This edition was prepared by David Fraser — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cease these false sports
Staff Notation • Secular, Lute songs
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Cease these false sports by John Dowland — Lyrics
Cease these false sports, hast away,
Love’s made a trewant by your stay,
Good night, yet virgin Bride;
but looke ere day be spide,
You change that fruitlesse name,
least you your sex defame,
Fear not Hymens peaceful war,
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About Cease these false sports
John Dowland’s Cease these false sports is a secular song for SAATB voices, originally conceived as a lute song. The music opens with a gentle invitation to the bride to abandon her playful delaying tactics and embrace her marital duties. The text, in English, playfully urges her to rise to the occasion and avoid bringing shame upon her sex, reminding her that love’s true conquest lies not in resistance but in surrender. The final chorus offers a blessing to Hymen, the god of marriage, praying that the night's 'darke workes' may come to light, a delicate euphemism for consummation. The five-part texture allows for rich harmonic interplay, supporting the song's intimate and gently persuasive message.
