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Cantata BWV 80
Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott
Two English Translations (for Performance & “Literal”)
Cantate BWV 80 - A rock-walled fort is our God |
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Two Translations of the Libretto for J.S. Bach's Cantata "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" (BWV 80) |
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Here are two translations of J.S. Bach's Cantata BWV 80 – a roughly literal translation and a "performance" translation in which an effort has been made to keep the images and ideas at the same position in each line as in the German text, so that the musical "painting" of the ideas or images corresponds roughly to the position of the words in the actual text. An underscore ( _ ) in the text indicates the prolongation of a syllable. I give the performance translation first, followed by the more literal analytical translation, and finally by the German text. (The German text is given without the "umlaut" diacritical mark, using a trailing ‘e' following umlauted vowels instead. The "esstset" character is given as ‘ss'.)
The translations are new and my own, though I have read so many translations into English of Luther's hymn text (and several translations of the texts from Salomo Frank) that these translations sometimes feel like thoughtful composites of phrases from older sources. Even when translating anew, familiar old translations ride like an unheard harmony just below consciousness, affecting what one sees and what one misses. But picking and compiling also requires some art and artifice.
The performance translation follows Martin Luther's own advice to translate the sense of a text faithfully rather than just the words, but since the cantata is painting the German words musically, I have tried to fit the translation's words and images to the music even when the language might sound strange or awkward when read as prose. |
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ENGLISH (Text for Performance) |
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1 |
Choir |
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A rock-walled fort is ou_r God,
A good defense and weapon:
He helps us free from all our need,
What we now dread may happen.
The o_ld hate-filled foe,
Plans big trouble now.
Brute force and deep guile,
Make grim his armor's steel.
On earth is not his equal. |
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2 |
Duet: Aria by Bass with Chorale (below) sung by Soprano and Choir |
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B: All who are in God rebo_rn
Shall win vict'ry in their turn.
S: With our own might is nothing done.
We are full soon downridden.
There strives for us the just, right man,
Whom God Himself has bidden.
B: Who to Jesus' blood's banner
At their baptism truly swo_re,
Win in Spirit ever more.
S: Ask you who he is?
He's called Jesus Christ,
The Lord of Heaven's Hosts,
And it's no phony God. ["Und ist's kein andrer Gott.]
The field must he be winning. |
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3 |
Recitative (Bass) |
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Consider yet, God's chi_ld, this so inte_nse lo_ve,
That Christ himself
With his own blood for you wrote orders
By which he you
To battle against Satan's hosts and against world and sinning
Enlisted has!
Make not within your so_ul
For Satan and corruption space!
Let not your heart
(the Heaven of God here on Ear_th)
To wasteland wither!
Repe_nt you_r guilt with grief,
So Jesus' heart may now to yours bond strongly! |
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4 |
Aria (Soprano) |
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Come into my heart's house,
Lord Jesus, my desire!
Drive world and Satan out
and let your face in me shine with new fire!
Go, sin infection, out! |
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5 |
Chorale |
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And were our world all devils here
And wished us to devour,
Yet we'd not feel such awful fear,
Our fortunes should recover. |
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6 |
Recitative (Tenor) |
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So stand then by the Savior's blood bespattered banner,
O Soul, stand fast,
and trust this that your Captain won't desert,
trust that His win
you too the way to your own crown leads on!
Step gladly to the war!
If you'll just God's own Word
not only hear but follow,
Then shall the enemy, compe_lled, retrea_t;
Your Savior's still your life!
Your Savior's still your shield! |
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7 |
Duet for Alto and Tenor |
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How blessed yet are they with God's truth on their tongue_s,
More blessed is the heart that Him in trusting bears!
Unconquered that heart stands and can opponents fend off
And will at last be crowned when it e'en Death defeats. |
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8 |
Chorale |
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The Word they shall allow to stand,
and no thanks they'll get for it.
He's right beside us where we stand
close as his gifts and Spirit.
Take they from us this life,
goods, name, child, and wife,
If all these were gone,
they'd still have nothing won:
the Kingdom's ours forever. |
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ENGLISH (Roughly "Literal" Translation) |
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1 |
Choir |
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A strong walled castle is ou_r God,
a good defense and weapon:
He helps us free out of all need [trouble],
Which us presently has struck.
[Which has forcefully become the object of our concern or worry]
The old evil foe,
he means [his plans] earnestly now.
Great might and much guile,
are his horrible weapons,
On earth is not his equal. |
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2 |
Duet: Aria by Bass with Chorale (below) sung by Soprano and Choir |
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B: Everyone who's born of God, [i.e.born again in baptism]
Is for victory elected [picked out]
S: With our might is naught done [achieved, won]
We are right fast lost.
There strives for us {on our account) the right (or righteous or just) man,
Whom God [Him]self has elected [chosen].
B: [All] who by [or to] Christ's blood's banner
in baptism truly have sworn,
Wins in spirit on and on.
S: Ask you who he is?
He's called Jesus Christ,
The Lord Sabaoth,
And it's no other God.
The [battle]field must he seize[retain]. [Or – The field (battle) he must win.] |
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3 |
Recitative (Bass) |
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Consider yet, child of God, the so great love,
that Christ himself
with his blood to you wrote down [prescribed, put into written orders]
By which he you
To battle against Satan's hosts and against world and sinning [sins]
enlisted has!
Give not within your soul
to Satan and corruption place!
Let not your heart
the Heaven of God upon the earth,
to wasteland become!
Rue your guilt with sorrow,
So_that Christ's Spirit may now to yours bond strongly! |
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4 |
Aria (Soprano) |
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Come into my heart's house,
Lord Jesus, my desire!
