If your browser is rigged to play midi files, you can click on the speaker icons to hear a crude version of the tune.
 
Because this round is so complex, separate image and sound files are provided for each part. The first two images are for four of the six voices.
 
The first line for four voices:

 
The second line for four voices:
Now, you can listen to the first two lines put together.

 
This is the "ground", which should be sung by the two lowest voices:

 
The instructions in the manuscript are quite clear: four of the voices are to cycle through the lines in the first two images while the two lowest voices cycle through the line in the third image. If you have more than six voices, you can make this round even fancier by altering these instructions: the round sounds terrific if you have four voices cycling through the verse in the first image, two cycling through the verse in the third image, and additional voices singing the section in the middle as a separate part. That's how the full soundclip is set up.
In this pronunciation guide,
A
is the sound of the vowel in "say"
I
is the sound of the vowel in "see"
O
is the sound of the vowel in "grow"
U
is the sound of the vowel in "soon"
SUmair is IcUmin in, lU-duh sing cUckU
GrOweth sAd and blOweth mAd and springth the wUduh nU
ow-uh blAteth after lahhhmb, lOth after cal-vuh cU
Bullock stairteth, buck-uh vairteth, mUrI sing cUckU
Well singst thU cUckU; nA swick thU nevair nU
Sing cUckU, nU....
P.S. If you can make the sound, try pronouncing the "lh"s as if they were spelled "hl".
 
Translation:
Summer is coming in, loudly sings the cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo....
The seed grows; the meadow blossoms, and the woods alivens anew.
The ewe bleats after the lamb; the cow lows after the calf;
The bull leaps; the goat capers*; merrily sing cuckoo!
Well sing you, cuckoo--don't ever stop now.
Sing cuckoo, now....

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  *This is irrelevant to the musical side of things, but an argumentative lexicographical note about the translation will be posted shortly.
 
 
  This page has been accessed times since 28 October 1998.