Note to self, since this thread has risen to the status of documentation for me: Valentin's method is sensitive to slurs in the instrumental line (I suspect that the end of a slur is equivalent to \unset melismaBusy), so some adjustment may be necessary.
% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ notes = { R1 4 4( 4 4) \after 4 \set melismaBusy = ##t \after 1*2 \unset melismaBusy \repeat unfold 12 c'4 } words = \lyricmode { "" "" "" one two three four } << \new Voice = "cantor" \notes \new Lyrics \lyricsto cantor { \words } >> % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It also, understandably, gives weird results if applied immediately after a rest, so this does not work: % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ notes = { R1 \after 4 \set melismaBusy = ##t \after 1*2 \unset melismaBusy 4 4( 4 4) \repeat unfold 12 c'4 } words = \lyricmode { "" "" "" one two three four } << \new Voice = "cantor" \notes \new Lyrics \lyricsto cantor { \words } >> % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~