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Cantata BWV 181
Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister
English Translation in Interlinear Format
Cantata BWV 181 - Scatterbrained frivolous people

Event: Solo Cantata for Sexagesima Sunday
Readings: Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11: 19 - 12: 9; Gospel: Luke 8: 4-15
Text: Anonymous

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

1

Aria [Bass]

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

Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister
Scatterbrained frivolous people
Rauben sich des Wortes Kraft.
rob themselves of the Word’s power.
Belial mit seinen Kindern.
Belial with his children
Suchet ohnedem zu hindern,
anyhow seeks to obstruct it
Dass es keinen Nutzen schafft.
so that it produces nothing useful.

2

Recitativo [Alto]

Continuo

O unglückselger Stand verkehrter Seelen,
O unfortunate state of perverted souls
So gleichsam an dem Wege sind;
who are as it were beside the way;
Und wer will doch des Satans List erzählen,
and who will recount Satan’s cunning
Wenn er das Wort dem Herzen raubt,
when he robs the Word from the heart
Das, am Verstande blind,
that blind in judgement
Den Schaden nicht versteht noch glaubt.
neither understands nor believes in the harm being done to it.
Es werden Felsenherzen,
Hearts of stone
So boshaft widerstehn,
that resist so maliciously
Ihr eigen Heil verscherzen
will forfeit their own salvation
Und einst zugrunde gehn.
and one day meet with destruction.
Es wirkt ja Christi letztes Wort,
Christ’s last word had power
Dass Felsen selbst zerspringen;
to split open the very rocks;
Des Engels Hand bewegt des Grabes Stein,
an angel’s hand moved the gravestone
Ja, Mosis Stab kann dort
Yes, the staff of Moses there
Aus einem Berge Wasser bringen.
could get water from a rock
Willst du, o Herz, noch härter sein?
Would you, o heart, be even harder?

3

Aria [Tenor]

Continuo

Der schädlichen Dornen unendliche Zahl,
The countless number of harmful thorns,
Die Sorgen der Wollust, die Schätze zu mehren,
the anxieties of pleasure to increase its treasures,
Die werden das Feuer der höllischen Qual
-these things feed the fire of torment in hell
In Ewigkeit nähren
.
for eternity.

4

Recitativo [Soprano]

Continuo

Von diesen wird die Kraft erstickt,
By these things our strength is choked,
Der edle Same liegt vergebens,
the precious seed just lies there useless
Wer sich nicht recht im Geiste schickt,
for people who are not rightly minded
Sein Herz beizeiten
in good time to prepare their hearts
Zum guten Lande zu bereiten,
to be good soil
Dass unser Herz die Süßigkeiten schmecket,
so that our hearts may taste the sweetness
So uns dies Wort entdecket,
that this Word reveals,
Die Kräfte dieses und des künftgen Lebens.
the powers of this life and the life to come.

5

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

Tromba, Flauto traverso, Oboe, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

Laß, Höchster, uns zu allen Zeiten
Grant, o most high God, to us at all times
Des Herzens Trost, dein heilig Wort.
the heart’s consolation, your holy Word.
Du kannst nach deiner Allmachtshand
Through your almighty hand
Allein ein fruchtbar gutes Land
you alone can prepare a good fertile soil
In unsern Herzen zubereiten
.
in our hearts.

--

This Translation in Parallel Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (February 2006)
Contributed by Francis Browne (February 2006)

Cantata BWV 181: Leichtgessinte Flattergeister for Sexagesima Sunday (1724)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 181 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-1 | Chinese-2 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8

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