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Chorale Texts used in Bach's Vocal Works
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
Text and Translation of Chorale |
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Ref. in hymnals/hymn books: NLGB 79; GH 104; EKG 55
Author: Nikolaus Decius (created 1522-1523; first published 1531), metrical version of Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
Chorale Melody 1: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (Zahn 4361a) | Composer: Nikolaus Decius (1523 / 1531 / 1542)
Chorale Melody 2: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (Zahn 4361b) | Composer: Nikolaus Decius (1523 / 1531 / 1545)
Theme: Passiontide / Lent
Comment: Hymnayi.org presents 3 verses; other sources only 1. |
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Description: |
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"O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" (O Lamb of God, innocent) is an early Lutheran hymn, with text and melody attributed to Nikolaus Decius. Originally intended as a German hymn instead of the Latin Agnus Dei, it was used rather as a hymn for Passiontide. In both meanings, the hymn has often been set to music, prominently as the cantus firmus in the opening chorus of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244). It is included in most German hymnals.
The words of the Choral are the first stanza of N. Decius’ translation of the “Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi.” Until the 18th century, the hymn "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" was printed in hymnals without mentioning an author. Philipp Julius Rehtmeyer (de) presented in his historical Braunschweigische Kirchen-Historie a Latin report from 1600, which called N. Decius as the author of text and melody of "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" and "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr". A medieval melody may have been the model for the tune. The creation of hymns by N. Decius is dated 1522-1523, in the early Reformation, before Martin Luther's first hymns, published in 1524 in the first Lutheran hymnal.
The song was first printed in Low German in Joachim Slüter (de)'s Geystlyke leder in Rostock in 1531. The first print in High German appeared in in Valentin S. Schumann’s Geistliche lieder auffs new gebessert und gemehrt (Leipzig, 1539). It was distributed in German-speaking regions.
The melody, “O Lamm Gottes unschuldig,” was composed or adapted by N. Decius (von Hofe or Hovesch) for his translation of the “Agnus Dei.” The tune was published, with the hymn, in Anton Corvinus’ Christliche Kirchen-Ordnung (Erfurt, 1542), issued, with a Preface by Elisabeth Duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg, for the use of the Principalities of Calenberg and Gottingen, of which she was Regent. The melody appeared with the text first in Johann Spangenberg (de)s hymnal Kirchengesenge Deudtsch (Magdeburg, 1545), but it had appeared in a slightly different version a few years earlier in a Strasbourg hymnal.
Like in the Latin model, the Lamb of God is called three times, twice asking for mercy, the third time for peace. The text is given as in the current German hymnals, with the translation of Catherine Winkworth, published in 1863 as No. 46 in her Chorale Book for England.
In all early prints, "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" is titled Das Agnus Dei Deutsch (The Agnus Dei in German), indicating that it was supposed to take the position of the Agnus Dei during the Abendmahl (communion). This function was soon taken by Luther's "Christe, du Lamm Gottes", while "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig", which adds the memory of Christ's Passion, was used as a hymn for Passiontide.
The hymn was included in the Evangelisches Kirchengesangbuch (EKG) of 1950 as a Passion song, EKG 55, with two slightly different melodies, called northern ("norddeutsche") and southern ("süddeutsche") version.
The hymn appeared in 1616 first in a Catholic hymnal, in Paderborn, then in the Groß Catholisch Gesangbuch by David Gregor Corner. It was included in 1938 as "O du Lamm Gottes unschuldig" in the collection Kirchenlied as the only Agnus Dei song.
An ecumenical group, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für ökumenisches Liedgut (de), worked in 1973 on a common version, which appeared in the Catholic Gotteslob in 1975 and in the Protestant Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG 190.1). In the current Gotteslob the song is GL 203. In all these hymnals, the song was again grouped as an Agnus Dei song.
Source: Wikipedia (February 4, 2018) with asdditions by Aryeh Oron (October 2018) |
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J.S. Bach used the hymn as a cantus firmus in the opening movement Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen of his St Matthew Passion (BWV 244). He wrote it, without words, in red ink in the middle between the first choir on top of the page and the second at the bottom. J.S. Bach also composed chorale preludes on the hymn, one part of the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes as BWV 656, and BWV 1085, found in the Neumeister Collection. He wrote a four-part setting, BWV 401. |
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Vocal Works by J.S. Bach: |
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Chorus Kommt, Ihr Tochter, Helft Mir Klagen (Mvt. 1) from Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 (1727) (verse 1), |
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Form. The Choral (Soprano ripieno) is an independent strand or ornament of the Double Chorus (Two Orchestras, each 2 Fl., 2 Ob., Strings, Organ, and Continuo). |
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Original source: Chorale, O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, BWV 401
Ref: RE 165; Br 165; KE 185; Birnstiel 170; AmB 46II p.93, p.99, & p.142; Penzel 134; BGA 148; BC F162.1; CST 296 |
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Vocal Works by J.S. Bach: |
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German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach) |
English Translation 1 |
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1. O Lamm Gottes unschuldig,
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Erbarm' dich unser, o Jesu! |
1.. O Lamb of God, most stainless!
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Patient through all Thy sorrows,
Though mocked amid Thine anguish;
Our sins Thou bearest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Have mercy upon us, O Jesu! |
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2. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Erbarm' dich unser, o Jesu! |
2. O Lamb of God, most stainless!
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Patient through all Thy sorrows,
Though mocked amid Thine anguish;
Our sins Thou bearest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Have mercy upon us, O Jesu! |
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3. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig,
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Gib uns dein'n Frieden, o Jesu! |
3. O Lamb of God, most stainless!
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Patient through all Thy sorrows,
Though mocked amid Thine anguish;
Our sins Thou bearest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Grant us Thy peace to-day, O Jesu! |
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German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach) |
English Translation 2 |
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1. O Lamm Gottes unschuldig,
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Erbarm' dich unser, o Jesu! |
1. O Lamb of God, pure, spotless,
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Who suffered man's unkindness,
And knew the bitt'rest anguish;
Our sin Thou bearest for us,
Else hell had triumphed o'er us:
Have mercy on us, O Jesu! |
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2. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Erbarm' dich unser, o Jesu! |
2. O Lamb of God, pure, spotless,
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Who suffman's unkindness,
And knew the bitt'rest anguish;
Our sin Thou bearest for us,
Else hell had triumphed o'er us:
Have mercy on us, O Jesu ! |
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3. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig,
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
allzeit funden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet:
all' Sünd' hast du getragen,
sonst müßten wir verzagen.
Gib uns dein'n Frieden, o Jesu! |
iii O Lamb of God, pure, spotless,
Who on the Cross didst languish,
Who suffered man's unkindness,
And knew the bitt'rest anguish;
Our sin Thou bearest for us,
Else hell had triumphed o'er us:
Thy peace give to us, O Jesu. |
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Source of German Text: Hymnary.org | Bach Digital | Die Christliche Liederdatenbank
English Translation 1: Catherine Winkworth (1863) | Source of English Translation: Catherine Winkworth: Chorale Book for England (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts and Green, 1865), No. 46
English Translation 2: Charles Sanford Terry | Source of English Translation: Charles Sanford Terry: The Four-Part Chorals of J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1929), p 316
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2018 - October 2018) |
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