- Dowland’s lute song Lachrimae Pavan (Tears Pavan) was written ca. 1590. About a decade later, Dowland rewrote the song with words and titled it “Flow My Tears.” You can read the poetry for the song here (anonymous author).
- Lachrimae Pavan provided a seemingly endless source of inspiration: in 1603, Dowland used his original piece to create a new arrangement, Lachrimæ, or Seven Teares Figured in Seven Passionate Pavans. In this version, Dowland wrote out seven different pavans for consort, based on the music from Lachrimae.
- Lachrimae Pavan was incredibly popular during Dowland’s lifetime and remains the composer’s most famous work.
- A pavan is a slow processional dance that was popular in the 16th century. In the Baroque period, the pavan was replaced by the allemande and the courante.1
Sources
- Maureen Buja, “The Tears of Dowland,” Interlude (2022), accessed December 19, 2025, https://interlude.hk/the-tears-of-john-dowland-lachrimae-seven-tears/.
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