Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

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


Cantata BWV 77
Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben
English Translation in Parallel Format
Cantata BWV 77 - You must love God, your Lord

Event: Cantata for the 13th Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: Galatians 3: 15-22; Gospel: Luke 10: 23-37
Text: Luke 10: 27 (Mvt. 1); Justus Gesenius / David Denicke (Mvt. 6); Anon (Mvts. 2-5) [based on text from Johann Oswald (?) Knauer cantata cycle]
Chorale Text: Wenn einer alle Ding verstünd (Chosen by Carl Friedrich Zelter) or O Gottes Sohn, Herr Jesu Christ (Recommended by NBA)

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Tromba da tirarsi, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren,
lieben von ganzem Herzen, von ganzer Seele,
von allen Kräften und von ganzem Gemüte
und deinen Nächsten als dich selbst.

 

You must love God, your Lord
with your whole heart, with your whole soul,
with all your strength and with your whole mind
and your neighbour as yourself.
Luke 10: 27

       

2

Recitativo B

2

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

So muss es sein!
Gott will das Herz vor sich alleine haben.
Man muss den Herrn von ganzer Seelen
Zu seiner Lust erwählen
Und sich nicht mehr erfreun,
Als wenn er das Gemüte
Durch seinen Geist entzündt,
Weil wir nur seiner Huld und Güte
Alsdenn erst recht versichert sind.

 

It must be so!
God wants to have your heart for Himself alone.
With our whole soul we must choose the Lord
as our delight
and rejoice no more
except when our minds
are kindled through his Spirit
since of his grace and goodness
only then are we assured.

       

3

Aria S

3

Aria [Soprano]

 

Oboe I/II, Continuo

   
 

Mein Gott, ich liebe dich von Herzen,
Mein ganzes Leben hangt dir an.
Laß mich doch dein Gebot erkennen
Und in Liebe so entbrennen,
Dass ich dich ewig lieben kann.

 

My God, I love you from my heart,
my whole life depends on you.
Let me then know what you command
and be so inflamed with love
that I am able to love you for ever.

       

4

Recitativo T

4

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Gib mir dabei, mein Gott! ein Samariterherz,
Dass ich zugleich den Nächsten liebe
Und mich bei seinem Schmerz
Auch über ihn betrübe,
Damit ich nicht bei ihm vorübergeh
Und ihn in seiner Not nicht lasse.
Gib, dass ich Eigenliebe hasse,
So wirst du mir dereinst das Freudenleben
Nach meinem Wunsch, jedoch aus Gnaden geben.

 

For this purpose, my God, give me the Samaritan’s heart
so that I can at once love my neighbour
and in his sorrow
feel concern for him
so that I shall not pass him by
and leave him in his distress.
Grant that I may hate self-love,
then you will grant me one day a joyous life
according to my desire, from your grace.

       

5

Aria A

5

Aria [Alto]

 

Tromba da tirarsi, Continuo

   
 

Ach, es bleibt in meiner Liebe
Lauter Unvollkommenheit!
Hab ich oftmals gleich den Willen,
Was Gott saget, zu erfüllen,
Fehlt mir's doch an Möglichkeit.

 

Ah, there remains in my love
real imperfection!
Often as soon as I try to carry out
God’s will as He has said
it is impossible for me.

       

6

Choral

6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Instrumentierung nicht überliefert

   
 

Herr, durch den Glauben wohn in mir,
Laß ihn sich immer stärken,
Dass er sei fruchtbar für und für
Und reich in guten Werken;
Dass er sei tätig durch die Lieb,
Mit Freuden und Geduld sich üb,
Dem Nächsten fort zu dienen.

 

Lord, through faith dwell in me,
let my faith become ever stronger
so that it may be ever fruitful
and rich in good works;
so that it may act through love,
with love and patience become accustomed
to serve my neighbour continually.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (September 2005)

Contributed by Francis Browne (September 2005)

Cantata BWV 77: Du sollst Gott, deinen Herren, lieben for 13th Sunday after Trinity (1723)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 77 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 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-2 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Italian-4 | Japanese-6 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Wenn einer alle Ding verstünd (Zelter) or O Gottes Sohn, Herr Jesu Christ (NBA) [BWV 77/6]

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




 

Back to the Top


Last update: Monday, January 09, 2023 14:26