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Cantata BWV 55
Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 55 - I, a poor man

Event: Solo Cantata for the 22nd Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: Philippians 1: 3-11; Gospel: Matthew 18: 23-35
Text: Johann Rist (Mvt. 5); Anon (Mvts. 1-4)
Chorale Text: Werde munter mein Gemüte

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Aria T

1

Aria [Tenor]

 

Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore, Violino I/II, Continuo

 
 

Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht,
Ich geh vor Gottes Angesichte
Mit Furcht und Zittern zum Gerichte.
Er ist gerecht, ich ungerecht.
Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht!

 

I, wretched man , I, slave of sin,
I go before the face of God
with fear and trembling to judgement.
He is just, I am unjust,
I, wretched man , I, slave of sin!

       

2

Recitativo T

 

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Continuo

 

Ich habe wider Gott gehandelt
Und bin demselben Pfad,
Den er mir vorgeschrieben hat,
Nicht nachgewandelt.
Wohin? soll ich der Morgenröte Flügel
Zu meiner Flucht erkiesen,
Die mich zum letzten Meere wiesen,
So wird mich doch die Hand des Allerhöchsten finden
Und mir die Sündenrute binden.
Ach ja!
Wenn gleich die Höll ein Bette
Vor mich und meine Sünden hätte,
So wäre doch der Grimm des Höchsten da.
Die Erde schützt mich nicht,
Sie droht mich Scheusal zu verschlingen;
Und will ich mich zum Himmel schwingen,
Da wohnet Gott, der mir das Urteil spricht.

I have acted against God
and that path,
which he has prescribed for me,
I have not followed.
Where should I go?If I choose the wings of dawn
for my flight
to take me to the most distant sea,
yet the hand of the All Highest will find me
and punish me with the rods of sin.
Ah yes!
Even if Hell were to provide a bed
for me and my sins,
yet the wrath of the Highest would be there.
The earth does not protect me,
it threatens to swallow me, monstruosity that I am;
And if I want to raise myself to heaven,
there dwells God, who pronounces judgement on me.

       

3

Aria T

3

Aria [Tenor]

 

Flauto traverso, Continuo

 
 

Erbarme dich!
Laß die Tränen dich erweichen,
Laß sie dir zu Herzen reichen;
Laß um Jesu Christi willen
Deinen Zorn des Eifers stillen!
Erbarme dich!

 

Have mercy !
Let my tears soften you,
let them reach your heart;
For the sake of Jesus Christ
let your jealous anger be calmed!
Have mercy!

       

4

Recitativo T

4

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Erbarme dich!
Jedoch nun
Tröst ich mich,
Ich will nicht für Gerichte stehen
Und lieber vor dem Gnadenthron
Zu meinem frommen Vater gehen.
Ich halt ihm seinen Sohn,
Sein Leiden, sein Erlösen für,
Wie er für meine Schuld
Bezahlet und genug getan,
Und bitt ihn um Geduld,
Hinfüro will ich's nicht mehr tun.
So nimmt mich Gott zu Gnaden wieder an.

Have mercy!
Nevertheless
I take comfort,
I do not want to stand before the tribunal for judgement
and would rather go before the throne of mercy
to my holy Father.
I present to him his Son.
his suffering, his redemption,
how for my guilt he
has paid and done enough,
and I pray to him to be patient with me,
from now on I want to commit sins no more.
In this way God takes me into his grace once more.

       

5

Choral

5

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Flauto traverso e Oboe e Violino I col Soprano, Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo

 

Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen,
Stell ich mich doch wieder ein;
Hat uns doch dein Sohn verglichen
Durch sein Angst und Todespein.
Ich verleugne nicht die Schuld,
Aber deine Gnad und Huld
Ist viel größer als die Sünde,
Die ich stets bei mir befinde.

 

Though I have abandoned you,
I give myself back to you again;
your son has settled accounts for us
through his anguish and the pain of his death
I do not deny my guilt
but your grace and mercy
is far greater than the sins
which I continually find in myself.

   
       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (October 2002)

Contributed by Francis Browne (October 2002)

Cantata BWV 55: Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht for 22nd Sunday after Trinity (1726)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 55 Text: German-1 | German-2 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-3 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Italian-4 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Werde munter mein Gemüte [BWV 55/5]

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