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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  1. Cuckoo Song

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Anonymous. c. 1250

1. Cuckoo Song

SUMER is icumen in, 
  Lhude sing cuccu! 
Groweth sed, and bloweth med, 
  And springth the wude nu— 
          Sing cuccu!         5
 
Awe bleteth after lomb, 
  Lhouth after calve cu; 
Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth, 
  Murie sing cuccu! 
 
Cuccu, cuccu, well singes thu, cuccu:  10
  Ne swike thu naver nu; 
Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu, 
  Sing cuccu, sing cuccu, nu! 
 
GLOSS:  lhude] loud.  awe] ewe.  lhouth] loweth.  sterteth] leaps.  swike] cease.