Sumer is icumen in - John of Fornsete

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 22 June 2004, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

SPRING ARRIVE FINISH.
BIRD SING LOUD, BIRD'bob head & move beak'.
BEFORE PLANT-SEED"each", NOW BLOSSOM"each".
FOREST GREEN* SCADS-OF.
GO-AHEAD BIRD SING, BIRD'bob head & move beak'.

(<) MALE LAMB MALE-FLIRT, (>) FEMALE LAMB FEMALE-FLIRT.
MALE COW ANNOUNCE REALLY-WANT FEMALE.
BULL PAWS-AT-GROUND, BUCK 4-LEG-JUMP SHOW-OFF.
SING HAPPY BIRD, BIRD'bob head & move beak'.
||: BIRD'bob head & move beak'.:||

DEAF-APPLAUSE (2h)THUMBS-UP, BIRD.
BIRD'bob head & move beak' FOREVER, FOREVER.
||: SING NOW BIRD, BIRD'bob head & move beak'. :||


Notes: BIRD'bob head & move beak' - BIRD is performed multiple times while the head moves from side to side while circling in a figure eight like Stevie Wonder.

BLOSSOM - (2h)[A] are held together but the hands are twisted like the beginning of CHANGE. Hands twist back while opening to (2h)[5:] with the hands still held together.

SCADS-OF - (2h)[5:], POs down, FOs away, move forward to show many beings.

MALE-FLIRT - (2h)[5:], POs down are held with thumbs touching and hands rotate in opposite directions while maintaining contact at thumbs.

FEMALE-FLIRT - (2h)[5], POs down are held with thumbs touching and FT wiggle.

REALLY-WANT - WANT but shaken back and forth to show intensity.

PAWS-AT-GROUND - (2h)[S], FOs down, are held like feet and DH nods and moves backwards multiple times as if pawing at the ground.

BUCK - (2h)[4], POs ><, FOs up, shoot upwards.

4-LEG-JUMP - (2h)[V] are held like the fourlegs of an animal and both hands rise and curl the FTs as if the animal were leaping.

Lyrics:

Spring has come in
Loudly sing, cuckoo!
Grows the seed and blooms the meadow
And the woods springs now
Sing, cuckoo!

The ewe bleats after the lamb
The calf lows after the cow
The bull leaps, the buck leaps, twisting.
Merrily sing, cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo,

Well sing you, cuckoo.
Nor cease you ever now!
Sing cuckoo now, sing cuckoo!
Sing cuckoo now, sing cuckoo!

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear the music (without words), go to: MIDI music by Lory Werths. Click on "Sumer Is Icumen In."

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