Weep You No More Sad Fountains

This clip features Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility singing "Weep You No More Sad Fountains," a beautiful and anonymous poem collected by John Dowland in the 1600s. The poem was put to music by film score composer Patrick Doyle for Emma Thompson's 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved novel. Can I just tell you, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I have watched it more times than is probably healthy for a person. I never seem to get enough! I watch it when I am feeling a little down or when I'm feeling happy and just need a Sense and Sensibility fix. I'll have it playing in the background while I busy myself with other things or at night as I drift off to sleep. Each time I sit in admiration of the direction, musical score, costumes, and the characters. Oh, the characters! A few years ago I purchased the soundtrack and it is quite often my daily car companion. "Weep You No More Sad Fountains" and the song Marianne sings toward the end of the film, "The Dreame" (lyrics by poet Ben Jonson), are performed by opera singer Jane Eaglen. What a voice! To further channel my inner nerd, I recently borrowed Emma Thompson's screenplay & diaries of the film from the library. I've never read a screenplay before, so I figured my first might as well be one of my favorite films. I'll leave you now with the lyrics to "Weep You No More Sad Fountains."

"Weep you no more sad fountains;
What need you flow so fast?
Look how the snowy mountains
Heaven's sun doth gently waste.
But my sun's heavenly eyes
View not your weeping,
That now lies sleeping
Softly, softly, now softly
Softly lies sleeping.

Sleep is a reconciling,
A rest that peace begets.
Doth not the sun rise smiling
When fair at ev'n he sets?
Rest you then, rest, sad eyes,
Melt not in weeping,
While she lies sleeping
Softly, softly, now softly
Softly lies sleeping."