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Text for BWV 248 III
Weihnachts-Oratorium III
(Christmas Oratorio, Part 3)

Original German Text

English Translation

24. CHOR

Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,
laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,
wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!
Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,
wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,
weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!

Ruler of heaven lend ear to our prattle,
let our feeble singing be pleasing to you
as your Zion exalts you with psalms!
Hear the heart's jubilant praising
as we now render reverence to you,
for our wellbeing stands secure!

25. REZITATIV (Tenor)

EVANGELIST
Und da die Engel von ihnen
gen Himmel fuhren,
sprachen die Hirten untereinander:

EVANGELIST
And when the angels departed from them
up into the heavens,
the shepherds said unto one another:

26. CHOR

Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem
und die Geschichte sehen, die da geschehen ist,
die uns der Herr kundgetan hat.

Let us now go unto Bethlehem
and witness the event that has occurred there
which the Lord has made known to us.

27. REZITATIV (Baß)

Er hat sein Volk getröst',
er hat sein Israel erlöst,
die Hülf aus Zion hergesendet
und unser Leid geendet.
Seht, Hirten, dies hat er getan;
geht, dieses trefft ihr an!

He has comforted his people
he has redeemed his Israel,
dispatched aid out of Zion,
and ended our sorrows.
Behold, shepherds, this he has done;
go, encounter this thing!

28. CHORAL

Dies hat er alles uns getan,
sein groß Lieb zu zeigen an;
des freu sich alle Christenheit
und dank ihm des in Ewigkeit.
Kyrieleis!

All this he has done for us
to reveal his great love;
at this be merry all Christendom
and thank him for this in eternity.
Lord have mercy!

29. ARIA (Sopran, Baß)

Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen
tröstet uns und macht uns frei.
Deine holde Gunst und Liebe,
deine wundersamen Triebe
machen deine Vatertreu wieder neu.

Lord, your compassion, your mercy,
comforts us and sets us free.
Your gracious affection and love,
your wondrous offspring
renew your fatherly devotion.

30. REZITATIV (Tenor)

EVANGELIST
Und sie kamen eilend und funden
beide, Mariam und Joseph,
dazu das Kind in der Krippe liegen.
Da sie es aber gesehen hatten,
breiteten sie das Wort aus,
welches zu ihnen von diesem Kind gesaget war.
Und alle, für die es kam, wunderten sich der Rede,
die ihnen die Hirten gesaget hatten.
Maria aber behielt alle diese Worte
und bewegte sie in ihrem Herzen.

EVANGELIST
And they came with haste and found
both Mary and Joseph
and with them the child lying in the manger.
Once they had seen this
they spread the word
as it had been told them regarding this child.
And all who heard it wondered at the story
the shepherds told them.
Mary however kept all these words
and pondered them in her heart.

31. ARIA (Alt)

Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder
fest in deinem Glauben ein!
Lasse dies Wunder, die göttlichen Werke,
immer zur Stärke
deines schwachen Glaubens sein!

Enshrine, my heart, this blessed miracle
soundly in your faith!
Let this wonder, this divine work,
ever remain to empower
your feeble faith!

32. REZITATIV (Alt)

Ja, ja, mein Herz soll es bewahren,
was es an dieser holden Zeit
zu seiner Seligkeit
für sicheren Beweis erfahren.

Yes, yes, my heart shall safeguard
what it has experienced
in this time of grace
as certain proof of its salvation.

33. CHORAL

Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren,
ich will dir
leben hier,
dir will ich abfahren,
mit dir will ich endlich schweben
voller Freud
ohne Zeit
dort im andern Leben.

I will with diligence safeguard you,
I will live
for you here,
unto you I will depart,
with you I will finally drift along
full of joy,
time without end,
there in the afterlife.

34. REZITATIV (Tenor)

EVANGELIST
Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um,
preiseten und lobten Gott
um alles, das sie gesehen und gehöret hatten,
wie denn zu ihnen gesaget war.

EVANGELIST
And the shepherds returned back
praising and glorifying God
for all that they had seen and heard,
just as it had been described to them.

35. CHORAL

Seid froh dieweil,
daß euer Heil
ist hie ein Gott und auch ein Mensch geboren,
der, welcher ist
der Herr und Christ
in Davids Stadt, von vielen auserkoren.

Hence be glad
that your salvation
here is born both God and human,
he, who is
the Lord and Christ
in the city of David, chosen among many.

36. CHOR

Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,
laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,
wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!
Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,
wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,
weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!

Ruler of heaven lend ear to our prattle,
let our feeble singing be pleasing to you
as your Zion exalts you with psalms!
Hear the heart's jubilant praising
as we now render reverence to you,
for our wellbeing stands secure!


COMPOSED: December 27,1734, (Leipzig) for the 3rd Day of Christmas
LIBRETTIST: unknown, perhaps Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander). Mvts. 25, 26, 30, & 34. Luke 2:15-20; Mvt 28. Martin Luther, stanza 7 of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (1524); Mvt 33. Paul Gerhardt, stanza 15 of Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen (1653); Mvt 35. Christoph Runge, stanza 4 of Laßt Furcht und Pein (1653).
TRANSLATION: 2022 © Tobin Schmuck, NYC
Print by permission only, please. Click here.

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 (1734-1735): Details
Complete Recordings: 1900-1949 | 1950-1959 | 1960-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2020-2029 | Recordings of Individual Movements
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
Systematic Discussions: Cantata 1 | Cantata 2 | Cantata 3 | Cantata 4 | Cantata 5 | Cantata 6 | Part 7: Summary
Individual Recordings: BWV 248 – Collegium Aureum | BWV 248 - H. Christophers | BWV 248 - J.E. Gardiner | BWV 248 - N. Harnoncourt | BWV 248 - P. Herreweghe | BWV 248 - R. Jacobs | BWV 248 - N. McGegan | BWV 248 - R. Otto | BWV 248 - K. Richter | BWV 248 - H. Rilling | BWV 248 - P. Schreier | BWV 248 - M. Suzuki | BWV 248 - K. Thomas | BWV 248 - J.v. Veldhoven
Articles: A Bottomless Bucket of Bach - Christmas Oratorio [D. Satz] | BWV 248/19 “Schlafe, mein Liebster” - A Background Study with Focus on the Colla Parte Flauto Traverso Part [T. Braatz]

BWV 248/3 Text: German-1 | NBA
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-14
Chinese-2 | Danish-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hebrew-2 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Russian-1 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Texts: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ [BWV 248/28] | Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen [BWV 248/33] | Laßt Furcht und Pein [BWV 248/35]

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 14:11