All versions of this song that I listened to were sung in Italian. The English translation is below.
The cricket is a good singer
He can sing very long
He sings all the time.
But he isn't like the other birds.
If they've sung a little bit
They go somewhere else
The cricket remains where he is
When the heat is very fierce
Then he sings only for love
I love this song. I have heard it a number of times and it makes me laugh every time. It is a very fast paced, rhythmic song, with a jovial and lively feeling. The whole tone is playful and light. The texture was mostly homophomic and it had a lot of chordal movement with the top voice taking the melody.
Some scholars believe this may be a satirical piece used as a reminder to his patron Galeazzo Sforza that musicians need to be paid. Some also believe that Josquin may be punning on the name of a fellow musician (Frillo) by calling him a cricket (Grillo).
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