Sumer Is Icumen In
Sumer Is Icumen In is a traditional English round, and possibly the oldest example of counterpoint in existence. It is the oldest piece of six-part polyphonic music (Albright, 1994). The title might be translated as "Summer is a-coming in". Its composer is anonymous and it is estimated to date from around 1260. The language is Middle English. Original Words: - Sumer is icumen in,
:Lhude sing cuccu!
:Groweth sed and bloweth med
:And springth the wude nu,
:Sing cuccu! - Awe bletheth after lomb,
:Lhouth after calve cu.
:Bulloc sterteth, bucke verteth,
:Murie sing cuccu! - Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes thu, cuccu;
:Ne swik thu naver nu,
:Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu.
:Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu!
Modern English: - Summer is a-coming in,
:Loud sing Cuckoo!
:Seeds grow and meadows bloom
:And the forest springs anew,
:Sing Cuckoo! - Ewes bleat after lambs,
:Cows lowe after the calves.
:Bullocks jump, bucks fart,
:Merrily sing Cuckoo! - Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo;
:Nor cease you ever now,
:Sing cuckoo now. Sing Cuckoo.
:Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!
Source- Albright, Daniel (2004). Modernism and Music: An Anthology of Sources. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226012670.
|
|
