Sting and John Dowland

My boss Joven lent me Sting's new album for the long weekend. It's called Songs from the Labyrinth, with music by John Dowland, performed by Sting and Edin Karamazov. Joven said it's an imported album so I'm thankful I got hold of it. Dowland was an English composer in the 16th-17th centuries. Many times during Sting's career, as far back as 1982, Dowland's name would be mentioned by fellow musicians, artists, and friends. Since then Sting had been intrigued with Dowland. But it was only in 2006 when Sting finally released this album with Edin, a famous lutenist from Sarajevo.

I haven't listened to the album yet, though. I'm waiting for my danged ear infection, caused by my foolish old self, to get well. So I had to content myself with reading Sting's introduction of the project, how it unfolded, and Dowland's words. Here's one of the lyrics that caught my attention:

Weep you no more, sad fountains;
What need you flow so fast?
Look how the snowy mountains
Heaven's sun doth gently waste...

Sleep is a reconciling,

A rest that peace begets.

Doth not the sun rise smiling

When fair at e'en he sets?

Rest you then, rest, sad eyes
Melt not in weeping
While she lies sleeping
Softly, now softly lies sleeping

- John Dowland, Third Booke of Songes, 1600, no. 15

I don’t want to end sadly so I’ll quote Sting’s favorite line from among Dowland’s songs: “May all your weeds lack dew and duly starve”, from Clear or Cloudy.