Windes blast and weder strong
February 5, 2016 9:36 AM   Subscribe

The English are famous for complaining about the weather, but this is nothing new. Nearly a thousand years ago, an unknown musician set down a single verse that still carries heartfelt sadness about the longeurs of winter, leaving us a wistful window into existence, art and society in the early medieval years. Decoding the earliest surviving secular song in English.
posted by Devonian (12 comments total) 28 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is great!
posted by tivalasvegas at 9:58 AM on February 5, 2016


Well, don't worry- in only another 50 years or so, Sumer will be icumen in.


Meanwhile, en Provence.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:58 AM on February 5, 2016 [3 favorites]


One of my favorite songs. I had no idea the popular version of the melody was not more rigorously derived from the original. Thanks!
posted by jedicus at 10:05 AM on February 5, 2016


Ah, those amorous French! Not content with coming over here and feudalizing us into miserable starvation, they have to go on about teh sexy dancing and teh naughty nobles.

Let's see how all that pans out, eh?
posted by Devonian at 10:18 AM on February 5, 2016


Nearly a thousand years ago, an unknown musician set down a single verse

He was better before he sold out
posted by thelonius at 10:28 AM on February 5, 2016 [4 favorites]


Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damm you; Sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, 'tis why I am, Goddamm,
So 'gainst the winter's balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.

-Ezra Pound
posted by Lou Stuells at 10:28 AM on February 5, 2016 [12 favorites]


more poetry in weather
posted by idiopath at 10:37 AM on February 5, 2016


I haue a gentil cook . . . ?

Not so much weather-related but secular, to be sure!
posted by exlotuseater at 10:41 AM on February 5, 2016


Great stuff. Here are full-page views of the fragment - the article shows only a section.

Recto

Verso
posted by GeorgeBickham at 12:01 PM on February 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


Those are staffs!
posted by bq at 1:41 PM on February 5, 2016


He was better before he sold out

Only 1090s kids will understand.
posted by No-sword at 7:55 PM on February 5, 2016


It's amazing to hear the old English sung like that - the Norse and Germanic influences really stand out to my Scandinavian ear. Plus it's a swinging melody!
posted by harujion at 3:43 AM on February 6, 2016


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