(a) A musical or rhythmic vocal utterance, a song, lyric; a poem; also fig.; (b) ben turnede in-to the ~ of hem, to be made a subject of their derision; entunen a ~ to, sing a song to (sb.); leden ~ of, sing a song about (sb.); lesen of no ~, not hesitate to make noise; noten ~, score a song; writen songes; (c) a religious hymn or carol, sung by men or angels; a liturgical song or chant; a canticle; also fig.; song(es of songes, bok of songes, the Song of Solomon; criste-masse ~; davides ~, a psalm of David; (d) a pagan song of worship, a paean; (e) a narrative verse or song, ballad, tale; also, a Biblical narrative; tellen (chanten) ~, seien in ~, itellen on ~; undergon ~, to take up a tale (of sb.); (f) a magic song, charm, incantation; (g) a declaration, statement; an often-repeated saying, a truism [quot. ?a1425]; a message, report [quot. c1450]; a demand [last quot.]; singen seinte jones ~, to say the same thing that St. John did; (h) coll. songs of mourning; (i) ~ bok [OE sangbōc], a book of songs; ~ bred, sacramental bread; cradel ~, a lullaby; even ~, q.v.; lof ~, q.v.; morninge ~ [see morninge n. 1.(d)]; morwe ~ [see morwe n. 2.(c)]; toun ~ [glossing L comedia].

(a) Vocal music, singing [a few quots. may belong to 1.(a)]; also fig.; also, the act of singing, performance of vocal music; the act of singing mass [quot. a1425]; art of ~; ~ of the ce-sol-fa, the singing of the fifth note in the Guidonian hexachord; cordinge in ~, vocal harmonizing; countring in ~, contrapuntal singing; likinge ~, pleasant singing; restoren to ~, to restore (sb.) to the right to sing mass; (b) ~ of a man al-one, solo singing; ~ of two (thre) men, thre (six) menes ~, a duet (trio, sextet); ~ of mani men, singing of a choir; (c) the art of singing; (d) vocal melody; (e) the sound(s produced by a musical instrument; a tune; also fig. [quot. ?1436]; bemene (organe) ~, trumpet (organ) music; vesseles of ~, musical instruments; arraien to ~, to put (reeds) together to produce a tune; (f) gamme of ~, the musical scale.

(a) The singing of a bird; a bird's song; sonet ~; (b) the song of an insect; the sound made by a salamander.

In conventional fig. expressions: (a) thi ~ is weilawei; hire ~ was wop and weilawei; mi ~ is nou alas; alas alas was hire ~; etc.; (b) singen a reuli (an idel, an other, etc.) ~; singen a ~ of sorwe.

In proverbs and prov. expressions.

Error for soul(e n.