Summer officially begins today at 4:59 pm, PDT. Today is the longest day of the year: in Bellingham, Washington, the sun rose this morning at 5:07 am, and will set this evening at 9:17 pm, for a total of 16hrs 10min full daylight. If we count civil twilight which began at 4:24 am and ends at 9:59 pm, the daylight hours stretch out to 17 hours 25 min.

Below are the original Old English words to “The Cuckoo Song,” which dates back to at least 1280 A.D., and which was sung at the gates of Reading Abbey, in England, on the traditional first day of summer. An early manuscript with performance instructions still exists. See below for a translation into modern English.

Here’s wishing you a safe and happy summer!

THE CUCKOO SONG
(Traditional. ca. 1208)

Summer is coming in,
Loudly sings the Cuckoo.
The seed grows and the meadow blooms,
And the wood springs anew,
Sing, Cuckoo.
The ewe bleats after the lamb,
The cow lows after the calf.
The bullock stirs, the buck-goat turns,
Merrily sing, Cuckoo.
Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo.
Don’t you ever stop now,
Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo.
Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!