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Chorales BWV 250-438: Details and Recordings
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - N. Matt | Chorales - H. Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
Discussions: Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY / Chorales by Theme | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Passion Chorale
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438 | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Texts & Translations of Chorales BWV 250-438
Chorale Texts: Sorted by Title | Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [A. Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [C.S. Terry] | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions [T. Braatz] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [T. Braatz] | The World of the Bach Chorale Settings [W.L. Hoffman]
Hymnals: Hymnals used by Bach | Wagner Hymnal 1697 | Evangelisches Gesangbuch 1995 | Dietel Chorale List c1734
Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales


Chorale Texts used in Bach's Vocal Works
O wir armen Sünder
Text and Translation of Chorale

Ref. in hymnals/hymn books: NLGB 68; ELS 100
Author: Hermann Bonnus (1542), after the 15th century melody O du armer Judas
Chorale Melody: O wir armen Sünder = Ehre sei dir, christe, der du leidest not (Zahn 8187c) | Composer: Anon (1561; Königsberg, 1527), based on Salzburg c1350
Theme: Fall & Redemption

Description:

"O wir armen Sünder" (O we poor sinners), is based on Martin Luther's 1528 Litany refrain still in use today, "Wir armen Sünder bitten, du wollst uns erhören, lieber Herre Gott" (We poor sinners pray that you may be willing to hear us, dear Lord God), http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale064-Eng3.htm. The Hermann Bonnus Passion hymn with the Kyrie refrain in six four-line irregular stanzas (Salzburg 1532) is based upon the Lucas Lossius c.1530 "O du armer Judas" (O you wretched Judas) in Psalmodia (Lüneburg 1561) with the associated anonymous melody (Königsberg 1527), "Ach, wir armen Menschen," dating to c1350, Rex Christe Factor omnium (O Christ, Our King, Creator, Lord, Zahn 314b), found in the NLGB No. 64 for Passiontide. "O wir armen Sünder" is found in the NLGB as No. 68, Passiontide (Zahn 8187) with music (https://books.google.com/books?id=UmVkAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA138#v=onepage&q&f=false). Bach set the hymn as a plain chorale, BWV 407 (http://www.bach-chorales.com/BWV0407.htm), as well as the melody also identified as "Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not" (Honour to you, Christ, you who suffered distress, Laus tibi, Christe qui pateris), the last stanza of "O wir armen Sünder," first published in Cyriakus Spangenberg's Christlichs Gesangbuch (1568, https://hymnary.org/text/ehre_sei_dir_christe_der_du_littest_not, which includes his melody for "Christe, du bist der helle Tag" (EG 469). "Christe, du bist der helle Tag" is found in the Neumeister organ chorale prelude, BWV 1097 (music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFEX2IpVvJc), and is set in the Orgelbüchlein as No. 5, BWV 603, for Advent with the alternate incipit, “Puer natus in Bethlehem” (Zahn 192b, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzYYHWN4cpw) and OB 31 as "O wir armen Sünder" for Passiontide but not set.
Source: Passiontide Devotional Chorales, Other Weiße Hymns (William Hoffman, February 20, 2018)

Vocal Works by J.S. Bach:

Chorale O wir armen Sünder!, BWV 407
Ref: RE 202; Br 202; KE 301; AmB 46II p.94; Penzel 135; BGA 154; BC F168.1; CST 312

German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach)

English Translation

1. O wir armen Sünder!
Unsre Missetat,
Darin wir empfangen
Und geboren sind,
Hat gebracht uns alle
In solche große Not,
Dass wir unterworfen
Sind dem ewigen Tod.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

1. Harpless sinners are we!
our offence is great!
Born in sin we all aere
And in evil state,
Sore have we invited
Our God's avenging ire,
And His condemnation,
Everlasting fire.
O Lord, hear us now!
O Christ, hear us now!
O Lord, hear us now!

2. Aus dem Tod wir konnten
Durch uns'r eigen Werke
Nimmer werdn gerettet,
Die Sünd war zu stark;
Dass wir würdn erlöset,
So konnts nicht anders sein,
Denn Gotts Sohn musst leiden
Des Todes bittre Pein.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

 

3. So nicht wär gekommen
Christus in die Welt
Und hätt angenommen
Unser arm Gestalt
Und für unsre Sünde
Gestorben williglich,
So hätten wir müssen
Verdammt sein ewiglich.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

3. Had not Christ come to us,
Born into this world,
Surely had we one day
Into hell been hurled!
But He can to save us,
And counted not the loss,
Shame and death endured,
Yea, the very Cross.
O Lord, hear us now!
O Christ, hear us now!
O Lord, hear us now!

4. Solche große Gnad und
Väterliche Gunst
Hat uns Gott erzeiget
Lauterlich umsonst
In Christo, seim Sohne,
Der sich gegeben hat
In den Tod des Kreuzes
zu unsrer Seligkeit.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

 

5. Des solln wir uns trösten
Gegen Sünd und Tod
Und ja nicht verzagen
Vor der Höllen Glut;
Denn wir sind gerettet
Aus aller Fährlichkeit
Durch Christ, unsern Herren,
Gelobt in Ewigkeit.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

 

6. Darum wolln wir loben,
Danken allzeit
Dem Vater und Sohne
Und dem Heilgen Geist;
Bitten, dass sie wollen
Behüten uns hinfort,
Und dass wir stets bleiben
Bei seinem heilgen Wort.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

Wherefor let us praise
Him with th'eternal host,
Blessed Son and Father
And the Holy Ghost!
Praying our petition
May at Their Throne be heard,
To keep us from evil
'neathGod's holy Word.
O Lord, hear us now!
O Christ, hear us now!
O Lord, hear us now!

7. Ehre sei dir, Christe,
Der du littest Not,
An dem Stamm des Kreuzes
für uns bittern Tod,
Herrschest mit dem Vater
In der Ewigkeit:
Hilf uns armen Sündern
Zu der Seligkeit.
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

 
   

Source of German Text: Bach Digital | Hymnary.org (6 verses) | Evangeliums.net
English Translation: Charles Sanford Terry | Source of English Translation: Charles Sanford Terry: The Four-Part Chorals of J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1929), pp 332-333
Another English Translation: Matthew Carver (2010) | Source of English Translation: Hymnoglypt
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2018)


Chorales BWV 250-438: Details and Recordings
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - N. Matt | Chorales - H. Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
Discussions: Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY / Chorales by Theme | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Passion Chorale
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438 | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Texts & Translations of Chorales BWV 250-438
Chorale Texts: Sorted by Title | Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [A. Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [C.S. Terry] | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions [T. Braatz] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [T. Braatz] | The World of the Bach Chorale Settings [W.L. Hoffman]
Hymnals: Hymnals used by Bach | Wagner Hymnal 1697 | Evangelisches Gesangbuch 1995 | Dietel Chorale List c1734
Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales




 

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Last update: Saturday, January 04, 2020 13:41