Mirie it is while sumer ilast
With fugheles* song;
Oc nu necheth** windes blast
And weder strong.
Ei, ei, what this nicht is long!
And ich with wel michel wrong
Soregh*** and murne and fast.
*fowls', birds'
**But now approaches ('nigheth')
***Sorrow
Anonymous; early 13th century
This is one of the earliest English secular songs to have survived with music: an incongruously cheery tune, which can be sung as a round (I have an old Argo recording of it sung like that).
And no, things aren't really quite that bad; though I have had trouble sleeping some nights.
<link>
With fugheles* song;
Oc nu necheth** windes blast
And weder strong.
Ei, ei, what this nicht is long!
And ich with wel michel wrong
Soregh*** and murne and fast.
*fowls', birds'
**But now approaches ('nigheth')
***Sorrow
Anonymous; early 13th century
This is one of the earliest English secular songs to have survived with music: an incongruously cheery tune, which can be sung as a round (I have an old Argo recording of it sung like that).
And no, things aren't really quite that bad; though I have had trouble sleeping some nights.
<link>