Dragen w’in de wereld en doorheen heel Vlaanderen mee.
Onze wil tot leven vrij van dwang en levensblij –
Geen Talers blijven wij!”
(Proud bearers of the torch of VUB,
We carry it with us throughout Flanders and the world,
Our will to live free of constraint and full of joy -
It cannot be suppressed!’)
Not to be sneezed at
The melody of The Song of No Language is widely known: that of the old American song, Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us? from the 1850s. Its content, however, may be less clear to the younger generation of students. Such phrases as "Klauwaert ende Geus" and "kaloot ou een bekrompen franskiljon" sound outdated today. The song is the official song of the Brussels Student Association and the unofficial song of the VUB.
However, the student song itself never fell into disuse. What's more, students and alumni have met every attempt to update the text with great consternation. The link with the previous generations of students and the history of VUB is important. Additionally, the familiar third stanza summarises the DNA of VUB'ers of the past, present and future so beautifully.
Classic closing of every academic opening session
Every year, we open the academic year with an official academic opening session. We always end it with the Song of No Language. Many VUBers then stand up and sing along loudly. It is also sung during the Vrijzinnig Zangfeest (Free Singing Festival) that takes place every year in December, a tradition among liberal VUB students.
