Flow My Tears
John Dowland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Exiled for ever, let me mourn;
Where night's black bird her sad infamy sings,
There let me live forlorn.
Down vain lights, shine you no more!
No nights are dark enough for those
That in despair their lost fortunes deplore.
Light doth but shame disclose.
Never may my woes be relieved,
Since pity is fled;
And tears and sighs and groans my weary days
Of all joys have deprived.
From the highest spire of contentment
My fortune is thrown;
And fear and grief and pain for my deserts
Are my hopes, since hope is gone.
Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell,
Learn to contemn light
Happy, happy they that in hell
Feel not the world's despite.
John Dowland's song "Flow My Tears" is a mournful and melancholic piece that speaks about the perpetual sorrow of a person who has been exiled and is looking to mourn in solitude. The opening lines, "Flow, my tears, fall from your springs! Exiled for ever, let me mourn," set the tone of the song. The singer is not only exiled from his physical location but also from a world where he once felt contentment. He is now left with an overwhelming sense of grief that he cannot shake.
The second stanza speaks about the inadequacy of the surrounding darkness to match the despair the singer feels. He tells the "vain lights" to stop shining, as there is no darkness so complete that it can match his sorrow. He believes that light only exposes what he is feeling, and it makes him ashamed. Throughout the song, he talks about how his fortune and hopes have been shattered, rendering him alone and abandoned. He believes that he will never be able to get rid of his tears, sighs, and groans and that the loss of joy has become a permanent part of his life.
In the last stanza, the singer speaks directly to the shadows that surround him, telling them to learn to disregard light. He believes that those who suffer will find comfort in the dark and prefer it to the world's harshness. Through this song, Dowland captures the essence of loss, grief, and the feeling of being alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Flow, my tears, fall from your springs!
Tears, come flowing from my eyes like water from springs
Exiled for ever, let me mourn;
I have been banished forever and I will mourn my fate
Where night's black bird her sad infamy sings,
I will remain in a place where even the birds sing songs of sorrow at night
There let me live forlorn.
I want to live alone, abandoned, and feeling lost in the same place
Down vain lights, shine you no more!
I don't want to see any more of the useless things that used to bring me joy
No nights are dark enough for those
There are no nights that are dark enough to match my misery
That in despair their lost fortunes deplore.
Those who grieve over the loss of their good fortune are in a state of despair
Light doth but shame disclose.
The more light there is, the more it exposes and embarrasses those who are grieving
Never may my woes be relieved,
My sorrows will never be eased
Since pity is fled;
No one seems to have any sympathy for me anymore
And tears and sighs and groans my weary days
Every day is filled with tears, sighs, and groans that make me exhausted
Of all joys have deprived.
All of my joy has been taken away
From the highest spire of contentment
I was once incredibly happy and content
My fortune is thrown;
But now my good luck has disappeared
And fear and grief and pain for my deserts
All I have left to look forward to is fear, grief, and pain as punishment for my past actions
Are my hopes, since hope is gone.
These are now my only hopes, since all others have disappeared
Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell,
Listen! You shadows that live in darkness
Learn to contemn light
You should despise the light
Happy, happy they that in hell
The only happy people are those in hell
Feel not the world's despite.
They don't have to endure the world's cruelty
Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@edithpozos2012
Flow, my tears, fall from your springs!
Exiled for ever, let me mourn;
Where night's black bird her sad infamy sings,
There let me live forlorn.
Down vain lights, shine you no more!
No nights are dark enough for those
That in despair their last fortunes deplore.
Light doth but shame disclose.
Never may my woes be relieved,
Since pity is fled;
And tears and sighs and groans my weary days, my weary days
Of all joys have deprived.
From the highest spire of contentment
My fortune is thrown;
And fear and grief and pain for my deserts, for my deserts
Are my hopes, since hope is gone.
Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell,
Learn to contemn light
Happy, happy they that in hell
Feel not the world's despite.
@VoicesofMusic
Since we can tie this type of instrument to the exact time
and place of the publication of this piece, the chance that Lady Wroth--in the
midst of England's musical and cultural circles--did not play
"Lachrimae" is about the same as the chance that a friend of Arlo
Guthrie in 1967 had never heard "Alice's Restaurant." Dowland would
have of course encountered this type of lute in England, or in any of the
countries that he visited. The iconographic and historical records place this
instrument in England in 1604, and one of the many uses for such an instrument
would have been the accompaniment of singers, or accompanying viols. The
evidence is present, and it is clear.
The Early Music revival of Dowland's works primarily focused
on copies of instruments built in the 16th century. Most of these instruments,
used in concerts and recordings, actually date from the generation (or
generations) before Dowland, for example the Laux Maler and Frey lutes; in
contrast, by 1604, a large and diverse number of instruments were available for
performers in England. At present, the later and more recent revival has seen a
shift towards more contemporaneous copies of old-style lutes. It's worth noting
that English musicians of all types favored Italian imports, for example, the
beautifully gilded harpsichord of Queen Elizabeth, or the Italian style lute in
Holbein's painting, "The Ambassadors." Finding an original English
lute from 1604? Not likely. Research and articles by John Ward identify only a
few names of makers.
Even though 16th and 17th century style lutes were primarily
imports, it's perfectly fine to play Dowland on such an instrument, as they
were in common use in England, even though there is no real original to make a
copy from. On the other hand, the instrument in this video can be securely
placed at the English court and cultural circles in 1604, and is in fact an
instrument that Dowland and Holborne, who were part of Wroth's circle of
acquaintances, would have seen.
We can of course add to this the fact the when theorbos
(here meaning a long-necked lute, not in the modern sense) were imported into
England, it was big news, as when Inigo Jones was stopped by customs officials
in Dover, circa 1605.
Other substantial evidence comes in the form of Dowland's
son Robert, whose Musicall Banquet has a Caccini song, the 1613 book printed in
London of theorbo songs, and of course the The Maske of Flowers (1614). All of
these, and many more, would have been the type of music known to Dowland, a
composer of extensive learning who imbued his music with stylistic elements
from other countries.
This is not to say that one should avoid the seven and eight
course lutes, of course: these were very popular in England and the Continent
and existed side by side with other types of instruments for decades.
@ditkoofseppala
Truly an exquisite performance: unmannered, unpretentious, with total respect for the music itself. It doesn't get any better than this. I throw roses to you, Rosquist and Tayler! Her voice is clear and lovely, his accompaniment immaculate.
@joelzenny
One of the cleanest and most honest versions I have ever heard. Beautiful.
@u2naru
What an atomosphere of sadness in this tune is! The voice of the singer sounds beautiful with sorrow.
@eugenio1203
I can’t stop thinking what would John dowland say if he knew his music would be played and enjoyed something like 500 years later, it blows my mind
@jgcaesar4
Her inflection of the first "happy" gives me a chill. Brilliant!
@danawinsor1380
What an exquisite performance of this sing. The lute accompaniment is perfect. As for the vocalist, what a beautiful voice and perfect musical line. There is no need to "do anything" to this music.
@alifarhat8072
Hi
@larryfroot
One would think the song itself an indulgence until the last verse. At which point one truly understands the depths of depression Dowland expresses. It still shocks and moves me. Beautifully rendered by these consumate musicians.
@LearningtheHarp
Stunning. Clear, sincere, simply beautiful.
@LaDivinaLover
The best rendition out there. Hands down, the best.