The third and last booke of songs or aires :: :: University of Virginia Library

The third and last booke of songs or aires

Newly composed to sing to the Lute, Orpharion, or viols, and a dialogue for a base and meane Lute with fiue voices to sing thereto

Dowland, John (1563?-1626)

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TO MY HONORABLE GOOD FRIEND Iohn Souch Esquire, for many curtesies for which I imbolden my selfe, presuming of his good fauour, to present this simple worke, as a token of my thankefulnes.

[_]

The following poems are scored for music in the source text. Variations for different voices have been ignored. Repetition marks have been ignored.

I. [Farewell too faire, too chast but too too cruell]

Farewell too faire, too chast but too too cruell,
Discretion neuer quenched fire with swords:
Why hast thou made my heart thine angers fuell,
And now would kill my passions with thy words.
This is prowd beauties true anatamy,
If that secure seuere in secresie.

Farewell too deare, and too too much desired,
Vnlesse compassion dwelt more neere thy heart:
Loue by neglect (though constant) oft is tired,
And forc't from blisse vnwillingly to part.
This is prowd beauties, &c.

II. [Time stands still with gazing on her face]

Time stands still with gazing on her face,
Stand still and gaze for minutes, houres and yeares, to her giue place:
All other things shall change, but shee remaines the same,
Till heauens changed haue their course & time hath lost his name.
Cupid doth houer vp and downe blinded with her faire eyes,
And fortune captiue at her feete contem'd and conquerd lies.

When fortune, loue, and time attend on
Her with my fortunes, loue, and time, I honour will alone,
If bloudlesse enuie say, dutie hath no desert.
Dutie replies that enuie knowes her selfe his faithfull heart,
My setled vowes and spotlesse faith no fortune can remoue,
Courage shall shew my inward faith, and faith shall trie my loue.

III. [Behold a wonder here]

[1]

Behold a wonder here
Loue hath receiu'd his sight
Which manie hundred yeares,
Hath not beheld the light.

2

Such beames infused be
By Cinthia in his eyes,
As first haue made him see,
And then haue made him wise.

3

Loue now no more will weepe
For them that laugh the while,
Nor wake for them that sleepe,
Nor sigh for them that smile.

4

So powrefull is the beautie
That Loue doth now behold,
As loue is turn'd to dutie,
That's neither blind nor bold.

5

This Beautie shewes her might,
To be of double kind,
In giuing loue his sight
And striking folly blind,

IIII. [Daphne was not so chaste as she was changing]

Daphne was not so chaste as she was changing,
Soon begun Loue with hate estranging:
He that to day triumphs with fauors graced,
Fals before night with scornes defaced:
Yet is thy beautie fainde, and eu'rie one desires,
Still the false light the false light of thy traiterous fires.

Beautie can want no grace by true loue viewed,
Fancie by lookes is still renued:
Like to a fruitfull tree it euer groweth,
Or the fresh-spring that endlesse floweth.
But if that beautie were of one consent with loue,
Loue should liue free, and true pleasure proue.

V. [Me me and none but me]

Me me and none but me,
Dart home O gentle death
And quicklie,
For I draw too long this idle breath:
O howe I long till I
May fly to heauen aboue,
Vnto my faithfull
And beloued turtle doue.

Like to the siluer Swanne,
before my death I sing:
And yet aliue
my fatall knell I helpe to ring.
Still I desire from earth
and earthly ioyes to flie,
He neuer happie liu'd,
that cannot loue to die.

VI. [When Phœbus first did Daphne loue]

When Phœbus first did Daphne loue,
And no meanes might her fauour moue
He crau'd the cause, the cause quoth she is,
I haue vow'd virginitie.
Then in a rage he sware, and said,
Past fifteene none none but one should liue a maid.

If maidens then shal chance be sped
Ere they can scarsly dresse their head,
Yet pardon them, for they be loth
To make good Phœbus breake his oth.
And better twere a child were borne,
Then that a god should be forsworne.

VII. [Say loue if euer thou didst find]

Say loue if euer thou didst find,
A woman with a constant mind,
None but one,
And what should that rare mirror be,
Some Goddesse or some Queen is she
Shee shee shee shee and onelie she she
Onely Queene of loue and beautie.

But could thy firy poysned dart
At no time touch her spotlesse hart,
Nor come neare,
She is not subiect to Loues bow,
Her eye commaunds, her heart saith no,
No, no, no, and only no,
One no another still doth follow.

How might I that faire wonder know,
That mockes desire with endlesse no
See the Moone
That euer in one change doth grow,
Yet still the same, and she is so;
So, so, so, and onely so,
From heauen her vertues she doth borrow.

To her then yeeld thy shafts and bowe,
That can command affections so:
Loue is free,
So are her thoughts that vanquish thee,
There is no queene of loue but she,
She, she, she, and only she,
She onely queene of loue and beautie.

VIII. [Flow not so fast yee fountaines]

Flow not so fast yee fountaines,
What needeth all this haste,
Swell not aboue your mountaines,
Nor spend your time in waste,

Gentle springs, gentle springs freshly your salt teares
Must still fall dropping
Must still fall dropping dropping
Fall dropping from their spheares.

