Sumer is icumen in

Sumer is icumen in is a song from approximately 1260. It is possibly the earliest known round in existence.

Lyrics

Middle English

The original lyrics from the are:

Svmer is icumen in,

Lhude sing cuccu!

Groweþ sed and bloweþ med

And springþ þe wde nu,

Sing cuccu!

Awe bleteþ after lomb,

Lhouþ after calue cu.

Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ,

Murie sing cuccu!

Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu, cuccu;

Ne swik þu nauer nu.

Pes:

Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu.

Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu!

Modern English

A modern translation could be:

Summer has arrived,

Loudly sing, Cuckoo!

Seeds grow and meadows bloom

And the forest springs anew,

Sing, Cuckoo!

The ewe bleats after the lamb,

The cow lows after the calf.

The bullock jumps, the billy-goat farts,

Merrily sing, Cuckoo!

Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo;

Nor cease you ever now,

Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo.

Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!

Music

This link takes you to a midi version.

Sumer is icumen in abc notation

X:47
T:Sumer is icumen in
C:Anon
O:English traditional
M:2/2
N:Notation is abc 1.6
L:1/4
Q:220
K:F
f>e d>e | f>f (3edc | A>A B>G | A2 z2 | F>A G>B |
w:Sum-er is y-cum-en in--, lu-de sing cuc-cu! Grow-eth sed and
A>A G>F | A>c d>d | c2 z2 | f2 d2 | f2 z2 | f2 d2 |
w:blow-eth med and spring-th wu-dé nu. Sing cuc-cu! Sing cuc-
f2 z2 | c>A B>G | A>c (3BAG | A>F G>E | F3 z |
w:cu! A-wé ble-teth af-ter lamb-, lowth af-ter cal-ve cu;
F>A G>B | A>A G>F | A>c d>d | c3 z |
w:Bul-luc stert-eth, buck-é fert-eth, me-rie sing cuc-cu!
f2 d2 | f2 z2 | f2 d2 | f2 z2 ||
w:sing cuc-cu! Sing cuc-cu!