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Cantata BWV 48
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen
English Translation in Parallel Fo
Cantata BWV 48 - Miserable man that I am

Event: Chorale Cantata for the 19th Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: Ephesians 4: 22-28; Gospel: Matthew 9: 1-8
Text: Romans 7: 24 (Mvt. 1); Martin Rutilius (Mvt. 3); Anon (Mvts. 2, 4-7)
Chorale Texts: Ach Gott und Herr | Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Tromba, Oboe I/II all' unisono, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 
 

Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes?

 

Miserable man that I am, who will free me from the body of this death?

       

2

Recitativo A

2

Recitative [Alto]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 
 

O Schmerz, o Elend, so mich trifft,
Indem der Sünden Gift
Bei mir in Brust und Adern wütet:
Die Welt wird mir ein Siech- und Sterbehaus,
Der Leib muss seine Plagen
Bis zu dem Grabe mit sich tragen.
Allein die Seele fühlet den stärksten Gift,
Damit sie angestecket;
Drum, wenn der Schmerz den Leib des Todes trifft,
Wenn ihr der Kreuzkelch bitter schmecket,
So treibt er ihr ein brünstig Seufzen aus.

 

O pain, O misery, that strikes me,
while the poison of sin
rages in my breast and veins:
the world becomes for me a house of sickness and death,
the body must bear its troubles
with it until the grave.
Only the soul feels the strongest poison,

with which it is infected;
therefore, when pain strikes the mortal body,
when the soul tastes the bitterness of the chalice of the cross,
this drives the soul to utter a burning sigh.

       

3

Choral

3

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Tromba e Oboe I/II e Violino I col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo

 

Solls ja so sein,
Dass Straf und Pein
Auf Sünde folgen müssen,
So fahr hie fort
Und schone dort
Und lass mich hie wohl büßen.

 

If it must indeed be so,
that punishment and pain
must follow upon sin,
then here continue [to treat me in this way]
and there take care of me
and let me here do penance.

       

4

Aria A

4

Aria [Alto]

 

Oboe solo, Continuo

 
 

Ach, lege das Sodom der sündlichen Glieder,
Wofern es dein Wille, zerstöret darnieder!
Nur schone der Seele und mache sie rein,
Um vor dir ein heiliges Zion zu sein.

 

Ah, may Sodom with its sinful members,
so far as it is your will, lie levelled and destroyed!
But take care of my soul and make it pure,
so that it may be a holy Zion before you.

       

5

Recitativo T

5

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Continuo

 
 

Hier aber tut des Heilands Hand
Auch unter denen Toten Wunder.
Scheint deine Seele gleich erstorben,
Der Leib geschwächt und ganz verdorben,
Doch wird uns Jesu Kraft bekannt:
Er weiß im geistlich Schwachen
Den Leib gesund, die Seele stark zu machen.

 

But here the Saviour's hand
does wonders even among the dead.
Although your soul appears to be dead,
your body weakened and quite ruined,
yet Jesus' power will be revealed to us:
for us who are weak in spirit he knows how to
make the body healthy, the soul strong.

       

6

Aria T

6

Aria [Tenor]

 

Violino I e Oboe all' unisono, Violino II, Viola, Continuo

 
 

Vergibt mir Jesus meine Sünden,
So wird mir Leib und Seele gesund.
Er kann die Toten lebend machen
Und zeigt sich kräftig in den Schwachen,
Er hält den längst geschlossnen Bund,
Dass wir im Glauben Hilfe enden.

 

If Jesus forgives me my sins,
then my body and soul will become healthy.
He can make the dead live
and shows himself to be mighty with those who are weak,
he keeps the covenant made long ago
that in faith we find help.

       

7

Choral

7

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Tromba e Oboe I/II e Violino I col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo

 

Herr Jesu Christ, einiger Trost,
Zu dir will ich mich wenden;
Mein Herzleid ist dir wohl bewusst,
Du kannst und wirst es enden.
In deinen Willen seis gestellt,
Mach's, lieber Gott, wie dir's gefällt:
Dein bleib und will ich bleiben.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, my only comfort,
I want to entrust myself to you;
the sorrow of my heart is well known to you,
you can and will end it.
In your will may it be arranged,
do, dear God, as is pleasing to you:
I remain yours and I want to remain yours.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (October 2002)

Contributed by Francis Browne (October 2002)

Cantata BWV 48: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen for 19th Sunday after Trinity (1723)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 48 Text: German-1 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Chinese 3 [BWV 48/3] | Chinese-3 [BWV 48/7] | Dutch-0 | Dutch-4 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-2 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Texts: Ach Gott und Herr [BWV 48/3] | Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir [BWV 48/7]

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 14:25