Weepe they apace whom Reason,
Or lingring time can ease:
My sorow can no season,
Nor ought besides appease

Gentle springs, &c.

Time can abate the terrour
Of euerie common paine,
But common griefe is errour,
True griefe will still remaine.

Gentle springs, &c.

IX. [What if I neuer speede]

What if I neuer speede,
Shall I straight yeeld to dispaire,
And still on sorow feede
That can no losse repaire.

Or shal I chāge my loue,
For I find power to depart,
And in my reason proue
I can cōmand my hart.

But if she will pittie my desire,
And my loue requite,
Then euer shall shee liue
My deare delight.

Come, while I haue a heart
To desire thee.
Come, come, come,
For either I will loue or admire thee.

Oft haue I dream'd of ioy,
yet I neuer felt the sweete,
But tired with annoy,
my griefs each other greete.
Oft haue I left my hope,
as a wretch by fate forlorne.

But Loue aimes at one scope,
and lost wil stil returne:
He that once loues with a true desire
neuer can depart,
For Cupid is the king of euery hart.
Come, come, &c.

X. [Loue stood amaz'd at sweet beauties paine]

[1]

Loue stood amaz'd at sweet beauties paine:
Loue would haue said that all was but vaine,
And Gods but halfe diuine,
But when Loue saw that beautie would die:
Hee all agast, to heau'ns did crie,
O gods, O gods what wrong is mine.

2

Then his teares bred in thoughts of salt brine,
Fel frō his eyes, like raine in sun shine
expeld by rage of fire:
Yet in such wise as anguish affords,
He did expresse in these his last words
his infinite desire.

3

Are you fled faire? where are now those eies
Eyes but too faire, enui'd by the skies,
you angrie gods do know,
With guiltles bloud your scepters you stain,
On poore true hearts like tyrants you raine:
vniust why do you so?

4

Are you false gods? why then do you raine?
Are you iust gods? why then haue you slaine
the life of loue on earth,
Beautie, now thy face liues in the skies,
Beautie, now let me liue in thine eyes,
where blisse felt neuer death

5

Then from high rock, the rocke of dispaire,
He fals, in hope to smother in the aire,
or els on stones to burst,
Or on cold waues to spend his last breath,
Or his strange life to end by strange death,
but fate forbid the worst.

6

With pity mou'd the gods thē change loue
To Phenix shape, yet cannot remoue
his wonted propertie,
He loues the sunne because it is faire,
Sleepe he neglects, he liues but by aire,
and would, but cannot die.

XI. [Lend your eares to my sorrow]

Lend your eares to my sorrow
Good people that haue any pitie:
For no eyes wil I borow
Mine own shal grace my doleful ditty:
Chant then my voice though rude like to my riming,
And tell foorth my griefe which here
In sad despaire can find no ease of tormenting.

Once I liu'd, once I knew delight,
No griefe did shadowe then my pleasure:
Grac'd with loue, cheer'd with beauties sight,
I ioyed alone true heau'nly treasure,
O what a heau'n is loue firmely embraced,
Such power alone can fixe delight
In Fortunes bosome euer placed.

Cold as Ice frozen is that hart,
Where thought of loue could no time enter:
Such of life reape the poorest part
Whose weight cleaues to this earthly center,
Mutuall ioies in hearts truly vnited
Doe earth to heauenly state conuert
Like heau'n still in it selfe delighted.

XII. [By a fountaine where I lay]

[1]

By a fountaine where I lay,
Al blessed bee that blessed day
By the glimring of the sun,
Ô neuer bee her shining done
Whē I might see alone
My true loues fairest one,
Loues deer light,
Loues cleare sight
No worlds eyes can clearer see
A fairer sight none none can be.

2

Faire with garlands all addrest,
Was neuer Nymph more fairely blest,
Blessed in the highest degree,
So may she euer bessed be,
Came to this fountaine neere,
With such a smiling cheere.
Such a face,
Such a grace,
Happie, happie eyes that see
Such a heauenly sight as she.

3

Then I forthwith tooke my pipe
Which I all faire and cleane did wipe,
And vpon a heau'nly ground,
All in the grace of beautie found,
Plaid this roundelay,
Welcome faire Queene of May,
Sing sweete aire,
Welcome faire.
Welcome be the shepheards Queene,
The glorie of all our greene.

[XIII. Oh what hath ouerwrought my all amazed thought]

Oh what hath ouerwrought my all amazed thought

Oh what hath ouerwrought my all amazed thought or where to am I brought, that thus in vaine haue sought, Till time and truth hath taught, I labor all for nought. The day I see is cleare, but I am nere the neere, For griefe doth stil appeare, to crosse our merie cheere, while I can nothing heare, but winter all the yeare. Cold, hold, the sun wil shine warme, therefore now feare no harme. O blessed beames, where beautie streames happie happie light to loues dreames.

