Translated into Quenya by Chaered in 2026.
Retrieved 2026-03-15; first posted on VL on 2026-03-16. Fairly loose translation/adaptation. Not reviewed yet.
A medieval "rota" song, in Middle English; oldest preserved copy 1261-1264.
Also available as a 📱narrow screen version, or for 🁰word-aligned analysis.
Alternative versions: English (literal).
| No. | Quenya | Tengwar | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lairë ven utúlië | | Sumer is icumen in |
| 2 | Cucua, á lir' | | Lhude sing cuccu |
| 3 | Losta le' ar | | Groweþ sed |
| 4 | ala erdë | | and bloweþ med |
| 5 | lassi accapir | | and springþ þe wde nu |
| 6 | Liralë | | Sing cuccu |
| 7 | |||
| 8 | Máma-nyé ná euleryanna | | Awe bleteþ after lomb |
| 9 | Yaxë mundollenn' | | lhouþ after calue cu |
| 10 | Mundo fauya | | Bulluc sterteþ |
| 11 | Naico sauya | | bucke uerteþ |
| 12 | Liralë, á lir' | | murie sing cuccu |
| 13 | |||
| 14 | Cucu', cucu' | | Cuccu cuccu |
| 15 | Lirilyë mai na ní | | Wel singes þu cuccu |
| 16 | Avá lye pusta sí | | ne swik þu nauer nu |
| 17 | |||
| 18 | Lirá cucua • Lirá ma | • | Sing cuccu nu • Sing cuccu. |
| 19 | Lirá ma • Lirá cucua | • | Sing cuccu • Sing cuccu nu |
Translation notes
This was hard to fit into the procrustean bed of the meter, so some things had to be cut, recast or shuffled around.
• Elisions: le;' < lea, lir' < lire, cucu' < cucua, mundollenn; < mundollenna.
• English "cuckoo" is not the same as Quenya "cucua" (= dove/pigeon),
but we currently lack an NQ word for the former, and the latter has almost
the same sound.
We also drop the "loudly", no way to cram "romya(ve)" into that line.
• The NQ gloss "greensward" for "lea" is not exactly the same as a
meadow, but close enough.
• We get the cow to belch instead of start, not many -auya rhymes.
• Rhythmically, the "-nna" of euleryanna falls on "lhouþ".
Very literal back-translation:
Summer has come to us,
Dove, sing!
A greensward blooms, and
a seed grows
leaves pounce
Merry singing!
Sheep-bleat is to a lamb,
Cow [is] to a calf;
A bull belches,
A goat farts,
Merry singing, sing!
Dove, dove,
You sing well for me,
Do not stop now.
Sing dove, sing something;
Sing something, sing dove!
—generated by quettali version 0.33.3