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Cantata BWV 163
Nur jedem das Seine!
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 163 - Only to each his due!

Event: Solo Cantata for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: Philippians 3: 17-21; Gospel: Matthew 22: 15-22
Text: Salomo Franck (Mvts. 1-4); Johann Heermann (Mvt. 6)
Chorale Text: Wo soll ich fliehen hin

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Aria T

1

Aria [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Violoncello, Continuo

   
 

Nur jedem das Seine!
Muß Obrigkeit haben
Zoll, Steuern und Gaben,
Man weigre sich nicht
Der schuldigen Pflicht!
Doch bleibet das Herze dem Höchsten alleine.

 

Only to each his due!
Since the authorities must have
tolls, taxes and gift,
we should not refuse
the duty that we owe!
But our heart continues to belong to the Almighty alone.

       

2

Recitativo B

2

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Du bist, mein Gott, der Geber aller Gaben;
Wir haben, was wir haben,
Allein von deiner Hand.
Du, du hast uns gegeben
Geist, Seele, Leib und Leben
Und Hab und Gut und Ehr und Stand!
Was sollen wir
Denn dir
Zur Dankbarkeit dafür erlegen,
Da unser ganz Vermögen
Nur dein und gar nicht unser ist?
Doch ist noch eins, das dir, Gott, wohlgefällt:
Das Herze soll allein,
Herr, deine Zinsemünze sein.
Ach! aber ach! ist das nicht schlechtes Geld?
Der Satan hat dein Bild daran verletzet,
Die falsche Münz ist abgesetzet.

 

You are, my God, the giver of all gifts;
We have what we have
only from your hand.
You, you have given to us
spirit, soul, body and life
and property and goods and honour and status!
What should we
pay in gratitude,
since all our possessions
belong only to you and are not really ours at all ?
But there is stll one thing, God, that is pleasing to you :
the heart alone shall be,
Lord, the coin to pay the interest we owe to you.
Ah, but alas! is it not worthless currency?
Satan has damaged your image on it,
the counterfeit coin has been put in circulation.

       

3

Aria B

3

Aria [Bass]

 

Violoncello obligato I/II, Continuo

   
 

Laß mein Herz die Münze sein,
Die ich dir, mein Jesu, steure!
Ist sie gleich nicht allzu rein,
Ach, so komm doch und erneure,
Herr, den schönen Glanz bei ihr!
Komm, arbeite, schmelz und präge,
Dass dein Ebenbild bei mir
Ganz erneuert glänzen möge!

 

Let my heart be the coin
that I pay you!
If it is at first far from pure,
ah, then come and renew ,
Lord, its fine gleam!
Come, work on it, melt it amd stamp it
so that your image in me
completely renewed may shine forth!

       

4

Arioso (Duetto) S A

4

Arioso (Duetto) [Soprano, Alto]

 

Continuo

   
 

Ich wollte dir,
O Gott, das Herze gerne geben;
Der Will ist zwar bei mir,
Doch Fleisch und Blut will immer widerstreben.
Dieweil die Welt
Das Herz gefangen hält,
So will sie sich den Raub nicht nehmen lassen;
Jedoch ich muss sie hassen,
Wenn ich dich lieben soll.
So mache doch mein Herz mit deiner Gnade voll;
Leer es ganz aus von Welt und allen Lüsten
Und mache mich zu einem rechten Christen.

 

To you I wanted,
O God, to give my heart willingly;
I do indeed have the will
but flesh and blood are always striving against it.
So long as the world
keeps my heart prisoner,
it will not allow its loot to be taken away.
I must indeed hate the world.
if I am to love you.
Therefore make my heart full of your grace,
empty it completely of the world and all its pleasures
and make me a true Christian.

       

5

Aria (Duetto) S A

5

Aria (Duetto) [Soprano, Alto]

 

Violini e Viola all' unisono, Continuo

   
 

Nimm mich mir und gib mich dir!
Nimm mich mir und meinem Willen,
Deinen Willen zu erfüllen;
Gib dich mir mit deiner Güte,
Dass mein Herz und mein Gemüte
In dir bleibe für und für,
Nimm mich mir und gib mich dir!

 

Take me from myself amd give me to you!
Take me from myself and my will,
to fulfil your will.
Give yourself to me with your goodness
so that my heart and mind
may remain in you for ever.
Take me from myself amd give me to you!

       

6

Choral

6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Continuo

   
 

Führ auch mein Herz und Sinn
Durch deinen Geist dahin,
Dass ich mög alles meiden,
Was mich und dich kann scheiden,
Und ich an deinem Leibe
Ein Gliedmaß ewig bleibe.

 

Lead both my heart and mind
through your spirit away from here
so that I may avoid everything
that can separate me and you
and so that in your body
I may remain a member for ever.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format + Note on the Text

English Translation by Francis Browne (May 2005)

Contributed by Francis Browne (May 2005)

Cantata BWV 163: Nur jedem das Seine! for 23rd Sunday after Trinity (1715)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 163 Text: German-1 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-13 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-4 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Wo soll ich fliehen hin [BWV 163/6]

English Translations in Interlinear/Parallel Format (English-3): Sorted by BWV Number | Sorted by Title | Sorted by Event | Note on English Translations


Texts & Translations: Main Page | Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Other Vocal BWV 225-249 | Chorales BWV 250-438 | Geistliche Lieder BWV 439-507 | AMN BWV 508-524 | Other Vocal 1081-1164 | BWV Anh | Chorale Texts | Emblemata | Sources | Poets & Composers
Discussions: Texts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Translations: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4




 

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Last update: Monday, January 09, 2023 14:23