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Cantata BWV 180
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 180 - Adorn yourself, O dear soul

Event: Chorale Cantata for the 20th Sunday after Trinity
Readings:
Epistle: Ephesians 5: 15-21; Gospel: Matthew 22: 1-14
Text:
Johann Franck (Mvts. 1, 3, 7); Anon (Mvts. 2, 4-6)
Chorale Text:
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto I/II, Oboe I/II (Oboe da caccia), Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele,
Laß die dunkle Sündenhöhle,
Komm ans helle Lieht gegangen,
Fange herrlich an zu prangen;
Denn der Herr voll Heil und Gnaden
Läßt dich itzt zu Gaste laden.
Der den Himmel kann verwalten,
Will selbst Herberg in dir halten.

 

Adorn yourself, O dear soul,
leave the dark den of sins,
come into the clear light,
begin to shine with glory,
for the Lord, full of salvation and mercy
has now invited you as a guest.
He who can reign in heaven

wants himself to make his dwelling in you.

       

2

Aria T

2

Aria [Tenor]

 

Flauto traverso, Continuo

   
 

Ermuntre dich: dein Heiland klopft,
Ach, öffne bald die Herzenspforte!
Ob du gleich in entzückter Lust
Nur halb gebrochne Freudenworte
Zu deinem Jesu sagen musst.

 

Stir yourself: your saviour is knocking,
Ah, open quickly the doors of your heart!
Even if in enchanted delight

only words of joy half broken
you have to say to your Jesus.

       

3

Recitativo e Choral S

3

Recitative & Chorale [Soprano]

 

Violoncello piccolo, Continuo

   
 

Wie teuer sind des heilgen Mahles Gaben!
Sie finden ihresgleichen nicht.
Was sonst die Welt
Vor kostbar hält,
Sind Tand und Eitelkeiten;
Ein Gotteskind wünscht diesen Schatz zu haben
Und spricht:

 

How valuable are the gifts of the holy meal!
Nothing like them can be found anywhere.
What the world otherwise
considers as precious
are only toys and vanity;
A child of God wants to have this treasure
And says:

 

Ach, wie hungert mein Gemüte,
Menschenfreund, nach deiner Güte!
Ach, wie pfleg ich oft mit Tränen
Mich nach dieser Kost zu sehnen!
Ach, wie pfleget mich zu dürsten
Nach dem Trank des Lebensfürsten!
Wünsche stets, dass mein Gebeine
Sich durch Gott mit Gott vereine.

 

Ah, how my spirit hungers,
Friend of man, for your goodness!
Ah,how often I am accustomed with tears

to long for this nourishment.
Ah, how accustomed I am to thirst

for the drink of the Prince of life1
Constantly I wish that my bones

could be united through God with God.

       

4

Recitativo A

4

Recitative [Alto]

 

Flauto I/II, Continuo

 

Flauto I/II, Continuo

 

Mein Herz fühlt in sich Furcht und Freude;
Es wird die Furcht erregt
Wenn es die Hoheit überlegt
Wenn es sich nicht in das Geheimnis findet,
Noch durch Vernunft dies hohe Werk ergründet.
Nur Gottes Geist kann durch sein Wort uns lehren,
Wie sich allhier die Seelen nähren,
Die sich im Glauben zugeschickt.
Die Freude aber wird gestärket,
Wenn sie des Heilands Herz erblickt
Und seiner Liebe Größe merket.

 

My heart feels in itself fear and joy;
Fear is aroused

when it contemplates his grandeur,
when it does not find its way in the mystery,
Nor through reason reaches the bottom of this high work.
Only God's spirit can teach us through his Word,
how the souls here are nourished,
Who surrender themselves in belief.
Our joy however is strengthened

when we regard the saviour's heart
and take note of the greatness of his love.

       

5

Aria S

5

Aria [Soprano]

 

Flauto I/II, Oboe I/II (Oboe da caccia), Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Lebens Sonne, Licht der Sinnen,
Herr, der du mein alles bist!
Du wirst meine Treue sehen
Und den Glauben nicht verschmähen,
Der noch schwach und furchtsam ist.

 

Sun of life, light of the senses
Lord, you who are everything to me!
You will see my loyalty

and will not scorn my faith
which is still weak and fearful.

       

6

Recitativo B

6

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Herr, lass an mir dein treues Lieben,
So dich vom Himmel abgetrieben,
Ja nicht vergeblich sein!
Entzünde du in Liebe meinen Geist,
Dass er sich nur nach dem, was himmlisch heißt,
Im Glauben lenke
Und deiner Liebe stets gedenke.

 

Lord, grant that your faithful love for me
which drove you from heaven
may not be in vain!
Set my spirit on fire in love

so that only towards what is known as heavenly
in faith it may be directed
and think of your love continuously.

       

7

Choral

7

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Continuo

   
 

Jesu, wahres Brot des Lebens,
Hilf, dass ich doch nicht vergebens
Oder mir vielleicht zum Schaden
Sei zu deinem Tisch geladen.
Laß mich durch dies Seelenessen
Deine Liebe recht ermessen,
Dass ich auch, wie itzt auf Erden,
Mög ein Gast im Himmel werden.

 

Jesus, true bread of life,
help me so that not in vain

or perhaps to my loss
I may be invited to your table.
Grant that I may, through this food for my soul,
measure out rightly your love,
so that I also, as here on earth,
become a guest in heaven.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (October 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (October 2008)

Cantata BWV 180: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele for 20th Sunday after Trinity (1724)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 180 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 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-4 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Japanese-6 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele [BWV 180//1,~2,3,~5-6,7]

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




 

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