Cantata BWV 167
Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 167 - You people, sing the praises of God's love |
Event: Solo Cantata for the Feast of Nativity of St John the Baptist
Readings: Epistle: Isaah 40: 1-5; Gospel: Luke 1: 57-80
Text: Johann Gramann (Mvt. 5); Anon (Mvts. 1-4)
Chorale Text: Nun lob, mein' Seel', den Herren |
Biblical quotations in green font , chorales in purple |
|
Original German Text |
|
English Translation |
1 |
Aria T |
1 |
Aria [Tenor] |
|
Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo |
|
|
|
Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe
Und preiset seine Gütigkeit!
Lobt ihn aus reinem Herzenstriebe,
Dass er uns zu bestimmter Zeit
Das Horn des Heils, den Weg zum Leben
An Jesu, seinem Sohn, gegeben. |
|
You people, sing the praises of God's love
and extol his graciousness !
Glorify him with a pure impulse of your heart
that at the appointed time
the horn of salvation,the way to life
he has given to us in Jesus, his son. |
|
|
|
|
2 |
Recitativo A |
2 |
Recitative [Alto] |
|
Continuo |
|
|
|
Gelobet sei der Herr Gott Israel,
Der sich in Gnaden zu uns wendet
Und seinen Sohn
Vom hohen Himmelsthron
Zum Welterlöser sendet.
Erst stellte sich Johannes ein
Und musste Weg und Bahn
Dem Heiland zubereiten;
Hierauf kam Jesus selber an,
Die armen Menschenkinder
Und die verlornen Sünder
Mit Gnad und Liebe zu erfreun
Und sie zum Himmelreich in wahrer Buß zu leiten. |
|
Praised be the Lord God of Israel
who in his mercy turns to us
and sends his son
from heaven's high throne
to be the world's redeemer.
First John appeared
and had to make ready
the way and path for the saviour;
thereupon Jesus himself came
to make glad the poor children of mankind
and the lost sinners
with his grace and love
and to lead them to the kingdom of heaven in true repentance. |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Aria (Duetto) S A |
3 |
Aria (Duet) [Soprano, Alto] |
|
Oboe da caccia, Continuo |
|
|
|
Gottes Wort, das trüget nicht,
Es geschieht, was er verspricht.
Was er in dem Paradies
Und vor so viel hundert Jahren
Denen Vätern schon verhieß,
Haben wir gottlob erfahren. |
|
God's word does not deceive,
what he promises happens.
What in Paradise
and so many hundreds of years ago
he promised to our fathers
we - God be praised - have experienced. |
|
|
|
|
4 |
Recitativo B |
4 |
Recitative [Bass] |
|
Continuo |
|
|
|
Des Weibes Samen kam,
Nachdem die Zeit erfüllet;
Der Segen, den Gott Abraham,
Dem Glaubensheld, versprochen,
Ist wie der Glanz der Sonne angebrochen,
Und unser Kummer ist gestillet.
Ein stummer Zacharias preist
Mit lauter Stimme Gott vor seine Wundertat,
Die er dem Volk erzeiget hat.
Bedenkt, ihr Christen, auch, was Gott an euch getan
Und stimmet ihm ein Loblied an! |
|
The woman's seed came,
when the time was fulfilled;
the blessing that God promised
to Abraham,the hero of faith,
has broken upon us like the sun's brightness,
and our grief is stilled.
Zacharias , who was speechless, praises
God with loud voice for the miracle
which he has produced for his people.
Consider also, you Christians, what God has done for you
and begin to sing to him a song of praise! |
|
|
|
|
5 |
Choral |
5 |
Chorale [S, A, T, B] |
|
Clarino, Oboe, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo |
|
|
|
Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren
Gott Vater, Sohn, Heiligem Geist!
Der woll in uns vermehren,
Was er uns aus Genad verheißt,
Dass wir ihm fest vertrauen,
Gänzlich verlassn auf ihn,
Von Herzen auf ihn bauen,
Dass unsr Herz, Mut und Sinn
Ihm festiglich anhangen;
Darauf singn wir zur Stund:
Amen, wir werdns erlangen,
Gläubn wir aus Herzens Grund. |
|
Praise and glory with honour be
to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
May he increase in us
what he promised to us in his mercy
so that we may trust firmly in him
depend completely on him,
sincerely rely on him,
so that our heart, spirit and mind
may cling to him resolutely;
Therefore we now sing:
Amen, we shall achieve this,
we shall believe from the depths of our heart. |
|
|
|
|
This Translation in Interlinear Format |
English Translation by Francis Browne (May 2002) |
Contributed by Francis Browne (May 2002) |