Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CUCKOO SONG, by                    
First Line: Summer is I-cumen [or a-coming or y-comen] in
Last Line: "sing cuckoo. Sing, cuckoo, now!"
Variant Title(s): The Cuckoo Song
Subject(s): Birds;cuckoos;nature;spring;summer


Summer is y-comen in,
Loude sing, cuckoo!
Groweth seed and bloweth meed
And spring'th the woode now --
Sing cuckoo!

Ewe bleateth after lamb,
Low'th after calfe cow;
Bullock starteth, bucke farteth.
Merry sing, cuckoo!

Cuckoo, Cuckoo!
Well sing'st thou cuckoo:
Ne swike thou never now!

Sing cuckoo, now! Sing cuckoo!
Sing cuckoo. Sing, cuckoo, now!



[Sumer is icumen in.
Lhude sing cuccu.
Groweth sed
And bloweth med
And springth the wude nu.
Sing cuccu!

Awe bleteth after lomb,
Lhouth after calve cu;
Bulluc sterteth,
Bucke verteth,
Murie sing cuccu.
Cuccu, cuccu.

Wel singes thu cuccu,
Ne swike thu naver nu.

Sing cuccu, nu. Sing cuccu,
Sing cuccu, sing cuccu nu!]





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