SUMMER IS ICUMEN IN

 

Medieval (Middle English) lyrics (c.1250)

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!
Sing cuccu nu, Sing cuccu!

Modern English translation
Summer has come in
Loudly sing, cuckoo!
Seeds grow and meadows bloom
and the woods spring anew
Sing cuckoo!

Ewe bleats after lamb,
Calf lows after cow,
Bullock leaps, billygoat farts,
Merrily sing, cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!
Well you sing cuckoo,
Nor cease you ever now!
Sing cuckoo now, Sing, cuckoo

 

ANCIENT MUSIC
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, ’tis why I am, Goddamm.
So ‘gainst the winter’s balm
Sing goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMN.

MURIE SING

A.Y.Campbell

Plumber is icumen in;

Bludie big tu-du.

Bloweth lampe, and showeth dampe,

And dripth the wud thru.

Bludie hel, boo-hoo!

 

Thawth drain, and runneth bath;

Saw swath, and scruth scru;

Bull-kuk squirteth, leakë spurteth;

Wurry springeth up anew,

Boo-hoo, boo-hoo.

 

Tom Pugh, Tom Pugh, well plumbës thu, Tom Pugh;

Better job I naver nu.

Therefore will I cease boo-hoo,

Worrie not, but cry pooh-pooh,

Murie sing pooh-pooh, pooh-pooh,

Pooh-pooh!