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!