Drive world and Satan out
and let your image in me renewed sparkle [shine, look good]!
Go, repulsive sins horror! |
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5 |
Chorale |
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And if the world full of devils were
And wished us to devour,
So worry we yet not so much,
Things should for us yet succeed.
The prince of this world,
how sour [stern, fierce] he acts;
Yet he does nothing to us,
that adds up to [means] he's been judged [i.e. tried and convicted]
A (or One) tiny (or mere) word can fell him. |
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6 |
Recitative (Tenor) |
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So stand then by Christ's blood-colored standard (flag) [i.e.enter active service]
O soul, [stand] fast [tightly, surely]
and believe [have faith or trust] that your Head [Captain] will not abandon you,
Yes, [trust] that his victory also to you the path to your crown makes!
Step joyfully to the war!
If you will only God's Word
hear and keep so will the enemy be compelled to depart
your Savior remains your salvation [or healing]!
your Savior remains your refuge [or protector]! |
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7 |
Duet for Alto and Tenor |
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How blessed yet are they
who carry God in their mouths,
Yet more blessed is the heart
which carries Him in [its] belief
[faith, trust]!
It remains unconquered and can
the [all] enemies strike
and will at last be crowned,
when it puts down (defeats) Death. |
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8 |
Chorale |
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The Word they shall allow to stand
and no thanks for it have.
He is with us well on the plain[battlefield]
with his Spirit and gifts.
Take they from us the body [life],
Goods, [good] name (reputation or honor), child, and wife,
If all [these] depart
They have [still] no winnings;
the Kingdom must to [for] us yet remain. |
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GERMAN |
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1 |
Choir |
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Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott,
Ein gute Wehr und Waffen:
Er hilft uns frei aus aller Not,
Die uns itzt hat betroffen.
Der alte boese Feind,
Mit Ernst er's jetzt meint.
Gross Macht und viel List
Sein grausam Ruestung ist,
Auf Erd is nicht seinsgleichen. |
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2 |
Duet: Aria by Bass with Chorale (below) sung by Soprano and Choir |
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B: Alles, was von Gott geboren,
Ist zum Siegen auserkoren.
S: Mit unsrer Macht ist nichts getan.
Wir sigar bald verloren.
Es streit't vor uns der rechte Mann,
Den Gott selbst hat erkoren.
B: Wer bei Christi Blutpanier
In der Taufe Treu geschworen,
Siegt im Geiste fuer und fuer.
S: Fragst du, wer er ist?
Er heisst Jesus Christ,
Der Herre Zebaoth,
Und ists [sic.] kein andrer Gott.
Das Feld muss er behalten. |
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3 |
Recitative (Bass) |
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Erwaege doch, Kind Gottes, die so grosse Liebe,
Da Jesus sich
Mit seinem Blute dir verschriebe,
Womit er dich
Zum Kriege wider Satans Heer und wider Welt und Suende
Geworben hat!
Gib nicht in deiner Seele
Dem Satan und den Lastern statt!
Lass nicht dein Herz,
Den Himmel Gottes auf der Erden,
Zur Wueste werden!
Bereue deine Schuld mit Schmerz,
Dass Christi Geist mit dir sich fest verbinde! |
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4 |
Aria (Soprano) |
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Komm in mein Herzens haus,
Herr Jesu, mein Verlangen!
Treib Welt und Satan aus
Und lass dein Bild in mir erneuert prangen!
Weg, schnoeder Suendengraus! |
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5 |
Chorale |
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Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel waer
Und wollten uns verschlingen,
So fuerchten wir uns nicht so sehr,
Es soll uns doch gelingen.
Der Fuerst dieser Welt,
Wie saur er sich stellt;
Tut er uns doch nicht,
Das macht, er ist gericht't,
Ein Woertlein kann ihn faellen. |
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6 |
Recitative (Tenor) |
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So stehe denn bei Christi blut-gefaerbter Fahne,
O Seele, fest
Und glaube, dass dein Haupt dich nicht verlaesst,
Ja dass sein Sieg
Auch dir den Weg zu deiner Krone bahne!
Tritt freudig an den Krieg!
Wirst du nur Gottes Wort
So hoeren und bewahren,
So wird der Feind gezwungen auszufahren,
Dein Heiland bleibt dein Heil!
Dein Heiland bleibt dein Hort! |
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7 |
Duet for Alto and Tenor |
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Wie selig sind doch die,
die Gott im Munde tragen,
Doch sel'ger ist das Herz,
das ihn im Glauben traegt!
Es bleibet unbesiegt
und kann die Feinde schlagen
Und wird zuletzt gekroent,
wenn es den Tod erlegt |
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8 |
Chorale |
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Das Wort sie sollen lassen stahn
Und kein'n Dank dazu haben.
Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan
Mit seinem Geist und Gaben.
Nehmen sie uns den Leib,
Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib,
Lass fahren dahin,
Sie habens kein'n Gewinn;
Das Reich muss uns doch bleiben. |
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English Translations by Paul H. Farseth
Translations Copyright © February, 2000, revised December 13, 2001
under the terms of the GNU General Public License. They may be freely reproduced if the copyrighted material is included unaltered with the distributed material and this copyright notice is also included.
Contributed by Paul H. Farseth (December 2001) |
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Cantatas BWV 80, BWV 80a & BWV 80b : Complete Recordings of BWV 80 | Recordings of Individual Movements from BWV 80 | Details of BWV 80a | Details of BWV 80b | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
BWV 80: German Text | Translations: Dutch | English-1 | English-6 | English-8 | English-10 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-3 |
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English Translations (English-8) : Sorted by BWV Number | Sorted by Title | Sorted by Event |
