The voice of the turtle

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

This is several verses from Song of Solomon. Oddly, Ernie Harwell, the late, great announcer for the Detroit Tigers used this as his opening lines for Spring Training every year. Everything about it seems tailor-made for the opening of baseball. The only part that is odd is the last line, "And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."

Of course, when you think of what a home plate umpire looks like, with his chest protector and mask, perhaps, he does look a little like a turtle.

So, I can see that "turtle" taking off his mask and yelling to the assembled, "Play Ball!"

Perhaps that is the voice of the turtle that is heard in the land as Spring arrives. Otherwise, I am confused.