Cuckoo Arrives on Loch Goil

Apr 23rd, 2015

Cuckoo Arrives on Loch Goil

My mum who lives near Dumfries reported that the cuckoo had arrived with her a few days ago. That is about one hundred miles south of us, so I was not surprised to hear them here today. All afternoon I was working in the garden with the cuckoo calling loudly in the background.

I learned the poem below in school (though I don’t remember the line about goats farting being in it in those days).

Svmer is icumen in (Spring is here)
Lhude sing cuccu (The cuckoo sings loudly)
Groweþ sed (seeds grow)
and bloweþ med (and the meadows bloom)
and springþ þe wde nu (spring is in the woods)
Sing cuccu (Sing cuckoo!)

Awe bleteþ after lomb (The Ewe is bleating after her lamb)
lhouþ after calue cu (The cow lows for her calf)
Bulluc sterteþ (Bullocks stamp)
bucke uerteþ (Goats fart)

murie sing cuccu (Merrily the cuckoo sings)
Cuccu cuccu (Cuckoo, cuckoo)
Wel singes þu cuccu (You sing well cuckoo)
ne swik þu nauer nu (Don’t stop now)

Sing cuccu nu Sing cuccu. (Sing cuckoo, now sing cuckoo)
Sing cuccu Sing cuccu nu (Sing cuckoo, sing now cuckoo)

I don’t have a picture of a cuckoo unfortunately (they are a bit elusive) so I included one of the violets which have also arrived here this week.

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