Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

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


Cantata BWV 17
Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 17 - Who gives thanks praises me

Event: Cantata for the 14th Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle Galatians 5: 16-24; Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19
Text: Psalm 50: 23 (Mvt. 1); Luke 17: 15-16 (Mvt. 4); Johann Gramann (Mvt. 7); Anon (Mvts. 2, 3, 5, 6) [Walther Blankenburg suggested Christoph Helm]
Chorale Text: Nun lob, mein' Seel', den Herren

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

 

Erster Teil

 

First Part

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Oboe I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich,
und das ist der Weg,
dass ich ihm zeige das Heil Gottes.

 

Who gives thanks praises me
and this is the way
that I show him God's salvation.

       

2

Recitativo A

2

Recitatiu [Contralt]

 

Continuo

   
 

Es muss die ganze Welt ein stummer Zeuge werden
Von Gottes hoher Majestät,
Luft, Wasser, Firmament und Erden,
Wenn ihre Ordnung als in Schnuren geht;
Ihn preiset die Natur mit ungezählten Gaben,
Die er ihr in den Schoß gelegt,
Und was den Odem hegt,
Will noch mehr Anteil an ihm haben,
Wenn es zu seinem Ruhm so Zung als Fittich regt.

 

The whole world must become a silent witness
of God's exalted majesty,
air, water, firmament and earth,
while they move in order as according to plumb-lines.
Nature praises him with countless gifts
which he has laid in her bosom,
and all who draw breath
want to have a still greater share in him
when they stir both tongue and wing to his praise.

       

3

Aria S

3

Ària [Soprano]

 

Violino I/II, Continuo

   
 

Herr, deine Güte reicht, so weit der Himmel ist,
Und deine Wahrheit langt, so weit die Wolken gehen.
Wüßt ich gleich sonsten nicht, wie herrlich groß du bist,
So könnt ich es gar leicht aus deinen Werken sehen.
Wie sollt man dich mit Dank davor nicht stetig preisen?
Da du uns willt den Weg des Heils hingegen weisen.

 

Lord, your goodness extends as far as heaven is
and your truth reaches as far as the clouds go.
If I did not already otherwise know how great and magnificent you are,
then I could see this easily from your works.
How could we not praise you continually for this?
For in return you will show us the way of salvation.

       
 

Zweiter Teil

 

Second Part

4

Recitativo T

4

Recitatiu [Tenor]

 

Continuo

   
 

Einer aber unter ihnen, da er sahe, dass er gesund worden war, kehrete um und preisete Gott mit lauter Stimme und fiel auf sein Angesicht zu seinen Füßen und dankte ihm, und das war ein Samariter.

 

But one of them, when he saw that he was healed,
turned back and praised God with a loud voice
and fell on his face at his feet
and thanked him, and this man was a Samaritan.

       

5

Aria T

5

Ària [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Welch Übermaß der Güte
Schenkst du mir!
Doch was gibt mein Gemüte
Dir dafür?
Herr, ich weiß sonst nichts zu bringen,
Als dir Dank und Lob zu singen.

 

What an abundance of kindness
you bestow on me!
But what does my spirit give
to you in return?
Lord, I know nothing else to bring
but to sing thanks and praise to you.

       

6

Recitativo B

6

Recitatiu [Baix]

 

Continuo

   
 

Sieh meinen Willen an, ich kenne, was ich bin:
Leib, Leben und Verstand, Gesundheit, Kraft und Sinn,
Der du mich lässt mit frohem Mund genießen,
Sind Ströme deiner Gnad, die du auf mich lässt fließen.
Lieb, Fried, Gerechtigkeit und Freud in deinem Geist
Sind Schätz, dadurch du mir schon hier ein Vorbild weist,
Was Gutes du gedenkst mir dorten zuzuteilen
Und mich an Leib und Seel vollkommentlich zu heilen.

 

Look at my will, I recognise what I am:
body, life and understanding, health, strength and mind,
which you allow me to enjoy and rejoice in,
are streams of your grace, which you make flow upon me.

Love, peace, justice and joy in your spirit
are treasures through which already here on earth you give me a glimpse beforehand
of the good you intend to share with me there in heaven
and of the perfect salvation you will grant to my body and soul.

       

7

Choral

7

Coral [S, C, T, B]

 

Oboe I/II e Violino I col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo

 

Wie sich ein Vatr erbarmet
Üb'r seine junge Kindlein klein:
So tut der Herr uns Armen,
So wir ihn kindlich fürchten rein.
Er kennt das arme Gemächte,
Gott weiß, wir sind nur Staub.
Gleichwie das Gras vom Rechen,
Ein Blum und fallendes Laub,
Der Wind nur drüber wehet,
So ist es nimmer da:
Also der Mensch vergehet,
Sein End, das ist ihm nah.

 

As a father feels compassion
for his dear little children,
so the Lord does for us in our poverty
if we revere him simply him just like children.
He is aware what a feeble race we are,
God knows we are only dust,
like grass before the rake,
a flower and falling leaves,
the wind has only to blow over it
and it is no longer there:
thus man passes away,
his end is near to him.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format + Note on the Text

English Translation by Francis Browne (August 2003, February 2012)

Contributed by Francis Browne (February 2012)

Cantata BWV 17: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich for 14th Sunday after Trinity (1726)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 17 Text: German-1 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-13 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Italian-4 | Japanese-6 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Nun lob, mein' Seel', den Herren [BWV 17/7]

English Translations in Interlinear/Parallel Format (English-3): Sorted by BWV Number | Sorted by Title | Sorted 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




 

Back to the Top


Last update: Monday, January 09, 2023 14:23