CUCKOO SONG

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!

13

Anonymous.

C. 1250.

THE NIGHT IS NEAR GONE

HEY! now the day dawis;

The jolly cock crawis;
Now shroudis the shawis

Thro' Nature anon.

The thissel-cock cryis
On lovers wha lyis:
Now skaillis the skyis;
The nicht is neir gone.

The fieldis ouerflowis
With gowans that growis,
Quhair lilies like low is
As red as the rone.
The turtle that true is,
With notes that renewis,
Her pairty pursuis:

The nicht is neir gone.

Now hairtis with hindis
Conform to their kindis,
Hie tursis their tyndis

On ground quhair they grone.
Now hurchonis, with hairis,

Aye passis in pairis;

Quhilk duly declaris

The nicht is neir gone.

The season excellis

Through sweetness that smellis;
Now Cupid compellis

Our hairtis echone

On Venus wha waikis,

To muse on our maikis,

16

24

Syne sing for their saikis

'The nicht is neir gone!'

32

40

The Night is Near Gone
All courageous knichtis
Aganis the day dichtis

The breist-plate that bright is
To fight with their fone.
The stoned steed stampis,
Through courage, and crampis,
Syne on the land lampis:
The nicht is neir gone.

The freikis on feildis

That wight wapins weildis
With shyning bright shieldis
At Titan in trone;

Stiff speiris in reistis
Ouer corseris crestis

Are broke on their breistis:
The nicht is neir gone.

So hard are their hittis,
Some sweyis, some sittis,
And some perforce flittis

On ground quhile they grone.
Syne groomis that gay is
On blonkis that brayis
With swordis assayis:-

The nicht is neir gone.

Alexander Montgomerie.

48

56

1601.

HYMN TO DIANA

Foom Cynthia's Revels

QUEEN and Huntress, chaste and fair,
Now the sun is laid to sleep,

Seated in thy silver chair

State in wonted manner keep:
Hesperus entreats thy light,
Goddess excellently bright.

Earth, let not thy envious shade
Dare itself to interpose;

Cynthia's shining orb was made

Heaven to clear when day did close:

Bless us then with wishèd sight,
Goddess excellently bright.

Lay thy bow of pearl apart

And thy crystal-shining quiver;

Give unto the flying hart

Space to breathe, how short soever:
Thou that mak'st a day of night,
Goddess excellently bright!

12

18

Ben Jonson.

SPRING'S WELCOME

From Campaspe

WHAT bird so sings, yet so does wail?
O'tis the ravish'd nightingale.

Jug, jug, jug, jug, tereu! she cries,
And still her woes at midnight rise.

Brave prick-song! Who is 't now we hear?
None but the lark so shrill and clear;
Now at heaven's gate she claps her wings,
The morn not waking till she sings.
Hark, hark, with what a pretty throat
Poor robin redbreast tunes his note!
Hark how the jolly cuckoos sing
Cuckoo! to welcome in the spring!
Cuckoo! to welcome in the spring!

ΤΟ

1584.

John Lyly.

SPRING

From Summer's Last Will and Testament

SPRING, the sweet Spring, is the year's pleasant

king;

Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a

ring,