Dowland – Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite

Song Information

Title: Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite

Music: John Dowland (1563-1626)

Text: John Dowland (1563-1626)

Sheet Music

Free at Art Song Central:

  • PDF file: Dowland – Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
    • Key: G Major (F♯ is written in, rather than appearing in the key signature.)
    • Range: E4 – E5
    • From: The First Book of Airs, Part II
    • Source: Stainer & Bell edition, ed. Fellowes ©1921
    • Note: This edition includes lute tabulature as well as a piano transcription.

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Audio Files

Mp3:

  • The accompaniment can be heard on Guitar thanks to Jon Sayles

MIDI:

Song Text

Come again!
Sweet love doth now invite
Thy graces, that refrain
To do me due delight,
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die
With thee again in sweetest sympathy.

Come again!
That I may cease to mourn,
Through thy unkind disdain.
For now left and forlorn,
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die
In deadly pain and endless misery.

All the day
The sun that lends me shine
By frowns do cause me pine,
And feeds me with delay;
Her smiles my springs that makes my joys to grow;
Her frowns the Winters of my woe.

All the night
My sleeps are full of dreams,
My eyes are full of streams;
My heart takes no delight
To see the fruits and joys that some do find,
And mark the storms are me assigned.

Out alas!
My faith is ever true;
Yet will she never rue,
Nor yield me any grace.
Her eyes of fire, her heart of flint is made,
Whom tears nor truth may once invade.

Gentle Love,
Draw forth thy wounding dart,
Thou canst not pierce her heart;
For I, that do approve
By sighs and tears more hot than are thy shafts,
Did tempt, while she for mighty triumphs laughs.

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