Last night I ran across an old recording of a live performance of a song sung by the Mises Circle in Vienna, on the eve of Mises’s departure for Vienna. The original text was in German of course. It is enormously sad. The circle is scattering: Hayek to London, Mises to Geneva. The liberals are leaving. There is a sense of foreboding. The storms clouds have gathered in Germany. It won’t be long before the German troops enter Vienna. Hatred and the total state, even the stench of coming death and destruction, were all in the air. The economists–dreamers!–deal with it by singing a lovely song.
I’m struck by the devotion of this song, toward Mises the man and teacher. They revered him. Though great intellectuals themselves, they had a kind of piety toward their teacher and master, and never shied away from showing it, out of respect. Today, this would be called “cult-like” but in fact it was the old world sensibility: to show deep gratitude toward their benefactor.
“Wilson’s Dream” here refers to the League of Nations, which was partly responsible for Mises’s position in Geneva.
Please forgive my voice here, which is pretty rotten but you get the idea.
What is going to become of the Mises Kreis
In the year that’s coming.
Geneva can’t for all suffice,
My fingers won’t stop drumming.
The question will not leave me be,
The seminar means everything to me…
O jerum, jerum, jerum
O quae mutatio rerum.The faculty will heave a sigh
When they realize in horror:
For each who leaves, more say goodbye,
Wien’s ranks will be much poorer.
To England and the USA,
Oh, Wien will seem so far away…
O jerum, jerum, jerum
O quae mutatio rerumAnd for all those who bravely fought
For Mises’ many teachings,
For whom import taxes anger wrought,
While truth forever reaching.
They tarry now in distant lands,
While no one here could understand…
O jerum, jerum, jerum
O quae mutatio rerumNow the master, too, must soon depart
Another chair awaiting.
And truth remains his chosen art
Wien’s lessons not abating.
And we pray that Wilson’s dream
With Mises’ towering spirit gleams.
O jerum, jerum, jerum
O quae, mutatio rerum
More Mises songs, which are now only getting around to putting in sheet music.
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Save and triple-copy that recording Jeff.
How must these men have felt, seeing the blow to Europe’s classical liberal order from World War I and realizing the situation had progressed to terminal. So very sad.
It’s amazing what I’ll listen to in order to avoid working. And sadly, I’ve been feeling in a 1930′s mood myself, so this matched perfectly. Thanks, Jeffrey.
excellent recording. well done Mr. Tucker!
Bravo, the oh so brave, Jeff Tucker!
Might we have a translation of the (seemingly) Latin verses from the song?
Additionally, the recital was excellent, Mr. Tucker.
Soon there will be a Mises Band?
It is merely ungrateful punks who cannot accord proper reverence to Mises and would refer to such as “cultism”.
Matt_R.L,
O quae, mutatio rerum = O how things change!
although I’ve always preferred
“sic transit gloria mundi”
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