With the turn of the season, it is time once again to blend our voices in the oldest known English song: "Sumer is Icumen In," composed sometime in the 13th century. We trust your Wessex-accented Middle English is in good form as we link arms and sing together:
Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu!
Growep sed and blowep med
And springp pbe wde nu
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleep after lomb
Lhoup after calue cu.
Bulloch stertep, buck uertep,
Murie sing cuccu!
Cuccu, cuccu, wei singe pu cuccu.
Ne wik pu nauer nu.
Sing cuccu, sing cuccu.
Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu!
And now, a 20th century translation. Caution: occasional vulgarity.
Summer has come in,
Loudly sing, Cuckoo!
The seed grows and the meadow blooms
And the wood springs anew.
Sing, Cuckoo!
The ewe bleats after the lamb.
The cow lows after the calf.
The bullock stirs, the stag farts.
Merrily sing, Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, Cuckoo, well you sing, Cuckoo.
Don't you ever stop now.
Sing Cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo!
Sing Cuckoo. Sing Cuckoo now!
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