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Edward Lear Home Page

Sumer is icumen in


Sing! cuccu, nu. Sing! cuccu.
Sing! cuccu, nu. Sing! cuccu.

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,
Bulloc sterteth, bucke verteth,
Murie sing! cuccu.
Cuccu, cuccu.
Well singes thu, cuccu --
Ne swik thu naver nu!

(from Medieval English Lyrics: A Critical Anthology, edited by R.T. Davies, London, Faber and Faber, 1963; no. 3)

The parts in bold are those that can be interpreted as limericks, according to Legman and Bibby.


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There was an Old Derry down Derry...
Edward Lear's Nonsense Poetry and Art

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