Composer

:

John Dowland

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1600

Publication Date

:

1600

Average_duration

:

3:14

'Come, ye heavy states of night' 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 Second Booke of Songs or Ayres', in 1600. The song is in the key of D minor and consists of four verses, each with a refrain. The melody is melancholic and reflective, with a slow and measured tempo. The lyrics express a sense of despair and longing, with the speaker calling out to the night to bring him comfort and solace. The first verse begins with the lines, "Come, ye heavy states of night, / Doth my melancholy plight / Move ye to such sympathy, / That you with tears of mine eyes / May dissolved in dew arise?" The speaker is addressing the night, asking if his sadness and despair are enough to move the night to tears. The second verse continues with the theme of sadness and despair, with the speaker asking the night to "lend your mourning veil" and "weep with me." The third verse introduces the idea of love and loss, with the speaker lamenting the loss of his love and asking the night to "bring her back to me." The final verse returns to the theme of sadness and despair, with the speaker asking the night to "wrap me in thy sable sheet" and "let me die." The refrain throughout the song is "Come, heavy sleep," with the speaker calling out for the comfort of sleep to ease his pain. Overall, 'Come, ye heavy states of night' is a poignant and melancholic lute song that captures the sense of despair and longing that was common in Renaissance poetry and music. The slow and measured tempo, combined with the reflective lyrics, creates a haunting and memorable piece of music that has stood the test of time.

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