Chorale Texts used in Bach's Vocal Works
Hilf, Gott, dass mirs gelinge
Text and Translation of Chorale

Ref. in hymnals/hymn books: NLGB 75; GH 94; Neu-vermehrtes Hamburgisches Gesang-Buch 134
Author: Heinrich Müller (1531)
Chorale Melody: Hilf, Gott, lass mirs gelinge (Zahn 4329) | Composer: Anon (Leipzig, 1545)
Theme: Passion of Jesus

Description:

This hymn or ballad of the Passion was written by Heinrich Müller - the initial letters of its thirteen stanzas spell “Heinrich Müler.” The last two lines of the last stanza repeat his name, and state that the hymn was written by him in prison1. He appears to have been a Lutheran of Nürnberg, imprisoned, circa 1527, by the Duke of Saxony. Released in 1539, he conducted a school at Annaberg until about 1580. The ballad was published as a broadsheet in 1527 and was included in the Rostock Hymn-book of 1531. Luther thought so highly of it that he introduced it into Valentin Babst’s Geistliche Lieder (Leipzig, 1545), the last Hymn-book issued under his supervision. The first of the three melodies (supra) was attached to it there.
The author of the tune is not known. It is found in many forms in the late 16th and early 17th century Hymn-books and probably is of secular origin. The earliest approximation to the form in which J.S. Bach knew it is found in 1573 (supra). From 1601 the first half of the tune definitely took the form J.S. Bach uses. For the second part of the melody he is not consistent. In the Orgelbuchlein he follows the 1573 text (the F sharp that ends his sixth line is as old as 1609). In the Choralgesänge, No. 172 (BWV 343), he prefers Johann Crüger’s (1653) text (supra). Witt’s (No. 94) has peculiarities which J.S. Bach does not repeat.
Source: Charles Sanford Terry: Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 3 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works [1921], pp 186-189

Hilf Gott, dass mir gelinge. History of the Passion. In his Bibliographie, 1855, p. 100, Wackernagel cites two broadsheets as of 15.27. In his D. Kirchenlied iii. p. 85, the earliest source from which he prints the text, is however the Bergkreyen, Nürnberg, 1536, though he says it had appeared in print in 1524 (apparently a mis¬print for 1527). He speaks of the Magdeburg Gesang-Buch, 1534, as the earliest hymnbook in which it is included, This is however an oversight, as it is found in the Rostock Gesang-Buch 1531, where it is entitled “A new hymn on the Word of God and His bitter sufferings," and begins "Help God mi mach gelingen." It is in 13 st. of 7 1., the initial letters of the stanzas giving the name Heinrich Müler, and the two concluding lines being "Hat Hein rich Müller gesungen In dem Gefängniss sein."
From the above note it is clear that the hymn was written by a Heinrich Müller, during an imprisonment, and was in print at least as early as 1531. The ascription to Heinrich Müller, professor at Wittenberg, is therefore impossible, seeing he was only born in 1530. The ascription to Heinrich von Zütphen [born at Zütphen in Gelderlaud, c. 1488, became an Augustinian monk, and in 1515 prior of the Augustinian monastery at Dordrecht; began to preach as a Reformer in Bremen, November 9, 1522; murdered at Heide near Meldorf, in Holstein, December 10, 1524] is also untenable, for neither by himself nor by his contemporaries was he ever styled Heinrich Müller, and there was during his life no period of imprisonment during which he might have written this hymn. The history of the Nürnberg Müller noted above is not indeed very clear, but his claim has at least much more appearance of truth than that of any other.
The hymn was a great favourite during the Reformation period, was included by Luther in V. Babst's Gesang-Buch 1545, and passed into many later books. It is a ballad rather than a hymn properly so called, and has now fallen out of use in Germany. The only translation is: “Help, God, the formar of all thing." In the Gude and Godlie Ballates, ed. 1568, f. 22 (1868, p. 37).
Source: John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) on Hymnary.org

Vocal Works by J.S. Bach:

Chorale Hilf, Gott, daß mirs gelinge, BWV 343
Ref: RE 199=302; Br 199=301; KE 172; AmB 46II p.92 & p.139; Penzel 194; BGA 90; BC F 96.1 CST 176

German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach)

English Translation

1. Hilf, Gott, daß mir gelinge,
du edler Schöpfer mein,
die Silben reimen zwingen
zu Lob den Ehren dein!
Daß ich mag fröhlich heben an
von deinem Wort zu singen,
Herr, wöllest mir beistahn!

1. Helpe, God, the Former of all thing,
That to Thy gloir may bee my dyte:
Be baith at end and beginning,
That I may make my song perfyte,
Of Jesus Christes passioun,
Sinnaris onely saluatioun,
As witnesse is thy word in write.

2. Ewig dein Wort thut bleiben,
wie Esaias meldt,* *Jes. 40, 8.
In seinem Buch thut schreiben:
eh wird vergehn die Welt
und was Gott selber je beschuf, [erschuf,]
Sollt es alles verderben,
er thut kein Widerruf.

2. Thy word for euer sall remaine,
As in his buke wrytes Esay,
Baith heuin and eird sall turne againe,
Or thy trew word cum to decay.
Thou cannot like ane man repent,
To change thy purpose or intent,
Bot steidfast is thy word for ay.

3. Iesus, das Wort des Vaters,
ist kommen in die Welt
mit großen Wunderthaten,
verkauft um schnödes Geld
durch Judam, seiner Jünger ein
ward er in Tod gegeben,
Jesus, das Lämmelein.

3. Jesus, the Father’s Word alone,
Discendit in an Virgine pure,
With meruellis greit and mony one;
And be Judas that fals tratour,
That Lambe for sober summe was sauld,
And gaif his lyfe, for cause hee wald
Redeme all sinfull creature.

