Flow my tears

The First Booke of Songes or Ayres
by John Dowland
Cover of "The First Booke of Songes or Ayres"
Published	1597 (1597)
Publisher	Peter Short, London

"Come again! Sweet love doth now invite" (Original: "Come againe: sweet loue doth now enuite") is a song by John Dowland and appears in his First Booke of Songes or Ayres, first published in 1597.

It appears on the following album:

Year	Album	With
2021	À sa guitare (Album)	Thibaut Garcia

Libretto

Come again! Sweet love doth now invite

from  First Booke of Songes or Ayres
John Dowland (music),  Anonymous (words)

‎

Flow, my tears, fall from your springs! Exiled for ever, let me mourn; Where night's black bird her sad infamy sings, There let me live forlorn. Down vain lights, shine you no more! No nights are dark enough for those That in despair their lost fortunes deplore; Light doth but shame disclose. Never may my woes be relieved, Since pity is fled, And tears and sighs and groans my weary days Of all joys have deprived. From the highest spire of contentment My fortune is thrown, And fear and grief and pain for my deserts Are my hopes, since hope is gone. Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell, Learn to contemn light Happy, happy they that in hell Feel not the world's despite.

Ancient English

Flow my teares fall from your springs, Exilde for euer: Let mee morne where nights black bird hir sad infamy sings, there let mee liue forlorne. Downe vaine lights shine you no more, No nights are dark enough for those that in dispaire their last fortuns deplore, light doth but shame disclose. Neuer may my woes be relieued, since pittie is fled, and teares, and sighes, and grones my wearie dayes of all joyes h..... depriued. Fr¯ the highest spire of contentment, my fortune is throwne, and feare, and griefe, and paine for my deserts, are my hopes since hope is gone. Harke you shadowes that in darcknesse dwell, learne to contemne light, Happie, happie they that in hell feel not the worlds despite.

Manuscripts and sheet music

Incipit of "Flow my tears"

Dowland, John (1597). "The Firste Booke of Songes". IMSLP. Peter Short, London. Retrieved October 1, 2021.