Very little is known of Dowland's early life, but it is generally thought he was born in London, or possibly Dublin. It is known that he went to Paris in 1580 where he was in service to the ambassador to the French court. He became a Roman Catholic at this time, which he claimed led to his not being offered a post at Elizabeth I's Protestant court. (However, he had told nobody of his conversion.) He worked instead for many years at the court of Christian IV of Denmark. He returned to England in 1606 and in 1612 secured a post as one of James I's lutenists. He died in London on the 20th February 1626.
Most of Dowland's music is for his own instrument, the lute. It includes several books of solo lute works, lute songs (for one voice and lute), part-songs with lute accompaniment, and several pieces for viol consort with lute.
He later wrote what is probably his best known instrumental work, Lachrimae or Seaven Teares Figured in Seaven Passionate Pavans, a set of seven for five viols and lute, each based on his well-known song "Flow My Tears". It became one of the best known pieces of consort music in his own time. His pavane "Lachrymae antiquae" was also one of the big hits of the seventeenth century.
Dowland's music often displays the melancholia that was so fashionable in music at that time, typified by a consort piece with the punning title "Semper Dowland, semper dolens" ("Always Dowland, always doleful").
Come again
John Dowland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die with thee againin sweetest sympathy
Come again, that I may cease to mournthrough thy unkind disdainfor now left and forlorn.
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die, in deadly painand endless misery
Gentle love, draw forth thy wounding dart: Thou canst not pierce her heart; For I that do approve.
By sighs and tearsmore hot than arethy shafts, did tempt while shefor scanty tryumphs laughs.
John Dowland's song "Come again" is a beautifully crafted love song that portrays the melancholic feelings of the persona. The song begins with an invitation to sweet love to come anew and brush the persona with its graces. The persona is clearly in a state of despair following the unkind behavior of a lover who has left and left them forlorn. The persona longs to see, hear, touch, and kiss their lover again in sweetest sympathy. However, the persona's love appears to be unrequited, and the person is left in deadly pain and endless misery, manifesting through sighing, weeping, and fainting.
The persona pleads with gentle love to draw forth its wounding dart and pierce their heart instead of their lover's heart. The persona believes that their love has hotter tears and sighs than the gentle love's arrow shafts that cannot pierce their lover's heart. While the persona tries to tempt their lover with scanty triumphs, the persona realizes that their love is unrequited and their efforts are futile, leading them to endure even more agony.
The song's tone is melancholic, and the persona's love appears to be unreciprocated. Dowland uses poetic devices such as repetition, metaphor, and hyperbole to express the persona's despair and agony.
Line by Line Meaning
Come again, sweet love doth now invite, thy graces that refrain to do me due delight.
Oh sweet love, please come back to me. Your absence has caused me great pain and I long for your return. Your unique qualities bring me immense happiness and I miss them dearly.
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die with thee again in sweetest sympathy
I crave to be with you again. I yearn for your presence, your touch, your kiss, and if necessary, I am willing to die with you just to be together again.
Come again, that I may cease to mourn through thy unkind disdain for now left and forlorn.
Please come back so I can end my sorrow. Your rejection has left me alone and miserable. I am desperately hoping for your return.
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die, in deadly pain and endless misery
I am in such agony without you. I spend my days seated, sighing, weeping, and sometimes fainting. My pain is unbearable and does not seem to have an end in sight.
Gentle love, draw forth thy wounding dart: Thou canst not pierce her heart; For I that do approve.
Love, please remove the pain you have caused me. But I know your power cannot reach her heart, as I am the only one who truly understands and appreciates you.
By sighs and tears more hot than are thy shafts, did tempt while she for scanty triumphs laughs.
My crying and deep sadness has been more powerful than your arrows, but all she does is laugh at my petty attempts to gain her love.
Writer(s): Mats Ove Anders Olofsson, Mikael Carl Marin, George Arthur Kentros, Peter Olofsson, Tony Bauer, Hans Walther Joest Copyright: Ed. Gonau - Cosima Music, Publishment AB
Contributed by Camden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@karenwalker9564
That first "to die" gets me every time... :'') Absolutely beautiful!!
@topologyrob
Me too
@mattbod
Die is a euphamism :)
@mahprofessor
Meu compositor preferido desse período da música. Tem uma atmosfera toda especial na melodia e no acompanhamento do alaúde. Amazing!
@clayerickson567
A pleasure. Good to hear this done by a tenor, and one who doesn't overdo it.
@Barytonbaroque
Music is for all age! I was teenager (14) when I have discovered early music and it change my life.
@filippoarlenghi6247
Im 15 now...thanks to my teacher
@user-sl2eb2ck4c
really?
@Barytonbaroque
@@filippoarlenghi6247 I'm music teacher now :D
@UnpleasantlyPeasantly
I can relate! I fell in love with early music around that age too, and it's changed the way I see the world and think.