Composer

:

John Dowland

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

before 1597

Publication Date

:

1597

Average_duration

:

4:06

'Come, heavy sleep' is a lute song composed by John Dowland, an English Renaissance composer, in the late 16th century. The song was first published in Dowland's collection of lute songs, 'The First Booke of Songes or Ayres', in 1597. The song is written in the key of G minor and consists of four verses, each with a refrain. The melody is simple and melancholic, reflecting the theme of the song, which is a plea for sleep to come and ease the singer's troubled mind. The lyrics are in the form of a dialogue between the singer and sleep, with the singer begging sleep to come and take away his pain. The first verse begins with the singer addressing sleep, saying "Come, heavy sleep, the image of true death." The second verse continues with the singer describing his troubled state, saying "And close up these my weary weeping eyes." The third verse sees the singer pleading with sleep to come quickly, saying "Come, but reserve thy sting to sting their hearts." The final verse sees the singer resigning himself to his fate, saying "Thus, thus, and thus, we compassed round with harm." The song is notable for its use of word painting, with Dowland using musical devices to reflect the meaning of the lyrics. For example, the word "heavy" in the first line is reflected in the slow, mournful melody, while the word "weary" in the second verse is reflected in the descending melody. 'Come, heavy sleep' is a representative example of Dowland's style, which is characterized by its melancholic tone and use of word painting. The song has been performed and recorded by many artists over the years and remains a popular piece in the lute song repertoire.

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