Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud
Text and Translation of Chorale

EKG:
Author: Kaspar Füger, Senior (1592)
Chorale Melody: Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud | Composer: Anon (1589)

Vocal Works by J.S. Bach:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Type

3

BWV 40

Mvt. 3

1723

320

379

321

-

F210
A12:3

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

5

BWV 110

Mvt. 7

1725

57

380

55

-

A10:7

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach)

English Translation

1

Wir Christenleut
haben jetzund Freud,
weil uns zu Trost Christus ist Mensch geboren,
hat uns erlöst.
Wer sich des tröst‘
und glaubet fest, soll nicht werden verloren.

We Christian people
have joy now
because for our consolation Christ has been born as a man,
he has redeemed us.
The person who takes comfort in this
and believes firmly will not be lost.

2

Ein Wunderfreud:
Gott selbst wird heut
ein wahrer Mensch von Maria geboren.
Ein Jungfrau zart
sein Mutter ward,
von Gott dem Herren selbst dazu erkoren.

A wonderful joy:
God himself today
is born from Mary as a true man.
A tender maiden
became his mother,
chosen for this purpose by God himself.

3

Die Sünd macht Leid;
Christus bringt Freud,
weil er zu uns in diese Welt ist kommen.
Mit uns ist Gott
in dieser Not:
Wer ist, der jetzt uns Christen kann verdammen?

Sin causes sorrow;
Christ brings joy,
because he has come to us in this world.
God is with us
in this misery:
who is there who can now condemn us as Christians?

4

Drum sage ich Dank
mit mei’m Gesang
Christo dem Herren, der uns zugut Mensch worden,
daß wir durch ihn
nun all los sind
von Sündenlast und unträglichen Bürden.

Therefore I say thanks
with my song
to Christ the Lord,who for our benefit became man,
so that through him we
are now all free
from the weight of sin and unbearable burdens.

5

Alleluja,
Alleluja,
singen wir all aus unsers Herzens Grunde.
Denn Gott hat heut
gemacht solch Freud,
der wir vergessen soll’n zu keiner Stunde.

Alleluja.
Alleluja,
we sing from the bottom of our hearts.
for God has today
made such joy
that we should never forget at any time.

--

Source: Gesangbuch.org
English Translation by Francis Browne (December 2005)
Contributed by Francis Browne (December 2005)

Cantata BWV 40: Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2
German Text | German-2 | Translations: Dutch | English-1 | English-3 | English-6 | French-1 | French-3 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Japanese-2 | Portuguese-1 | Russian-1 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-3

Cantata BWV 110: Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions
German Text | Translations: Dutch | English-1 | English-3 | English-6 | French-3 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-2