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Cantata BWV 175
Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen
English Translation in Interlinear Format
Cantata BWV 175 - He calls his own sheep by name |
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Event: Solo Cantata for Whit Tuesday [3rd Day of Pentecost]
Readings: Epistle: Acts 8: 14-17; Gospel: John 10: 1-10
Text: Christiane Mariane von Ziegler (Mvts. 2-5); Johann Rist (Mvt. 7); John 10: 3 (Mvt. 1); John 10: 6 (Mvt 5)
Chorale Text: O Gottes Geist, mein Trost und Rat |
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Biblical quotations in green font , chorales in purple |
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1 |
Recitative [Tenor] |
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Flauto dolce I-III, Continuo |
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Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen und führet sie hinaus.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. |
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2 |
Aria [Alto] |
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Flauto dolce I-III, Continuo |
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Komm, leite mich,
Come, lead me,
Es sehnet sich
Mein Geist auf grüne Weide!
my soul longs for green pastures
Mein Herze schmacht',
my heart yearns,
Ächzt Tag und Nacht,
groans day and night,
Mein Hirte, meine Freude!
my shepherd, my joy ! |
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3 |
Recitative [Tenor] |
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Continuo |
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Wo find ich dich?
Where may I find you?
Ach, wo bist du verborgen?
Ah, where are you hidden?
O! Zeige dich mir bald!
O, show yourself to me soon!
Ich sehne mich.
I am filled with yearning,
Brich an, erwünschter Morgen!
dawn, morning for which I long ! |
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4 |
Aria [Tenor] |
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Violoncello piccolo, Continuo |
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Es dünket mich, ich seh dich kommen,
It seems to me, I see you coming,
Du gehst zur rechten Türe ein.
you enter by the right door.
Du wirst im Glauben aufgenommen
You are received in faith
Und mußt der wahre Hirte sein.
and must be the true shepherd.
Ich kenne deine holde Stimme,
I recognise your lovely voice,
Die voller Lieb und Sanftmut ist,
which is full of love and gentleness,
Daß ich im Geist darob ergrimme,
so that I am enraged in my soul
Wer zweifelt, daß du Heiland seist.
if anyone doubts that you are the saviour. |
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5 |
Recitative [Alto, Bass] |
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Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo |
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Alto:
Sie vernahmen aber nicht, was es war, das er zu ihnen gesaget hatte.
But they did not understand what he had said to them. |
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Bass:
Ach ja! Wir Menschen sind oftmals den Tauben zu vergleichen:
Ah yes! We men are often like the deaf :
Wenn die verblendete Vernunft nicht weiß, was er gesaget hatte.
when our blinded reason does not understand what he has said.
O! Törin, merke doch, wenn Jesus mit dir spricht,
O foolish reason , realise that when Jesus speaks to you,
Daß es zu deinem Heil geschicht.
that is done for your salvation. |
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6 |
Aria [Bass] |
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Tromba I/II, Continuo |
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Öffnet euch, ihr beiden Ohren,
Open, both of you ears,
Jesus hat euch zugeschworen,
Jesus has sworn to you
Daß er Teufel, Tod erlegt.
that he will vanquish the devil and death.
Gnade, Gnüge, volles Leben
Grace, sufficiency, abundant life,
Will er allen Christen geben,
he will give to all Christians,
Wer ihm folgt, sein Kreuz nachträgt.
to whoever follows him, bears his cross after him. |
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7 |
Chorale [S, A, T, B] |
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Flauto dolce I-III, Continuo, Violino I col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore |
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Nun, werter Geist, ich folg dir;
Now, honoured spirit, I follow you
Hilf, daß ich suche für und für
help me to seek for ever and ever
Nach deinem Wort ein ander Leben,
according to your word a new life,
Das du mir willt aus Gnaden geben.
that you will graciously give to me .
Dein Wort ist ja der Morgenstern,
Your word is indeed the morning star
Der herrlich leuchtet nah und fern.
that shines in splendour near and far.
Drum will ich, die mich anders lehren,
In Ewigkeit, mein Gott, nicht hören.
Therefore to those who teach differently
in eternity, my God, I do not want to listen.
Alleluja, alleluja! |
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Note on the text |
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BWV 175 is the eighth of the nine cantatas that Bach composed to texts by Christiane Mariane von Ziegler between 22 April and 27 May 1725. (BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 87, BWV 128, BWV 183, BWV 74, BWV 68, BWV 175, BWV 176). They share a common structure : each one begins with a biblical text; after a series of recitatives and arias (normally two of each, though BWV 175 has three arias) , the cantata is concluded by a chorale.
As often with this author Bach introduces slight alterations in the text. For example, the bass recitative was originally:
Ach ja! Wir Menschen seynd gar offt,
Den Tauben zu vergleichen,
Wenn die verblendete Vernunfft nicht kan erreichen,
Was sein geheiligter Mund gesagt.
Z. Philip Ambrose gives further examples in the notes to his translation: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/BWV175.html
The cantata's train of thought is closely connected is closely connected with the gospel reading (John 10: 1-10) for the third day of Pentecost This tells of the good shepherd and his sheep .
The text is clearly divided into two parts: movements 1-4 and 5-7. Both are introduced by a verbatim quotation from the gospel. Dürr comments that the reference to 'blinded reason' is based not on the gospel but rather on the defensive reaction of the Lutheran church in Bach's time to the beginning of the enlightenment.
The tenor aria is a parody of the secular aria Dein Name gleich der Sonnen geh (BWV 173a/7). This celebrates the birthday of Prince Leopold of Cöthen and to accomodate the present lengthy text Bach took the unusual step of fitting lines 3 and 4 to a repetition of the first section of the orignal aria. The remaining lines were distributed over the two concluding sections; the vocal part had to be rewritten where the prince's name was mentioned, but the two instrumental parts were virtually unchanged.
The text of the final chorale is the ninth strophe of the hymn O Gottes Geist, mein Trost und Rat by Johann Rist (1651).
(Information from Dürr, Die Kantaten and Oxford Composer Companion) |
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This Translation in Parallel Format |
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English Translation by Francis Browne (June 2003)
Contributed by Francis Browne (June 2003) |
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