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Cantata BWV 9
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 9 - Salvation has come to us

Event: Chorale Cantata for 6th Sunday after Trinity
Reading: Readings: Epistle: Romans 6: 3-11; Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26
Text: Paul Speratus (Mvt. 1, 7); Anon (Mvt. 2-6)
Chorale Text: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Es ist das Heil uns kommen her
Von Gnad und lauter Güte.
Die Werk, die helfen nimmermehr,
Sie mögen nicht behüten.
Der Glaub sieht Jesum Christum an,
Der hat g'nug für uns all getan,
Er ist der Mittler worden.

 

Salvation has come to us
from grace and sheer kindness.
Works never help,
they cannot protect us.
Faith looks towards Jesus Christ

who has done enough for all of us.
He has become our mediator.

       

2

Recitativo B

2

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Gott gab uns ein Gesetz, doch waren wir zu schwach,
Dass wir es hätten halten können.
Wir gingen nur den Sünden nach,
Kein Mensch war fromm zu nennen;
Der Geist blieb an dem Fleische kleben
Und wagte nicht zu widerstreben.
Wir sollten in Gesetze gehn
Und dort als wie in einem Spiegel sehn,
Wie unsere Natur unartig sei;
Und dennoch blieben wir dabei.
Aus eigner Kraft wo niemand fähig,
Der Sünden Unart zu verlassen,
Er möcht auch alle Kraft zusammenfassen.

 

God gave us a law, but we were too weak
to be able to keep it.
we followed only sin,
nobody could be called devout.

The spirit clung to the flesh
And did not dare to strive against it.
We should have gone along with the law
and seen there as in a mirror
how bad our nature is.
And yet we remained in this condition

by his own strength no one was able
to abandon the badness of sin,
even if he tried with all his strength to do so.

       

3

Aria T

3

Aria [Tenor]

 

Violino solo, Continuo

   
 

Wir waren schon zu tief gesunken,
Der Abgrund schluckt uns völlig ein,
Die Tiefe drohte schon den Tod,
Und dennoch konnt in solcher Not
Uns keine Hand behilflich sein.

 

We were sunk too deep,
the abyss had swallowed us completely,
the deep already threatened us with death

and yet in such distress
no one could give us a helping hand.

       

4

Recitativo B

4

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Doch musste das Gesetz erfüllet werden;
Deswegen kam das Heil der Erden,
Des Höchsten Sohn, der hat es selbst erfüllt
Und seines Vaters Zorn gestillt.
Durch sein unschuldig Sterben
Ließ er uns Hilf erwerben.
Wer nun demselben traut,
Wer auf sein Leiden baut,
Der gehet nicht verloren.
Der Himmel ist für den erkoren,
Der wahren Glauben mit sich bringt
Und fest um Jesu Arme schlingt.

 

But the law had to be fulfilled;
for this reason salvation came to the earth,
the son of God most high himself fulfilled the law

And pacified his father's anger.
Through his innocent death

He enabled us to acquire help.
Those who trust in him,
those who build on his suffering,
Will not be lost.
Heaven is destined for those

who bring true faith with them
And clasp Jesus firmly in their arms.

       

5

Aria (Duetto) S A

5

Aria (Duet) [Soprano, Alto]

 

Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore, Continuo

   
 

Herr, du siehst statt guter Werke
Auf des Herzens Glaubensstärke,
Nur den Glauben nimmst du an.
Nur der Glaube macht gerecht,
Alles andre scheint zu schlecht,
Als dass es uns helfen kann.

 

Lord, instead of good works you look at
the strength of faith in our hearts,
You only take account of faith.
only faith justifies us,
everything else appears too imperfect

to be able to help us.

       

6

Recitativo B

6

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Wenn wir die Sünd aus dem Gesetz erkennen,
So schlägt es das Gewissen nieder;
Doch ist das unser Trost zu nennen,
Dass wir im Evangelio
Gleich wieder froh
Und freudig werden:
Dies stärket unsern Glauben wieder.
Drauf hoffen wir der Zeit,
Die Gottes Gütigkeit
Uns zugesaget hat,
Doch aber auch aus weisem Rat
Die Stunde uns verschwiegen.
Jedoch, wir lassen uns begnügen,
Er weiß es, wenn es nötig ist,
Und brauchet keine List
An uns; wir dürfen auf ihn bauen
Und ihm allein vertrauen.

 

When we recognize sin through the law
then conscience strikes us down;
but this may also be called our consolation

for in the Gospel
we again become
happy and joyful:
this strengthens our faith again.
For this reason we hope for the time

that God's goodness
has promised us,
but has also with prudent counsel

kept hidden from us the hour.
However, we are content to accept this

he knows well when it is necessary
and practices no deceit
upon us; we may build on him
And in him alone place our trust.

       

7

Choral

7

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Violino I e Flauto traverso in octava e Oboe d'amore col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo

 

Ob sichs anließ, als wollt er nicht,
Laß dich es nicht erschrecken;
Denn wo er ist am besten mit,
Da will ers nicht entdecken.
Sein Wort lass dir gewisser sein,
Und ob dein Herz spräch lauter Nein,
So lass doch dir nicht grauen.

 

Although it seems that he is unwilling,
do not be dismayed,
for when he is most present with us,
then he does not want to reveal that fact.
Regard his word as certain for you,
and even if the flesh can only say no,
you should not be appalled.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (June 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (August 2009)

Cantata BWV 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her for 6th Sunday after Trinity (1732-1735)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 9 Text: German-1 | German-2 | 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 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-2 | Dutch-3 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Italian-4 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her [BWV 9/1,7]

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 14:27