Semper Dowland, Semper Dolens

With the advent of Grace and Stephen, the only people left with whom I can play recorders, I have been sifting through ancient musick, and came across a very old photocopy-- with that wonderful texture--of what turns out to be the first  printed book/folio of "concerted instrumental music that we have." Dated 1599, the full title is: " LACHRIMAE, OR SEAVEN TEARES FIGURED IN SEAVEN PASSIONATE PAVANS, With Divers Other Pavans, Galliards, and Almands for the Lute, Viols, or Violons, in Five Parts."

(Dowland was court lutenist "to the most Royall and Magnificent, Christian the Fourth, King of Denmarke, Norway, Vandales, Goths, (et. al)

The intro, written by Peter Warlock in 1926, noted that this was also dedicated to Christian's sister, Princesse Anna, who married into the English throne at the time.  Dowland remarkes: "In which time I have endevoured by my poore labour and study, to manifest my humblenesse and dutie to your highnesse, being my selfe one of your most affectionate Subjects, and also servant to your most Princely Brother, the onely Patron and Sun-shine of my else unhappie fortunes."

He goes on to address Anna as "worthy Goddesse."

I might add that these songs would fit right in with our current culture, being one of much excess and much unhappiness. They are quite secular and Renaissance in tone and matter.  Dowland's songs were quite famous for a long time, and are mentioned by Ben Jonson and other writers of the time. Thomas Morely, who published a few small pieces just before Dowland did his complete score, said in 1597 that the kind of musick to which his friend usually repaired were, "a kind of staide musicke, ordained for grave dancing..."  He also wrote what we today call madrigals, and to give you a flavor of it, I have "endeuored"  to write down the doleful poetry, all Dowland's, no covers, of the song, "CAN SHE EXCUSE MY WRONGS?" (by the way, the answer is, "No.")

"Can she excuse my wrongs with Virtue's cloak?/ Was I so base, so base, that I might not aspire
unto those high joys which she holds from me?"

"Shall I call her good when she proves unkind? / Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke? /
As they are high, so high is my desire."

"Must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find? /  No, no, where shadows do for bodies stand,/
Cold love is like to words written on sand, or to bubbles which on the water swim."

"If she will yield to that, that which Reason is,/ it is Reason's  will that Love be just, be just;/
If this she deny, what can granted be?"

"Thou mays't be abused if thy sight be dim, / Dear, make me happy still by granting this, by granting this, /
or cut off delays if that die I must."

"Wilt thou be abused still,/ that she will right thee never? / If thou canst not oerpower her will, thy Love will be fruitless ever."

"Than for to live thus tormented,/ Dear but remember/ it was I Who for thy sake did die contented."

Extracting the poem form five different voices is harder than I thought, so all I can say is that all the words are there, but I can't attest to the exact order.

"The more things change..."  fast forward to "The Dark Side of the Moon, " attributed to someone named Floyd Pink...I listened to this as a favor to a fan, for the first time--it's been out since '72--I wouldn't recommend it, esp. for melancholics.  I shall study Dowlands fortunes further; and as Mr. Frost would say, "I shan't be long./ You come too."

("Dolens" is a word for bothe sadnesse and paine.")