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Text for Cantata 119
Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn

Original German Text

English Translation

1. CHOR

Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn,
lobe, Zion, deinen Gott!
Denn er machet fest die Riegel deiner Tore
und segnet deine Kinder drinnen,
er schaffet deinen Grenzen Frieden.

Praise, Jerusalem, the Lord,
laud, Zion, your God!
For he secures the latch of your gate
and blesses your children within,
he maintains your perimeter’s peace.

2. REZITATIV (Tenor)

Gesegnet Land, glückselge Stadt,
woselbst der Herr sein Herd und Feuer hat!
Wie kann Gott besser lohnen,
als wo er Ehre läßt in einem Lande wohnen?
Wie kann er eine Stadt
mit reicherm Nachdruck segnen,
als wo er Güt und Treu einander läßt begegnen,
wo er Gerechtigkeit und Friede zu küssen niemals müde,
nicht müde, niemals satt
zu werden teur verheißen,
auch in der Tat erfüllet hat?
Da ist der Schluß gemacht:
Gesegnet Land, glückselge Stadt!

Blessed land, fortune blest city,
where the Lord himself keeps his hearth and fire!
How better can God reward
than where his honor abides in a land?
How can he bless a city
with more opulent prominence
than where he lets goodness and loyally meet,
where justice and peace never tire of caressing,
never too tired, never too satiated
to be promised valuable,
as well as fulfilled by deeds?
There the conclusion is drawn:
Blessed land, fortune blest city!

3. ARIA (Tenor)

Wohl dir, du Volk der Linden,
wohl dir, du hast es gut!
Wieviel an Gottes Segen
und seiner Huld gelegen,
die überschwenglich tut,
kannst du an dir befinden.

Hail to you, you people of the linden tree
hail to you, you have done well!
By so many of God’s blessings
and his favor bestowed,
these lavishly done
can be found in you.

4. REZITATIV (Baß)

So herrlich stehst du, liebe Stadt!
Du Volk, das Gott zum Erbteil sich erwählet hat!
Doch wohl! und aber wohl!
wo mans zu Herzen fassen
und recht erkennen will,
durch wen der Herr den Segen wachsen lassen.
Ja! Was bedarf es viel?
Das Zeugnis ist schon da,
Herz und Gewissen wird uns überzeugen,
daß, was wir Gutes bei uns sehn,
nächst Gott durch kluge Obrigkeit
und durch ihr weises Regiment geschehn.
Drum sei, geliebtes Volk,
zu treuem Dank bereit,
sonst würden auch davon
nicht deine Mauern schweigen!

So glorious you appear dear city!
You people, whom God has chosen for inheritance!
Indeed well! and ever so well!
wherever one clutches the heart
and truly wants to appreciate
by whom the Lord lets this blessing increase.
Yes! What more is required?
The proof is right there,
heart and conscience can convince us
that what we see as good among us
is next to God by intelligent authority
and occurs by their wise governance.
Thus be, beloved people,
prepared with devoted thanks,
otherwise even your walls
would not remain silent in doing so!

5. ARIA (Alt)

Die Obrigkeit ist Gottes Gabe,
ja selber Gottes Ebenbild.
Wer ihre Macht nicht will ermessen,
der muß auch Gottes gar vergessen:
wie würde sonst sein Wort erfüllt?

Authority is granted from God
yes, the very image of God.
Whoever does not appreciate its power
must also have completely forgotten God:
how otherwise would his word be fulfilled?

6. REZITATIV (Sopran)

Nun! wir erkennen es und bringen dir,
o höchster Gott, ein Opfer unsers Danks dafür.
Zumal, nachdem der heutge Tag,
der Tag, den uns der Herr gemacht,
euch, teure Väter,
teils von eurer Last entbunden,
teils auch auf euch
Schlaflose Sorgenstunden
bei einer neuen Wahl gebracht,
so seufzt ein treues Volk
mit Herz und Mund zugleich:

Now! we recognize this and present to you,
O God most high, an offering of our thanks for it.
Particularly, in light of the present day,
the day which the Lord has made for us,
you, esteemed elders,
some relieved of your burden,
some also bringing you,
following sleepless hours of worry,
after a recent election,
thus collectively sighs a devoted people
with heart and mouth a once:

7. CHOR

Der Herr hat Guts an uns getan,
des sind wir alle fröhlich.
Er seh die teuren Väter an
und halte auf unzählig
und späte lange Jahre naus
in ihrem Regimente Haus,
so wollen wir ihn preisen.

The Lord has done good for us,
for this we all are glad.
He looks over our esteemed elders
and persists through innumerable
and belated, long years
into their house of government
thus do we praise him.

8. REZITATIV (Alt)

Zuletzt! Da du uns, Herr,
zu deinem Volk gesetzt,
so laß von deinen Frommen nur noch ein arm Gebet
vor deine Ohren kommen
und höre! ja erhöre!
Der Mund, das Herz und Seele seufzet sehre.

Lastly! Since you for us, Lord,
are situated amidst your people
so do allow a meager prayer from your devout
to come before your ears
and hear! indeed answer!
Mouth, heart and soul sigh deeply.

9. CHORAL

Hilf deinem Volk, Herr Jesu Christ,
und segne, was dein Erbteil ist.
Wart und pfleg ihr zu aller Zeit
und heb sie hoch in Ewigkeit!
Amen.

Help your people, Lord Jesus Christ,
and bless, that from your inheritance.
Watch over and care for them at all times
and uphold them in eternity!
Amen.


COMPOSED: August 30, 1723 (Leipzig) for the Town Council Inauguration
LIBRETTIST: unknown; Mvt. 1. Psalm 147:12-14; Mvt. 9. Martin Luther, from the Te Deum (1529)
TRANSLATION: 2017 © Tobin Schmuck, NYC
Print by permission only, please. Click here.

Cantata BWV 119: Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn for Council Election (1723)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

BWV 119 Text: German-1 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Portuguese-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-5 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Herr Gott, dich loben wir [The German Tedeum] [BWV 119/9]

English Translations (English-10): Index by BWV Number | Index by Title | Index by Event | Note on English Translations


Texts & Translations: Main Page | Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Other Vocal BWV 225-249 | Chorales BWV 250-438 | Geistliche Lieder BWV 439-507 | AMN BWV 508-524 | Other Vocal 1081-1164 | BWV Anh | Chorale Texts | Emblemata | Sources | Poets & Composers
Discussions: Texts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Translations: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4




 

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Last update: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 14:09