1. Cuckoo Song

Anonymous. c. 1250


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, well singes thu, cuccu:
  Ne swike thu naver nu;
Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu,
  Sing cuccu, sing cuccu, nu!


awe
ewe
lhouth
loweth
lhude
loud
sterteth
leaps
swike
cease
The Oxford Book of English Verse, HTML edition