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Cantata BWV 198
Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 198 - Let, Princess, let one more ray

Event: Funeral Ode on the Decease of the Consort of Augustus the Strong - Christiane Eberhardine, Queen of Poland and Electoral Princess of Saxony
Text: Johann Christoph Gottsched

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

 

Erster Teil

 

First Part

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto traverso I/II, Oboe d'amore I/II, Viola da gamba I/II, Liuto I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Laß, Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl
Aus Salems Sterngewölben schießen.
Und sich, mit wieviel Tränengüssen
Umringen wir dein Ehrenmal.

 

Let, Princess, let one more ray
Shoot from Salem's starry vaults.
And see, with how many floods of tears
we surround your memorial.

       

2

Recitativo S

2

Recitative [Soprano]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Dein Sachsen, dein bestürztes Meißen
Erstarrt bei deiner Königsgruft;
Das Auge tränt, die Zunge ruft:
Mein Schmerz kann unbeschreiblich heißen!
Hier klagt August und Prinz und Land,
Der Adel ächzt, der Bürger trauert,
Wie hat dich nicht das Volk bedauert,
Sobald es deinen Fall empfand!

 

Your Saxony, your dismayed Meissen
stand numb at your royal tomb;
the eye weeps, the tongue calls:
my grief can be called indescribable!
Here lament Augustus and Prince and country,
the nobility groans, citizens mourn,
how have people not lamented you
as soon as they learnt of your death!

       

3

Aria S

3

Aria [Soprano]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Verstummt, verstummt, ihr holden Saiten!
Kein Ton vermag der Länder Not
Bei ihrer teuren Mutter Tod,
O Schmerzenswort! recht anzudeuten.

 

Be silent, be silent, you sweet strings!
no sound could express the country's distress
at the death of their dear mother,
Oh sorrowful word!

       

4

Recitativo A

4

Recitative [Alto]

 

Flauto traverso I/II, Oboe d'amore I/II, Viola da gamba I/II, Liuto I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Der Glocken bebendes Getön
Soll unsrer trüben Seelen Schrecken
Durch ihr geschwungnes Erze wecken
Und uns durch Mark und Adern gehn.
O, könnte nur dies bange Klingen,
Davon das Ohr uns täglich gellt,
Der ganzen Europäerwelt
Ein Zeugnis unsres Jammers bringen!

 

The bells' reverberating sound
shall awaken dread in our troubled souls
with its vibrating bronze
And go through our marrow and veins.
Oh if only this fearful sound
that resounds each day in our ears
could give to all of Europe
A witness of our sorrow!

       

5

Aria A

5

Aria [Alto]

 

Viola da gamba I/II, Liuto I/II, Continuo

   
 

Wie starb die Heldin so vergnügt!
Wie mutig hat ihr Geist gerungen,
Da sie des Todes Arm bezwungen,
Noch eh er ihre Brust besiegt.

 

How contentedly the heroine died!
how courageously her spirit struggled
as death's arm overcame her,
before he conquered her breast.

       

6

Recitativo T

6

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Oboe d'amore I/II, Continuo

   
 

Ihr Leben ließ die Kunst zu sterben
In unverrückter Übung sehn;
Unmöglich konnt es denn geschehn,
Sich vor dem Tode zu entfärben.
Ach selig! wessen großer Geist
Sich über die Natur erhebet,
Vor Gruft und Särgen nicht erbebet,
Wenn ihn sein Schöpfer scheiden heißt.

 

In her life the art of dying
could be seen steadfastly practiced;
it was therefore not possible

For her to turn pale at the prospect of death.
Ah blessed is the person whose spirit

is raised above nature,
and does not tremble before tomb and coffin,
when called by its creator to depart.

       

7

Coro

7

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto traverso I/II, Oboe d'amore I/II, Viola da gamba I/II, Liuto I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

An dir, du Fürbild großer Frauen,
An dir, erhabne Königin,
An dir, du Glaubenspflegerin,
War dieser Großmut Bild zu schauen.

 

In you, model of great women,
in you, exulted Queen,
in you, defender of the faith

Was this image of a great soul to be seen.

       
 

Zweiter Teil

 

Second Part

8

Aria T

8

Aria [Tenor]

 

Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore, Viola da gamba I/II, Violino I/II, Liuto I/II, Continuo

 

Der Ewigkeit saphirnes Haus
Zieht, Fürstin, deine heitern Blicke
Von unsrer Niedrigkeit zurücke
Und tilgt der Erden Dreckbild aus.
Ein starker Glanz von hundert Sonnen,
Der unsern Tag zur Mitternacht
Und unsre Sonne finster macht,
Hat dein verklärtes Haupt umsponnen.

 

Eternity's sapphire house
draws, Princess, your serene gaze
away from our lowly state
And wipes away the sordid image of the Earth.
A powerful radiance of a hundred suns,

that turns our day into midnight
and makes our sun dark,
Has surrounded your transfigured head.

       

9

Recitativo B

9

Recitative [Bass]

 

Flauto traverso I/II, Oboe I/II, Continuo

   
 

Was Wunder ists? Du bist es wert,
Du Fürbild aller Königinnen!
Du musstest allen Schmuck gewinnen,
Der deine Scheitel itzt verklärt.
Nun trägst du vor des Lammes Throne
Anstatt des Purpurs Eitelkeit
Ein perlenreines Unschuldskleid
Und spottest der verlassnen Krone.

 

What wonder is it? You deserve this,
You model of all queens!
You had to gain all the adornment

that now transfigures the crown of your head.
Now you wear before the throne of the Lamb

instead of purple's vanity
a robe of innocence pure as pearl
And you mock the crown you have left behind.

 

Soweit der volle Weichselstrand,
Der Niester und die Warthe fließet,
Soweit sich Elb' und Muld' ergießet,
Erhebt dich Stadt und Land.

 

As far as the full banks of the Vistula,
where the Niester and the Warthe flow,
as far as the Elbe and Mulde roll,
town and country exalt you.

 

Dein Torgau geht im Trauerweide,
Dein Pretzsch wird kraftlos, starr und matt;
Denn da es dich verloren hat,
Verliert es seiner Augen Weide.

 

Your Torgau wears mourning dress
Your Pretzsch becomes weak, stiff and dull;
since it has lost you,

it has lost the delight of its eyes.

       

10

Coro

10

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto traverso I/II, Oboe d'amore I/II, Viola da gamba I/II, Liuto I/II, Violino I/II, Continuo

 

Doch, Königin! du stirbest nicht,
Man weiß, was man an dir besessen;
Die Nachwelt wird dich nicht vergessen,
Bis dieser Weltbau einst zerbricht.
Ihr Dichter, schreibt! wir wollens lesen:
Sie ist der Tugend Eigentum,
Der Untertanen Lust und Ruhm,
Der Königinnen Preis gewesen.

 

Yet, Queen, you do not die,
we know what we possessed in you;
posterity will not forget you,
Until one day this world is shattered.
You poets, write! We want to read this:
she is the property of virtue,
the delight and fame of her subjects,
the glory of queens.

     

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (April 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (April 2008)

Cantata BWV 198: Laß, Fürstin, laß einen Strahl for Funeral Ode (1727)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

BWV 198 Text: German-1 | German-2 | German-6
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 (Rust) | English-6 (Rust, no chorales) | English-10 | English-13
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-4 | French-2 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-5 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-4 | Spanish-7

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 14:24