From silent night

To my loving Country-man Mr. John Forster the younger, Merchant of Dublin in Ireland.

Cantus
[Treble viol]
Altus

Bassus
[Bass viol]

c
c
e

d
e
f

d
e

a
c

with

deep

est

c
a

c d

true

c
d

f
e

with

a
b

re -

a
a

sins,

b
c

con - sumed

a
b
c
c
a

d
c

20

vy

d
a

c
d

a
a
b

groans,

a
a
c

quite

hea

a c

From heart

a
a
b

e
c

and

Soul

c
a
b

c
c

sad - dest

d
f

sighs

with

c a c

b
c

sighs,

d
a

From

c
a

10

c
c
d

rent

moans,

c
a

- gis - ter of

si - lent night,

Lute tuning: D, G, c, f, a, d', g'

d
f

John Dowland (c.1563-1626)

c
c
e
e
e
c

From

Lute

e
e
c

My

?
d

c
d

a
c

David Fraser 2008, distributed according to the terms of the CPDL Licence (www.cpdl.org)

c
c
a

d
c

wail

e c e

d
e

And

c
e
e

c
a

woe,

d
d e

her

a
b

b
a

a
a

c
c

sad

des - pair,

of

ful

e
f

woe

a
c
c

to the world brings tunes

her

c
d

b
a

a
b
c

a d

40

d b a

g
e

c
a

g
g

ing nought

else

c
e
d
b

e
e
c

f d

d
c

c
c

b
c
c

d
?
d

b
c

a d

row,

nought

c e c

50

des - pair,

sor

but sor - row,

the world brings tunes of sad

c
c

c
a
a
d e ce a
b
e e c b
to

And

a
c

g
e

?
d

Sound

c
c

be - gins.

work

c
e

a
c
a

d
a

her woe,

30

ing Muse

d c
e

sor - row,

?
c

c
c

else, nought else but

c
d
e

and

c
d

else

d
e

e
e
e
c

a
a
c

sor

a
a

From silent night, true register of moanes,

From saddest Soule consumde with deepest sinnes,
From hart quite rent with sighes and heavie groanes,
My wayling Muse her wofull worke beginnes.
And to the world brings tunes of sad despaire,
Sounding nought else but sorrow, griefe and care.

c
c

1.

but

care.

?
c

nought

c
c

And

c
c

grief

row,

2.

care.

a
b

If any eye therefore can spare a teare

to fill the well-spring that must wet my cheekes,
O let that eye to this sad feast draw neere,
refuse me not my humble soule beseekes:
For all the teares mine eyes have ever wept
Were now too little had they all beene kept.

Sorrow to see my sorrowes cause augmented,

and yet lesse sorrowfull were my sorrowes more:
Griefe that my griefe with griefe is not prevented,
for griefe it is must east my grieved sore.
Thus griefe and sorrow cares but how to grieve,
For griefe and sorrow must my cares relieve.
Source: John Dowland, A Pilgrimes Solace (London, 1612), no.10.
Altus: titled Cantus.
I.1.3: sharp supplied by lute tablature
I.19.1: minim rest
I.20.1: crotchet
I.38.2: flat supplied by lute tablature
Lute.41.1: printed as two separate quavers, G-d' (open G & d strings) followed by b (c on a string)
I.45.1: sharp supplied by lute tablature
Lute.46.2: dotted crotchet
I.49.3: semibreve
III.50.1: redundant sharp ( = natural)
III.50.2: sharp supplied by lute tablature
III.51.2: sharp
II.58: breve

e
e
e
c