and "long live" respectively. They are a part of the old student song, Gaudeamus igitur:

Vivat academia, (long live the academy!)
Vivant professores, (long live the professors!)
Vivat membrum quodlibet, (long live each student;)
Vivant membra quaelibet, (Long live the whole fraternity;)

Pereat tristitia, (may sadness perish!)
Pereant osores, (may haters perish!)
Pereat diabolus, (may the devil perish!)

Knaster . . .:: like the English word "canaster". So called because tobacco was sold in a canister.

I have no idea who Doris is, and what her songs of praise are about.

According to Götz the text says "Liebeslieder", i.e. love songs.

bursikos […] nach Studentenbrauch . . .: "burschikos" means "student-like", i.e. the same as "nach Studentenbrauch".

The word is a compound of the German word for boy, Bursche, with the ancient Greek suffix, ikôs, like the similar word, "studentikos".

Gaudeamus igitur, which we mentioned in the previous fodnote, also has a "pereat" against opponents of the fraternities: »Quivis antiburschius«".