This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
By a fountaine where I lay
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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By a fountaine where I lay by John Dowland — Lyrics
By a fountain where I lay,
All blessed be that blessed day,
By the glimm'ring of the sun,
O never be her shining done,
When I might see alone
My true love's fairest one,
Love's dear light,
Love's clear sight,
No world's eyes can clearer see,
A fairer sight none, none can be.
Fair with garlands all adress'd,
Was never nymph more fairly bless'd,
Blessed in the high'st degree,
So may she ever blessed be
Came to this fountain near
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About By a fountaine where I lay
John Dowland was a lutenist and composer of the late Renaissance and early Jacobean periods, known for his melancholic songs. This four-part setting, By a fountaine where I lay, is a secular English partsong for SATB voices. The text expresses the poet's adoration of his beloved, whom he encounters by a fountain. He compares her to a nymph, describing her beauty and grace with ecstatic praise. The imagery of sunlight and garlands contributes to the idyllic pastoral setting. The poet is so moved by her appearance that he takes up his pipe to play a roundelay in her honour, celebrating this vision of heavenly beauty.
