Lyrics Carl Orff - Carmina Burana 14. In Taberna - In taberna quando sumus

In taberna quando sumus............ When we are in the tavern,
non curamus quid sit humus,........ we do not think how we will go to dust,
sed ad ludum properamus,............but we hurry to gamble,
cui semper insudamus............... which always makes us sweat.
Quid agatur in taberna..............What happens in the tavern,
ubi nummus est pincerna,............where money is host,
hoc est opus ut queratur,.......... you may well ask,
si quid loquar, audiatur........... and hear what I say.


Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt,...... Some gamble, some drink,
quidam indiscrete vivunt........... some behave loosely.
Sed in ludo qui morantur,.......... But of those who gamble,
ex his quidam denudantur............some are stripped bare,
quidam ibi vestiuntur,..............some win their clothes here,
quidam saccis induuntur.............some are dressed in sacks.
Ibi nullus timet mortem............ Here no-one fears death,
sed pro Baccho mittunt sortem:......but they throw the dice in the name of



................................ Bacchus.

Primo pro nummata vini,............ First of all it is to the wine-merchant
ex hac bibunt libertini;............the the libertines drink,
semel bibunt pro captivis,..........one for the prisoners,
post hec bibunt ter pro vivis,......three for the living,
quater pro Christianis cunctis......four for all Christians,
quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis,..five for the faithful dead,
sexies pro sororibus vanis,........ six for the loose sisters,
septies pro militibus silvanis..... seven for the footpads in the wood,


Octies pro fratribus perversis,.... Eight for the errant brethren,
nonies pro monachis dispersis,......nine for the dispersed monks,
decies pro navigantibus............ ten for the seamen,
undecies pro discordaniibus,........eleven for the squabblers,
duodecies pro penitentibus,........ twelve for the penitent,
tredecies pro iter agentibus....... thirteen for the wayfarers.
Tam pro papa quam pro rege..........To the Pope as to the king
bibunt omnes sine lege............. they all drink without restraint.

Bibit hera, bibit herus,............The mistress drinks, the master drinks,
bibit miles, bibit clerus,..........the soldier drinks, the priest drinks,
bibit ille, bibit illa,............ the man drinks, the woman drinks,
bibit servus cum ancilla,.......... the servant drinks with the maid,
bibit velox, bibit piger,.......... the swift man drinks, the lazy man drinks,
bibit albus, bibit niger,.......... the white man drinks, the black man drinks,
bibit constans, bibit vagus,........the settled man drinks, the wanderer drinks,
bibit rudis, bibit magnus...........the stupid man drinks, the wise man drinks,

Bibit pauper et egrotus,............The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks,
bibit exul et ignotus,..............the exile drinks, and the stranger,
bibit puer, bibit canus,............the boy drinks, the old man drinks,
bibit presul et decanus,............the bishop drinks, and the deacon,
bibit soror, bibit frater,..........the sister drinks, the brother drinks,
bibit anus, bibit mater,............the old lady drinks, the mother drinks,
bibit ista, bibit ille,............ this man drinks, that man drinks,
bibunt centum, bibunt mille.........a hundred drink, a thousand drink.

Parum sexcente nummate..............Six hundred pennies would hardly
durant, cum immoderate..............suffice, if everyone
bibunt omnes sine meta............. drinks immoderately and immeasurably.
Quamvis bibant mente leta,..........However much they cheerfully drink
sic nos rodunt omnes gentes........ we are the ones whom everyone scolds,
et sic erimus egentes...............and thus we are destitute.
Qui nos rodunt confundantur........ May those who slander us be cursed
et cum iustis non scribantur....... and may their names not be written in the
book of the righteous.