Ténor Can She Excuse My Wrongs


John Dowland

   
       
 = 110

Can she ex cuse my wrongs with vir tues cloak?

     
    
Are those clear fires which va nish in to smoke?

 
5

     
      
Shall I call her good when she proves un kind?

 
        
Must I praise the leaves where no fruiit I find?


9

       
 
No, no, no where sha dows do for bo dies, for bo dies stand,

     
13
Cold, cold love is like two words, two words writ ten on sand,

       
thou may'st be ab us'd if thy sight, thy sight be dim.

   
      
or two bub bles which on the wa ter, wa ter swim.


17

         
Wilt thou be thus ab u sed still, see ing that she will right thee

   
Bet ter a thou sand times to die Than for to live thus still tor

 
21

  
ne ver if thou canst not o'er come her will, thy love

      
men ted, Dear but re mem ber it was I Who for

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23

    
will be thus fruit less e ver.

       
thy sake did die con ten ted.


25

Was I so base that I might not as pire

          
As they are high so high is my de sire

 
29

 
          
Un to those high joys which she holds from me,

   
    
If she this de nies what can grant ed be.


33

      
If she will yield to that, will yield to that which rea son is,

        
Dear, Dear make me hap py still, hap py still by grant ing this
37

It is rea sons will that love should be, should be just,

Or cut of de lays if that die, that die I must.
        
2

   
      

41


Wilt thou be thus ab u sed still, see ing that she will right thee
Bet ter a thou sad tipmes tp die Than for to live thus still tor

            
  
45

ne ver if thou canst not o'er come her will, thy love
men ted, Dear but re mem ber it was I Who for

      
  

47

will be thus fruit less e ver.

thy sake did die con ten ted.