This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cease mine eyes
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SAT · Brian Russell
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Cease mine eyes by Thomas Morley — Lyrics
Cease mine eyes, cease your lamenting,
O cease, alas, this your lamenting.
In vaine you hope of her hard heart's relenting.
O cease your flowing:
drop not so fast, O where no grace is growing.
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About Cease mine eyes
Thomas Morley's Cease mine eyes is a secular madrigal for treble, alto, and tenor voices. Its English text speaks of unrequited love, with the singer lamenting their lover's indifference. The lyrics describe the singer's eyes weeping in vain, as the beloved remains unmoved and even finds amusement in their sorrow. The piece explores the pain of love scorned, a common theme in Renaissance secular part-music. This setting offers a chance for a smaller vocal ensemble to explore the rich harmonic language and expressive text-painting characteristic of the period's madrigal tradition.