XIIII. [Faarewell vnkind farewell]

Faarewell vnkind farewell,
To mee no more a father,
Since my heart my heart
Holdes my loue most deare:

The wealth which thou doest reape,
Anothers hand must gather,
Though thy heart thy heart
Still lies buried there,

Then farewell, then farewell,
O farewell,
Welcome my loue,
Welcome my ioy for euer.

Tis not the vaine desire
of humane fleeting beautie,
Makes my mind to liue,
though my meanes do die.

Nor do I Nature wrong,
though I forget my dutie:
Loue, not in the bloud,
but in the spirit doth lie.

Then farewell, &c.

XV. [Weepe you no more sad fountaines]

Weepe you no more sad fountaines,
What need you flowe so fast,
Looke how the snowie mountaines,
Heau'ns sunne doth gently waste.
But my sunnes heau'nly eyes
View not your weeping.
That nowe lie sleeping
Softly now softly lies sleeping.

Sleepe is a reconciling,
A rest that peace begets:
Doth not the sunne rise smiling,
When faire at eu'n he sets,
Rest you, then rest sad eyes,
Melt not in weeping,
While she lies sleeping
Softly now softly lies sleeping.

XVI. [Fie on this faining]

[1]

Fie on this faining,
Is loue without desire,
Heat still remaining
& yet no sparke of fire?
Thou art vntrue, nor wert with fancie moued,
For desire hath powre on all that euer loued.

2

Shew some relenting,
Or graunt thou doest now loue,
Two hearts consenting
Shall they no comforts proue?
Yeeld, or confesse that loue is without pleasure,
And that womens bounties rob men of their treasure,

3

Truth is not placed
In words and forced smiles,
Loue is not graced
With that which still beguiles,
Loue or dislike, yeeld fire, or giue no fuell,
So maist thou proue kind, or at the least lesse cruell.

XVII. [I must complaine, yet do enioy my loue]

I must complaine, yet do enioy my loue,
She is too faire, too rich in beauties parts
Thence is my griefe for nature while she stroue
With all her graces and deuinest artes.
To forme her too too beautifull of hue,
She had no leisure no leisure left to make her true.

Should I agrieu'd then wish she were lesse faire,
That were repugnant to my owne desires,
She is admir'd, new suters still repaire,
That kindles dayly loues forgetfull fires,
Rest iealous thoughts, and thus resolue at last,
She hath more beautie then becomes the chast.

XVIII. [It was a time when silly Bees could speake]

[1]

It was a time when silly Bees could speake,
And in that time I was a sillie Bee,
Who fed on Time vntil my heart gan break,
Yet neuer found the time would fauour mee.
Of all the swarme I onely did not thriue,
Yet brought I waxe & honey to the hiue.

2

Then thus I buzd, when time no sap would giue,
Why should this blessed time to me be drie,
Sith by this Time the lazie drone doth liue,
The waspe, the worme, the gnat, the butterflie,
Mated with griefe, I kneeled on my knees,
And thus complaind vnto the king of Bees.

3

My liege, Gods graunt thy time may neuer end,
And yet vouchsafe to heare my plaint of Time,
Which fruitlesse Flies haue found to haue a friend,
And I cast downe when Atomies do clime.
The king replied but thus, Peace peeuish Bee,
Th'art bound to serue the time, the time not thee.

XIX. [The lowest trees haue tops, the Ant her gall]

The lowest trees haue tops, the Ant her gall,
The flie her spleene, the little sparke his heate,
And slender haires cast shadowes though but small,
And Bees haue stings although they be not great.
Seas haue their source, and so haue shallowe springs,
And loue is loue in beggers and in kings.

Where waters smoothest run, deep are the foords,
The diall stirres, yet none perceiues it moue:
The firmest faith is in the fewest words,
The Turtles cannot sing, and yet they loue,
True hearts haue eyes and eares, no tongues to speake:
They heare, and see, and sigh, and then they breake.

XX. [What poore Astronomers are they]

[1]

What poore Astronomers are they,
Take womēs eies for stars
And set their thoughts in battell ray
To fight such idle warres,
Whē in the end they shal approue,
Tis but a iest drawne out of loue.

2

And loue it selfe is but a ieast.
Deuisde by idle heads,
To catch yong fancies in the neast,
And lay it in fooles beds.
That being hatcht in beauties eyes,
They may be flidge ere they be wise.

3

But yet it is a sport to see
How wit will run on wheeles,
While wit cannot perswaded be
With that which reason feeles:
That womens eyes and starres are odde,
And loue is but a fained god.

4

But such as will run mad with will,
I cannot cleare their sight:
But leaue them to their studie still,
To looke where is no light.
Till time too late we make them trie,
They study false Astronomie.

[XXI Come when I cal, or tarie til I come]

Dialogue
Come when I cal, or tarie til I come

Come when I cal, or tarie til I come, if you bee deafe I must proue dumb If thy desire euer knew the griefe of delay, no danger could stand in thy way. What need wee languish? can loue quickly quickly flie: feare euer hurts more then iealousie. Then securely enuie scorning, let vs end with ioy our mourning, iealousie still defie, and loue till we die.