A Celebration of Summer in Middle and Modern English

Sumer is icumen in                      Summer has arrived
Lhude sing cuccu                         Loudly sing, cuckoo!
Groweþ sed                                 The seed is growing
and bloweþ med                          and the meadow is blooming,
and springþ be wde nu                And the wood is coming into leaf now,
Sing cuccu                                   Sing, cuckoo!

Awe bleteþ after tomb                 The ewe is bleating after her lamb,
lhouþ after cal cu                         The cow is lowering after her calf;
Bulluc sterteþ                               The bullock is prancing,
bucks uerteþ                                The billy-goat farting,
murie sing cuccu                          Sing merrily, cuckoo!

Cuccu cuccu                                Cuckoo, cuckoo,
Wel singes þu cuccu                    You sing well, cuckoo,
ne swik þu nature nu                    Never stop now.

Sing cucc nu • Sing cuccu.           Sing cuckoo, now; sing, cuckoo;
Sing cucc nu • Sing cuccu.           Sing, cuckoo; sing, cuckoo, now!