Title: Can she excuse my wrongs?
Music: John Dowland (1563-1626)
Text: possibly John Dowland (1563-1626)
Free at Art Song Central:
- PDF file: Can she excuse my wrongs?
- Key: D Minor (Even though the key signature has no accidentals)
- Range: D4 – D5
- Source: The First Book of Airs, Part I
- Note: This edition includes lute tabulature as well as a piano transcription.
Elsewhere on the Internet:
Mp3:
- The accompaniment can be heard on Guitar thanks to Jon Sayles
MIDI:
Can she excuse my wrongs with Virtue’s cloak?
Shall I call her good when she proves unkind?
Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke?
Must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find?
No, no; where shadows do for bodies stand,
That may’st be abus’d if thy sight be dim.Cold love is like to words written on sand,
Or to bubbles which on the water swim.
Wilt thou be thus abused still,
Seeing that she will right thee never?
If thou canst not o’ercome her will,
Thy love will be thus fruitless ever.Was I so base, that I might not aspire
Unto those high joys which she holds from me?
As they are high, so high is my desire,
If she this deny, what can granted be?
If she will yield to that which reason is,
It is reason’s will that love should be just.Dear, make me happy still by granting this,
Or cut off delays if that I die must.
Better a thousand times to die
Than for to love thus still tormented:
Dear, but remember it was I
Who for thy sake did die contented.
- Recmusic.org has the text.
