The article analyses two classical translations of the Medieval Latin song ‘In taberna quando sumus…’ from the collection Carmina Burana into Russian, made by L. Ginsburg and M. Gasparov. Comparing each of the translations with the original, the authors demonstrate the difference in the translators’ approaches. Fond of archaic vocabulary, Gasparov ended up with an effectively Slavicised translation, whereas Ginsburg, who relied on the German version of the poem, gave its translation a somewhat Germanised air. Examined in particular is the extent to which the translators succeeded in rendering the song’s parodying aspect. The authors point out with regret that the Biblical quotes and reminiscences incorporated in the song by its anonymous medieval author are almost entirely omitted. At the end of the article, the authors include their own Russian translation, which focuses on the song’s parodying reminiscences, supplied with a detailed historical and philological commentary.