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Cantata BWV 64
Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget
English Translation in Interlinear Format
Cantata BWV 64 - See, what sort of love the Father has shown to us

Event: 3rd Day of Christmas [St John's Day]
Readings: Epistle: Hebrews 1: 1-14 / Ecclesiastical Letters 15: 1-8; Gospel: John 1: 1-14
Text: I John 3: 1 (Mvt. 1); Martin Luther (Mvt. 2); Balthasar Kindermann (Mvt. 4); Johann Franck (Mvt. 8); Christian Weiss, Sr. or Anon (Mvts. 3, 5, 6-7) [based on text from Johann Oswald (?) Knauer cantata cycle]
Chorale Texts: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ | Was frag ich nach der Welt | Jesu, meine Freude

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

Cornetto e Violino I col Soprano, Trombone I e Violino II coll'Alto, Trombone II e Viola col Tenore, Trombone III col Basso, Continuo

Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, dass wir Gottes Kinder heißen.
See, what sort of love the Father has shown to us, that we are called the children of God.

2

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

Cornetto e Violino I col Soprano, Trombone I e Violino II coll'Alto, Trombone II e Viola col Tenore, Trombone III col Basso, Continuo

Das hat er alles uns getan,
He has done all this for us
Sein groß Lieb zu zeigen an.
to reveal his great love.
Des freu sich alle Christenheit
Because of this the whole Christian world should rejoice
Und dank ihm des in Ewigkeit.
and thank him in eternity.
Kyrieleis!
Kyrie eleison [Lord, have mercy]

3

Recitative [Alto]

Continuo

Geh, Welt! behalte nur das Deine,
Go away, world! Keep only what is yours.
Ich will und mag nichts von dir haben,
I want and may have nothing from you.
Der Himmel ist nun meine,
Heaven is now mine,
An diesem soll sich meine Seele laben.
with this my soul should be refreshed,
Dein Gold ist ein vergänglich Gut,
Your gold is a possession that passes away,
Dein Reichtum ist geborget,
your wealth is borrowed,
Wer dies besitzt, der ist gar schlecht versorget.
Whoever possesses you is cared for really badly
Drum sag ich mit getrostem Mut:
and so with a spirit that has been comforted I say:

4

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

Cornetto e Violino I col Soprano, Trombone I e Violino II coll'Alto, Trombone II e Viola col Tenore, Trombone III col Basso, Continuo

Was frag ich nach der Welt
Why should I askk after the world
Und allen ihren Schätzen
and all is treasures
Wenn ich mich nur an dir,
when only in you can I,
Mein Jesu, kann ergötzen!
my Jesus, take pleasure
Dich hab ich einzig mir
It is you alone that I
Zur Wollust vorgestellt:
have placed before me for delight
Du, du bist meine Lust;
You, you , are my delight
Was frag ich nach der Welt!
Why should I ask after the world!

5

Aria [Soprano]

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

Was die Welt
What the world
In sich hält,
holds within itself
Muß als wie ein Rauch vergehen.
must all pass away like smoke.
Aber was mir Jesus gibt
But what Jesus gives me
Und was meine Seele liebt,
and what my soul loves
Bleibet fest und ewig stehen
.
stays firm and stands forever.

6

Recitative [Bass]

Continuo

Der Himmel bleibet mir gewiss,
Heaven remains certain for me
Und den besitz ich schon im Glauben.
and I already possess it in faith
Der Tod, die Welt und Sünde,
Death,the world and sin,
Ja selbst das ganze Höllenheer
indeed the whole host of hell itself
Kann mir, als einem Gotteskinde,
can from me – since I am a child of God
Denselben nun und nimmermehr
never now nor in the future
Aus meiner Seele rauben.
rob my soul of heaven.
Nur dies, nur einzig dies macht mir noch Kümmernis,
Only this, only one thing still causes me anxiety
Dass ich noch länger soll auf dieser Welt verweilen;
that I still have to stay longer in this world,
Denn Jesus will den Himmel mit mir teilen,
but someday Jesus will share heaven wíth me,
Und darzu hat er mich erkoren,
and for this reason he has chosen me
Deswegen ist er Mensch geboren.
for this reason he was born.

7

Aria [Alto]

Oboe d'amore, Continuo

Von der Welt verlang ich nichts,
From the world I demand nothing,
Wenn ich nur den Himmel erbe.
if only I may inherit heaven.
Alles, alles geb ich hin,
Everything, everything I give away
Weil ich genung versichert bin,
since I am sufficiently confident
Dass ich ewig nicht verderbe
.
that I shall not be destroyed forever.

8

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

Cornetto e Violino I col Soprano, Trombone I e Violino II coll'Alto, Trombone II e Viola col Tenore, Trombone III col Basso, Continuo

Gute Nacht, o Wesen,
Good night, o nature
Das die Welt erlesen!
chosen by the world!
Mir gefällst du nicht.
You do not please me.
Gute Nacht, ihr Sünden,
Good night, you sins,
Bleibet weit dahinten,
stay far behind me,
Kommt nicht mehr ans Licht!
come no more to light!
Gute Nacht, du Stolz und Pracht!
Good night, you pride and splendour!
Dir sei ganz, du Lasterleben,
To you, my burdensome life, a final
Gute Nacht gegeben!
good night I bid!

--

This Translation in Parallel Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (December 2005)
Contributed by Francis Browne (December 2005)

Cantata BWV 64: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget for 3rd Day of Christmas (1723)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 64 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 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Texts: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ [BWV 64/2] | Was frag ich nach der Welt [BWV 64/4] | Jesu, meine Freude [BWV 64/8]

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 14:26