Goliardic Verse

Goliardic verse is medieval Latin poetry associated with the goliards, wandering students and clerics known for their satirical, irreverent, and often playful writing. These poems commonly celebrate wine, love, luck, and worldly pleasure while mocking authority, especially church and academic life.

The best-known examples survive in collections such as the Carmina Burana.

Example

The bishop preaches fasting to the noon-day crowd;
I lift my cup and sing a louder hymn.
When fortune turns her wheel, let scholars bow-
I'd rather drink than chase her shadow's rim.

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