This edition was prepared by David Fraser — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Can she excuse my wrongs
Staff Notation • Secular, Lute songs
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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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Can she excuse my wrongs by John Dowland — Lyrics
1. Can she excuse my wrongs with virtue’s cloak?
shall I call her good when she proves unkind?
Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke?
must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find?
No, no: where shadows do for bodies stand,
thou may’st be abused if thy sight be dim.
Cold love is like to words written on sand,
or to bubbles which on the water swim.
Wilt thou be thus abused still,
seeing that she will right thee never?
if thou canst not overcome her will,
thy love will be thus fruitless ever.
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About Can she excuse my wrongs
This English song for SATB voices captures the Renaissance secular spirit, lamenting unrequited love. The text explores themes of disillusionment and betrayal, questioning how one can reconcile a lover's harsh actions with a virtuous image. It uses vivid metaphors, comparing cold affection to smoke, sand, and bubbles, highlighting the ephemeral and ultimately fruitless nature of such a relationship. The composer, a master of the lute song genre, brings his characteristic poignancy to this setting, allowing the voices to express the singer's frustration and despair at being denied what he feels he deserves.
