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Event: Chorale Cantata for the 3rd Day of Christmas [Christmas Tuesday, St John's Day]
Readings: Epistle: Hebrews 1: 1-14 / Ecclesiastical Letters 15: 1-8; Gospel: John 1: 1-14
Text: Kaspar Ziegler (Mvt. 1-6); Anon (Mvts. 2-5)
Chorale Text: Ich freue mich in dir |
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1 |
Chorus [S, A, T, B] |
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Cornetto col Soprano, Oboe d'amore I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo |
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Ich freue mich in dir
I rejoice in you
Und heiße dich willkommen,
and bid you welcome
Mein liebes Jesulein!
my dear little Jesus!
Du hast dir vorgenommen,
You have resolved
Mein Brüderlein zu sein.
to be my little brother.
Ach, wie ein süßer Ton!
Ah, what a sweet sound!
Wie freundlich sieht er aus,
How friendly he looks,
Der große Gottessohn!
the great son of God! |
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2 |
2. Aria [Alto] |
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Oboe d'amore I/II, Continuo |
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Getrost! es faßt ein heilger Leib
Be confident! a sacred body contains
Des Höchsten unbegreiflichs Wesen.
the incomprehensible being of the Almighty.
Ich habe Gott - wie wohl ist mir geschehen! -
How well things have turned out for me - I have
Von Angesicht zu Angesicht gesehen.
seen God face to face.
Ach! meine Seele muß genesen.
Ah! my soul must grow strong! |
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3 |
Recitative [Tenor] |
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Continuo |
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Ein Adam mag sich voller Schrecken
An Adam might be filled with terror
Vor Gottes Angesicht
and from God's face
Im Paradies verstecken!
hide himself in paradise!
Der allerhöchste Gott kehrt selber bei uns ein:
The most high God himself comes to dwell among us:
Und so entsetzet sich mein Herze nicht;
and so my heart is not afraid;
Es kennet sein erbarmendes Gemüte.
it knows his compassionate temper.
Aus unermeßner Güte
Out of his immeasurable kindness
Wird er ein kleines Kind
he becomes a small child
Und heißt mein Jesulein.
and is called my little Jesus. |
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4 |
Aria [Soprano] |
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Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo |
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Wie lieblich klingt es in den Ohren,
How dearly sounds in my ears
Dies Wort: mein Jesus ist geboren,
this word : my Jesus has been born,
Wie dringt es in das Herz hinein!
how it pierces to my heart!
Wer Jesu Namen nicht versteht
The person who does not understand Jesus' name
Und wem es nicht durchs Herze geht,
and whose heart is not touched by it
Der muß ein harter Felsen sein.
must be a hard rock. |
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5 |
Recitative [Bass] |
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Continuo |
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Wohlan, des Todes Furcht und Schmerz
Well then, the fear and sorrow of death
Erwägt nicht mein getröstet Herz.
are given no thought by my heart which has been comforted.
Will er vom Himmel sich
If he is willing to journey
Bis zu der Erde lenken,
from heaven to earth,
So wird er auch an mich
then he will also
In meiner Gruft gedenken.
think of me in my tomb.
Wer Jesum recht erkennt,
The person who truly knows Jesus
Wer stirbt nicht, wenn er stirbt,
does not die when he dies,
Sobald er Jesum nennt.
as soon as he names Jesus. |
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6 |
Chorale [S, A, T, B] |
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Cornetto e Oboe d'amore I e Violino I col Soprano, Oboe d'amore II e Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo |
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Wohlan, so will ich mich
Come then,I want
An dich, o Jesu, halten,
to hold on to you, Jesus,
Und sollte gleich die Welt
even if at once the world
In tausend Stücken spalten.
were to split in a thousand pieces.
O Jesu, dir, nur dir,
O Jesus, for you, only for you,
Dir leb ich ganz allein;
for you may I live wholly,
Auf dich, allein auf dich,
in you, alone in you,
Mein Jesu, schlaf ich ein.
my Jesus, may I sleep. |
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Note on the text |
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BWV 133 is a chorale cantata based on a hymn by Kaspar Ziegler (1697). Of the four strophes of the hymn the first and last are used word for word. The anonymous author of the text has used the second strophe for movements 2 and 3 of the cantata and the third strophe for movements 4 and 5. Within the recitatatives some lines of the hymn have been used word for word and set as arioso by Bach : these are underlined in the translation.
There is no direct reference to the day's readings (John 1: 1-14: prologue to gospel; Hebrews 1: 1-14: Christ is higher than the angels). Instead where the author of the cantata text inserts his own material he keeps close to the hymn, which praises the miracle that God has become the brother of mankind. Already in the Old Testament God appears to Jacob and his words I have seen God face to face and my soul is made well (Genesis,31) are applied in movement 2 to Christ's birth. In movement 3 the librettist inserts a wider comparison with the Old Testament: Adam had to hide from God's wrath (Genesis 3:8) ; but now God draws near as a friend and full of compassion. Finally the librettist again includes his own thoughts in movement 5: for Christians death has lost its power, and so God will also remember me when I lie in my grave. As in other chorale cantatas we see that the author of the cantata text adds explanatory, sermonising thoughts to the devout, contemplative hymn text. This is seen most clearly through the application to the situation of the individual Christian in movement 5 (so wird er auch an mich...gedenken).
(Based on Durr, Die Kantaten , p157-8) |
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English Translation by Francis Browne (April 2003)
Contributed by Francis Browne (April 2003) |
