In darkness let me dwell


John Dowland (c.1563-1626)

Cantus [ {        


 
In
       

c f f e c a a a b c c
$

c c d c c c a c e h g e g h g c
d d d a f d c a h d a c
Lute e
e
e c
a a
c
a c e
g
e
e
e
c c e c

^{  
Lute tuning: D, E, F, G, c, f, a, d', g'
Bassus
       

[Bass Viol]

          
       
dark - ness let me dwell, The ground, the ground shall sor - row,
    
c a
c a c u c c d c a
d a f c d f c d c a d c d c d d a d c
e d e a e e c e
e e e e f a c e
c c a

            
 

  
10

     

        

  
sor - row be, The roof De - spair to bar all, all cheer- ful
     
a
c e f c e e c c c c a
a c d c a c c c a c h h g a c a
d c c d e c a c
e e d e g g e c e
e e
//d //c

           
 

    
            
    
light from me, The walls of mar - ble black that moist - ned, that
      
c b c c a c
d c a d c h g d c d a d
e g c
a c e e a
c e c e
//c

      
  
   

        
20

       

    
moist - ned still shall weep, still shall weep, My
        
a b c a
a c c a a a c d c a
a d c d f c a a e a c d b
a c b c c b a
e e b c c e c e c a
a c e c d c a
//d

  
             

    
© David Fraser 2008, distributed according to the terms of the CPDL Licence (www.cpdl.org)
               
 
mu - sic my mu - sic hell - ish hell - ish jar - ring sounds, jar -
    
a a
f e a a c c a a a a e c a
e f e d d c b a c d
e c a c c e
c e c e c a e
a c c e b c a

   
//a

  
      


         
      
- ring, jar - ring sounds to ban - ish, ban - ish friend - ly sleep.
   
c
d c c h g e g
a f f d c d h h
a e g g
e
a c c c e
//d


     

   
30

           

  
Thus wed - ded to my woes, And bed - ded to my Tomb,
           
c a
c e c a c c d c c a a a a d d c
e f f d c a c a a a a a c d
e e e d e e d c a c c c c b
e c a e e c b c c
c a a
//e

        
    

             


O let me liv - ing die, O
   
a
a a c a a c c c u a
d c a c d d c a d a c c c
c c e d d b c
a b c e e e e a
a e

 
             

                          

   
let me liv - ing, let me liv - ing,liv - ing die, Till death, till death do come, till death, till
     
b
a c u c c c u c c c c u c
a d c c d c d c d c d
b e b d e d e b d e d e
c e e e e e
c c c c

                

2
   
40

        

 
death do come, till death, till death do come,
        
f e c b c c
c c a c h g d c a c a
c c d a c d h d c d d c
b d e c a g e c e d
e e e


c

      
       

             
In dark - ness let me dwell.
       
a a c a c u
c a d a c d a d c d c d c a d f d c
e c a e d
e
c c b c

 
//d //c

    
//c

       
  

Editorial notes

Source: Robert Dowland, A Musicall Banquet (London, 1610), no.10

Lute.4.7: quaver