4. Nachdem sie hatten gessen,
vernehmt, das Osterlamb,
da thät er nicht vergessen,
das Brod in sein’ Hand nahm,
sprach: Eßt, das ist mein Leichnam lind,
der für euch dar wird [g’]geben [euch wird gegeben]
zu Vergebung der Sünd. [zur Vergebung euer Sünd.]

4. When eitin was the Paschall Lambe,
Christ tuke the breid his handis within,
Blyssing it, brake it, gaif the sume
Till his apostles mair and min,
Eit that, for my body is this,
Quihilk for your sakis geuin is,
Intill remissioun of your sin.

5. Reicht ihn’n auch dar zu trinken
in Wein sein Blut so roth:
“Sein Tod sollt ihr verkünden,”
Paulus beschreiben hat:
“Wer würdig ißt von diesem Brod
und trinket von dem Kelche,
wird nicht sehen den Tod.”

5. Siclyke hee gaif them for to drinke
In wyne his blude the quhilke was sched,
Upon his precious deid to thinke,
On hiom remembrance to be made.
Quha eitis this blissit sacrament,
Worthelie with trew intent
Sall neuer see eternall deid.

6. Jesus wusch ihn ihr Füße
wohl zu der selb’gen Stund, [derselben Stund]
Lehrt sie mit Worten süße
aus seim göttlichen Mund;
“Liebet einander allezeit,
dabei wird man erkennen
das ihr mein Jünger seid.”

6. Jesus wusche his apostlis feit,
Schawand exempil of lowlynesse,
And chargit them with wordis sweit,
That lufe amang them suld incres.
For thairby suld it cum to licht,
That ye are my disciplis richt,
Gif ye amang you lufe possesse.

7. Christus der Herr im Garten,
da er gebetet hat,
der Jüden thät erwarten,
von ihn gebunden hart,
sie führten ihn zum Richter dar,
gegeißelt und gekrönet,
zum Tod verurtheilt ward.

7. Efter this prayer passit he,
And met the Jewis quhilk him socht;
When they had bound him cruellie,
Before the judges they him brocht.
First they him scurgit, and for scorne
Him crownit with ane crowne of thorne,
Syne dampnit him to deid for nocht.

8. Hoch an ein Kreuz gehangen,
der hochgeborne Fürst;
nach uns thät ihn verlangen,
darum sprach er: “Mich dürst!”
Vernimm: nach unser Seligkeit,
darum ein Mensch geboren
von einer reinen Meid.

8. That Prince on croce they lift on hicht,
For our redemptithat thocht lang;
Hee said, I thirst with all my micht
To saif mankynde fra painis strang.
Hee that all warldis was beforne,
Came doun of Marie to be borne,
For our trespasse on croce hee hang.

9. Mit seinem Haupt geneiget
er seinen Geist aufgab,
als uns Johannes zeiget,
er ward genommen ab
vom Kreuz, ins Grab ward er gelegt,
am dritten Tag erstanden,
wie er vor hat gesagt.

9. Then hee his heid culd incline,
As wryttis John, and gaif the gaist,
And off the croce tane was syne,
And laid in grave; but soone in haist,
Leuand, he rais on the thrid day,
And to his apostles did say,
To them appeirand maist and leist.

10. Und in denselben Tagen
Jesus sein Jünger lehrt,
allein sein Wort zu tragen,
predigen aller Welt: [predigen in aller]
Wer glaube thut und wird getauft,
der hat das ewig leben,
ist ihm durch Christum kauft. [erkauft.]

10. And syne he did his apostillis teiche,
Throw all the warlde for to passe,
And tell all creature for to preich,
As they of him instructit was:
Quha baptist is, and will beleeue,
Eternall deid sall not them greeue,
Bot salbe sauit mair and lesse.

11. Lukas thuts gar schön schreiben [thut]
von seiner Himmelfahrt
doch allweg bei uns bleiben,
wie er versprochen hat,
vernimm: Durch sein göttliches Wort;
wider das kann nicht siegen
kein Gwalt der Höllen Pfort.

11. Sanct Luke writtin in his ascention,
Thocht present aye with vs hee bee,
The Scripture makis mention,
That is to say with us is hee,
Be his sweit word steidfast but faill,
Contraire the quhilk can not preuaill
Sathan nor hellis tyranie.

12. Ein Tröster thät er senden
das war der heilig Geist,
von Gott thät er sie lenden
in Wahrheit allermeist.
Denselben wolln wir rufen an,
der wird uns nicht verlassen
und uns treulich beistahn.

12. Ane comfortour to vs hee did send,
Quhilke from the Father did proceide,
To gyde us trewly to the end,
In inward thocht and outwart deid,
Call on the Lord, our gyde and licht,
To leid vs in his law full richt,
And be our helpe in all our neid.

13. Recht laßt uns alle bitten
Christum für [die] Obrigkeit
ob wir schon von ihn litten
Gwalt, auch für alle Feind,
daß ihn Gott woll genädig sein:
hat Heinrich Müller gesungen
in dem Gefängnis sein.

13. Pray for all men in generall,
Suppose they wirk vs richt or wrang;
Pray for our prince in speciall;
Thocht they be just, or tyrans strang,
Obey, for sa it aucht to bee.
In presoun for the veritie,
Ane faythfull brother made this sang.

Source of German Text: Bach Digital (1 verse) | Hymnoglypt
English Translation: John Wedderburn (1542-1646) | Source of English Translation: John Wedderburn: The Gude and Godlie Ballatis (1542-1546; 1621; AF Mitchell, 1897) on Hymnoglypt
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2018)