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Cantata BWV 115
Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit
English Translation in Parallel Fo
Cantata BWV 115 - Make yourself ready, my spirit

Event: Chorale Cantata for the 22nd Sunday after Trinity
Readings:
Epistle: Philippians 1: 3-11; Gospel: Matthew 18: 23-35
Text:
Johann Burchard Freystein (Mvts. 1, 6); Anon (Mvts. 2-5)
Chorale Text:
Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Coro

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

 

Corno, Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore, Violino I/II e Viola all' unisono, Continuo

 

Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit,
Wache, fleh und bete,
Dass dich nicht die böse Zeit
Unverhofft betrete;
Denn es ist
Satans List
Über viele Frommen
Zur Versuchung kommen.

 

Make yourself ready, my spirit,
watch, and entreat and pray

so that the evil time
may not come upon you unawares;
for it is

the cunning of Satan
to lead many of the righteous
into temptation.

       

2

Aria A

2

Aria [Alto]

 

Oboe d'amore, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Ach schläfrige Seele, wie? ruhest du noch?
Ermuntre dich doch!
Es möchte die Strafe dich plötzlich erwecken
Und, wo du nicht wachest,
Im Schlafe des ewigen Todes bedecken.

 

Ah, slumbering soul, what? Do you still take your rest?
Bestir yourself now!
Punishment may suddenly awaken you

and if you're not awake
cover you in the sleep of everlasting death.

       

3

Recitativo B

3

Recitative [Bass]

 

Continuo

   
 

Gott, so vor deine Seele wacht,
Hat Abscheu an der Sünden Nacht;
Er sendet dir sein Gnadenlicht
Und will vor diese Gaben,
Die er so reichlich dir verspricht,
Nur offne Geistesaugen haben.
Des Satans List ist ohne Grund,
Die Sünder zu bestricken;
Brichst du nun selbst den Gnadenbund,
Wirst du die Hilfe nie erblicken.
Die ganze Welt und ihre Glieder
Sind nichts als falsche Brüder;
Doch macht dein Fleisch und Blut hiebei
Sich lauter Schmeichelei.

 

God who watches over your soul
has a horror of the night of sin;
he sends you the light of his grace

and for these gifts
which he promises to you so abundantly
He only wants you to have the eyes of your spirit open.
Satan's cunning is unfathomable

to catch sinners in his net;
if you now break the covenant of grace,
you will never obtain help.
the whole world and every part of it

are nothing but false brothers
and yet your flesh and blood see in them
pure flattery.

       

4

Aria S

4

Aria [Soprano]

 

Flauto traverso, Violoncello piccolo, Continuo

 

Flauto traverso, Violoncello piccolo, Continuo

 

Bete aber auch dabei
Mitten in dem Wachen!
Bitte bei der großen Schuld
Deinen Richter um Geduld,
Soll er dich von Sünden frei
Und gereinigt machen!

 

But you should also pray
while you are awake!
For your great guilt beg

for patience from your judge,
so that he may make you free
from sin
and purified!

       

5

Recitativo T

5

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Continuo

 

Continuo

 

Er sehnet sich nach unserm Schreien,
Er neigt sein gnädig Ohr hierauf;
Wenn Feinde sich auf unsern Schaden freuen,
So siegen wir in seiner Kraft:
Indem sein Sohn, in dem wir beten,
Uns Mut und Kräfte schafft
Und will als Helfer zu uns treten.

 

He longs for us to call out to him,
he turns his gracious ear to our cry;
if our enemies delight in our misfortune,
we shall conquer through his power:
since his son, in whom we pray,
creates courage and strength in us

and will come to us as our helper.

       

6

Choral

6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

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

 

Drum so lasst uns immerdar
Wachen, flehen, beten,
Weil die Angst, Not und Gefahr
Immer näher treten;
Denn die Zeit
Ist nicht weit,
Da uns Gott wird richten
Und die Welt vernichten.

 

Therefore let us always
be awake, entreat and pray,
since anguish, distress and danger

approach ever nearer;
for the time

is not far
when God will judge us
And destroy the world.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (August 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (August 2008)

Cantata BWV 115: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit for 22nd Sunday after Trinity (1724)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

BWV 115 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 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-6 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-4 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit [BWV 115/1,~2-5,6]

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




 

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Last update: Monday, January 09, 2023 14:22