John Dowland (1563-1626)
Lute Songs

John Dowland was the most famous lutenist-composer of his day. The principal aim of all writers of lute songs was to convey the story and the emotions behind the verse. Since Dowland was such a master of his instrument, he was able to write lute accompaniments which, though often complex and independent of the voice part, contributed equally to the word-setting. For this great skill he has often been compared to Schubert. Some of his songs are invitations to love (Come again: Sweet Love doth now invite). Sometimes the word 'love' refers to the lover and sometimes to Cupid himself, since the Elizabethans delighted in this sort of word-play. In Stay time awhile the lover tries to dissuade his partner from rising from bed so soon, using typical Elizabethan imagery to suggest that the light which she sees is not yet the sun rising but is in fact the light of love shining in her eyes.