An aubade is a type of music or poem that celebrates the morning, often involving lovers saying goodbye at dawn. It can also refer to a song or piece that describes or is inspired by the arrival of daylight. In its most specific meaning, an aubade is a song sung by a person leaving their lover, who is still asleep. Aubades are sometimes confused with albas, which are similar but include a dialogue between the lovers, a repeated line that mentions "dawn," and a warning from a watchman about the coming daylight.

The tradition of aubades began with the troubadours, musicians from the Provençal region during the High Middle Ages, who wrote about courtly love. The aubade became popular again in the 17th century during a time known as the metaphysical period. An example of an aubade in English is John Donne’s poem "The Sunne Rising." Aubades were written occasionally in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 20th century, the focus of aubades changed from courtly love to the broader theme of people parting at dawn. Notable examples from this time include the poem "Aubade" by Philip Larkin and musical works by French composers like Emmanuel Chabrier and Maurice Ravel. In 1915, Erik Satie included an aubade as the main piece in his piano suite Avant-dernières pensées. Later, Francis Poulenc composed a musical piece titled Aubade in 1929.

In 2014, dancer Douglas Dunn created a performance called Aubade, featuring costumes, lighting, and poetry. In 2022, musician Jean-Michel Blais released an album titled Aubades, inspired by the theme of morning and parting.