CHORUS 2023

In taberna quando sumus
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3:12
In taberna quando sumus
In taberna quando sumus
non curamus quid sit humus
sed ad ludum properamus
cui semper insudamus:
quid agatur in taberna
ubi nummus est pincerna
hoc est opus ut queratur
si quid loquor, audiatur.
Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt,
quidam indiscrete vivunt.
Sed in ludo qui morantur,
ex his quidam denudantur,
quidam ibi vestiuntur,
quidam saccis induuntur.
Ibi nullus timet mortem,
sed pro Baccho mittunt sortem: Primo pro nummata vini,
ex hac bibunt libertini;
semel bibunt pro captivis,
post hec bibunt ter pro vivis,
quater pro Christianis cunctis,
quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis,
sexies pro sororibus vanis,
septies pro militibus silvanis. Octies pro fratribus perversis,
nonies pro monachis dispersis,
decies pro navigantibus,
undecies pro discordantibus,
duodecies pro penitentibus,
tredecies pro iter agentibus.
Tam pro papa quam pro rege
bibunt omnes sine lege. Bibit hera, bibit herus,
bit miles, bibit clerus,
bibit ill, bibit illa,
bibit servus cum ancilla,
bibit velox, bibit piger,
bibit albus, bibit niger,
bibit constans, bibit vagus,
bibit rudis, bibit magus. Bibit pauper et egrotus,
bibit exul et ignotus,
bibit puer, bibit canus,
bibit presul et decanus,
bibit soror, bibit frater,
bibit anus, bibit mater,
bibit ista, bibit ille,
bibunt centum, bibunt mille: Parum sexcente nummate
durant, cum immoderate
bibunt omnes sine meta,
quamvis bibant mente leta,
sic nos rodunt omnes gentes
et sic erimus egentes.
Qui nos rodunt confundantur
et cum iustis non scribantur!
In the tavern when we're drinking,
though the ground be cold and stinking
down we go and join the action
with the dice and gaming faction.
What goes on inside the salon
where it's strictly cash per gallon
if you'd like to know, sir, well you
shut your gob and let me tell you.
Some are drinking, some are playing,
some their vulgar side displaying:
most of those who like to gamble
wind up naked in the scramble;
some emerge attired in new things,
some in bits and bobs and shoestrings:
no one thinks he'll kick the bucket
dicing for a beery ducat. First to those who pay for wallowing,
then we layabouts toast the following:
next we drink to all held captive,
thirdly drink to those still active,
fourthly drink to the Christian-hearted,
fifthly drink to the dear departed,
sixthly to our free-and-easy sisters,
seventhly to all out-of-work enlisters. Eighthly drink to friars deconverted,
ninthly, monks from monast'ries diverted,
tenthly, sailors of the oceans,
eleventhly, louts who cause commotions
twelfthly, those who wear the penitential
thirteenth, and whose journey is essential;
to this fat pope, to that thin king
who the hell cares why they're drinking: Drinking tinker, drinking tailor,
drinking soldier, drinking sailor,
drinking rich man, drinking poor man,
drinking beggarman, thief and lawman,
drinking servant, drinking master,
drinking mistress, drinking pastor,
drinking doctor, drinking layman,
drinking drunkard, drinking drayman: Drinking rude man, drinking proper,
drinking tiddler, drinking whopper,
drinking scholar, drinking gypsy,
drinking drunk or maudlin tipsy,
drinking father, drinking mother,
drinking sister, drinking brother,
drinking husbands, wives and lovers
and a hundred thousand others - Half a million pounds would never
pay for all we drink together:
for we drink beyond all measure,
purely for the sake of pleasure:
thus you see us, poor and shoddy,
criticised by everybody -
God grant that they be confounded
when at last the trump is sounded!
--singable translation by David Parlett
with permission
... Here are briefly explained the contents of the Codex Buranus, a splendid German manuscript of the thirteenth century containing the poems and music that the clerici vagantes sang in the streets and taverns, in the study rooms or wherever they had the opportunity to do so. The codex is divided into four parts: the Carmina moralia (CB: 1-55), poems and songs of satirical and moral subjects, the Carmina veris et amoris (CB: 56-186), poems and songs of love, the Carmina lusorum et potatorum (CB: 187-226), containing Bacchic and convivial songs and finally the most recent part of the manuscript, namely the Carmina divina, poems of criticism on the corruption of the clergy. The lyrics were written in medieval Latin as well as in high German, the contents of the songs are very explicit, ranging from well-known Bacchic hymns to decidedly erotic love songs, there are "blasphemous" parodies of the liturgy and criticisms of the Roman curia , always dedicated to the search for wealth and power.
The goliardic class is believed to have arisen from the need of younger sons to develop means of support. The medieval social convention of primogeniture meant that the eldest son inherited title and estate.[7] This practice of bestowing the rights of inheritance upon the eldest son left younger sons to seek other means by which to support themselves. Often, these younger sons went, or were sent, to the universities and monasteries of the day, where theology and preparation for clergy careers were a major focus.[7]
    Once the students had taken the minor orders, they began to follow the lessons they considered most valid through real pilgrimages from one university to another with the aim of studying and learning directly from the best teachers. There were born the clerici vagantes, wandering students who had access to prestigious university knowledge and who, wandering around Europe, with the goliardic spirit that still distinguishes university students today, scattering knowledge through their songs and poems, often moving heavily criticism on the ecclesiastical and state system. Many of the melodies of the Codex Buranus were born as sacred songs or "crusade" but within these songs modifications were made of their contents becoming hymns to Bacchus or parodies of religious services with lots of litanies along the lines of the Catholic ones with interruptions of giggles, sneezing and much more .