{"id":58,"date":"2013-04-10T14:02:47","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T19:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jillmaria.com\/wordpress\/?p=58"},"modified":"2013-04-10T14:19:19","modified_gmt":"2013-04-10T19:19:19","slug":"weep-you-no-more-sad-fountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jillmaria.com\/?p=58","title":{"rendered":"Weep You No More Sad Fountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SUN\"<\/p>\n

I’ve entitled this post “Weep You No More Sad Fountains”\u00a0But it could easily be called “Joy Comes” \u00a0 \u00a0or \u00a0“Sleep.”<\/p>\n

In life, \u00a0 we all have good days and bad days.<\/p>\n

For me\u00a0, yesterday was a bad day and I’m still having a hard time shaking it. \u00a0 \u00a0Yet it is funny where our minds go to help us heal. \u00a0 In this case it brought me to two poems. \u00a0 Well, a psalm and a poem. \u00a0Yes that’s right. \u00a0Two poems. Two songs. Maybe three<\/p>\n

The first is Psalm 30<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I praise you, LORD<\/small>, for you raised me up<\/em><\/p>\n

and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.<\/em><\/p>\n

O LORD<\/small>, my God,<\/em><\/p>\n

I cried out to you for help and you healed\u00a0me.<\/em><\/p>\n

LORD<\/small>, you brought my soul up from Sheol;<\/em><\/p>\n

you let me live, from going down to the pit.
\n<\/sup><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

II<\/em><\/h4>\n

Sing praise to the LORD<\/small>, you faithful;<\/em><\/p>\n

give thanks to his holy memory.<\/em><\/p>\n

For his anger lasts but a moment;<\/em><\/p>\n

his favor a lifetime.<\/em><\/p>\n

At dusk weeping comes for the night;<\/em><\/p>\n

but at dawn there is rejoicing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Those lines, “weeping comes for the night, but at dawn there is rejoicing.” have brought me solace through many a difficult time. \u00a0 The sentiment of the whole psalm is rich as I could so relate to the feeling of going down, down, down into the pit.<\/h4>\n

And as loose association would have it, the second poem is one that I sang in a voice recital. \u00a0 In hindsight that grouping of songs was probably a bummer…. because \u00a0I know I did two versions of “Weep You No More Sad Fountains” \u00a0 and one of “Slow, Slow, Fresh Font.” \u00a0 As an exercise in comparing and contrasting musical interpretations it was wonderful for me as a voice student but probably a lot of dark for those in attendance. \u00a0 \u00a0Hmm… I should see if I can find the videos of that.<\/p>\n

In this song it is the beautiful line that \u00a0“sleep is a reconciling, \u00a0a rest that peace begets” \u00a0that has reminded me many a time to “go to sleep it will be better tomorrow.” \u00a0Though sometimes, \u00a0that dark night that strikes is even harder to deal with. When you can’t sleep, you can’t pray, you can’t be awake, and you are just not sure how to be. \u00a0It is a matter of waiting<\/p>\n

Weep You No More Sad Fountains<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Weep you no more, sad fountains;<\/em><\/p>\n

What need you\u00a0flow so fast?<\/em><\/p>\n

Look how the snowy mountains<\/em><\/p>\n

Heaven’s sun doth gently waste!<\/em><\/p>\n

But my sun’s heavenly eyes<\/em><\/p>\n

View not your weeping,<\/em><\/p>\n

That now lies sleeping,<\/em><\/p>\n

Softly now, softly\u00a0lies Sleeping.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sleep is a reconciling,<\/em><\/p>\n

A rest that peace begets;<\/em><\/p>\n

Doth not the sun rise smiling<\/em><\/p>\n

When fair at e’en\u00a0he sets?<\/em><\/p>\n

Rest you, then, rest, sad eyes!<\/em><\/p>\n

Melt not in weeping,<\/em><\/p>\n

While she lies sleeping,<\/em><\/p>\n

Softly now, softly\u00a0lies Sleeping.<\/em><\/p>\n

This has been set to music by more than a dozen composers, and was recently found in the movie “Sense and Sensibility” \u00a0with a setting by Patrick Doyle. \u00a0 Strangely, \u00a0 one of the most beautiful versions available of this text available now is by STING….. \u00a0 how strange and versatile that man is. \u00a0 \u00a0He may not have the standard counter tenor sound, but he surely imparts the emotion.<\/p>\n

I sang the Roger Quilter setting:<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

And the John Dowland<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n
From “Sense and Sensibilities”<\/div>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The last poem I spoke of is below. \u00a0I found some madrigal settings of it, but not the solo version I did. \u00a0I believe<\/p>\n

\u00a0Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Yet slower, yet, O faintly, gentle springs!<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0List to the heavy part the music bears,<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Woe weeps out her division, when she sings.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Droop herbs and flowers;<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fall grief in showers;<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Our beauties are not ours.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O, I could still,<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Like melting snow upon some craggy hill,<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drop, drop, drop, drop,<\/em><\/div>\n
Since nature\u2019s pride is now a withered daffodil.<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Ben Johnson 1572-1637<\/div>\n

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