In darkness let me dwell is a song by the lutenist and composer John Dowland

John Dowland

John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...

. Like many of Dowland's songs, its subject matter is melancholy and its lyrics anonymous. It is a late work showing the influence of Italian music of the early baroque

Baroque music

Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...

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Text

In darkness let me dwell; the ground shall sorrow be,

The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me;

The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep;

My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.

Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb,

O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come.


My dainties grief shall be, and tears my poison'd wine,

My sighs the air, through which my panting heart shall pine:

My robes my mind shall suit exceeding blackest night,

My study shall be tragic thoughts, sad fancy to delight.

Pale ghosts and frightful shades shall my acquaintance be:

O thus, my hapless joy, I haste to thee, I haste to thee.