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Cantata BWV 13
Meinen Seufzer, meine Tränen
English Translation in Parallel For
Cantata BWV 13 - My sighs, my tears

Event: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Readings: Epistle: Romans 12: 6-16; Gospel: John 2: 1-11
Text: Georg Christian Lehms (Mvts. 1-2, 4-5); Johann Heermann (Mvt. 3); Paul Fleming (Mvt. 6)
Chorale Texts:
Zion klagt mit Angst und Schmerzen | In allen meinen Taten

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Aria T

1

Aria [Tenor]

 

Flauto dolce I/II, Oboe da caccia, Continuo

   
 

Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen
Können nicht zu zählen sein.
Wenn sich täglich Wehmut findet
Und der Jammer nicht verschwindet,
Ach! so muss uns diese Pein
Schon den Weg zum Tode bahnen.

 

My sighs, my tears
cannot be counted.
If sorrow is found everyday

and lamentation never disappears,
ah! then this pain must

already be leading us on the way to death.

       

2

Recitativo A

2

Recitative [Alto]

 

Continuo

   
 

Mein liebster Gott lässt mich
Annoch vergebens rufen
Und mir in meinem Weinen
Noch keinen Trost erscheinen.
Die Stunde lässet sich
Zwar wohl von ferne sehen,
Allein ich muss doch noch vergebens flehen.

 

My dearest God still leaves me
to cry in vain
and for me in my weeping
still no comfort appears.
The hour may
indeed be seen far away in the distance,
but I must still beg for help in vain.

       

3

Choral A

3

Chorale [Alto]

 

Flauto dolce I/II e Oboe da caccia coll'Alto, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

 

Der Gott, der mir hat versprochen
Seinen Beistand jederzeit,
Der lässt sich vergebens suchen
Jetzt in meiner Traurigkeit.
Ach! Will er denn für und für
Grausam zürnen über mir,
Kann und will er sich der Armen
Itzt nicht wie vorhin erbarmen?

 

God who has promised me
his support at all times
let himself be sought in vain
now in my sadness.
Ah! will he then forever

be grimly angry with me,
on those who are poor can he and will he not

feel compassion now as before?

       

4

Recitativo S

4

Recitative [Soprano]

 

Continuo

   
 

Mein Kummer nimmet zu
Und raubt mir alle Ruh,
Mein Jammerkrug ist ganz mit Tränen angefüllet,
Und diese Not wird nicht gestillet,
So mich ganz unempfindlich macht.
Der Sorgen Kummernacht
Drückt mein beklemmtes Herz darnieder,
Drum sing ich lauter Jammerlieder.
Doch, Seele, nein,
Sei nur getrost in deiner Pein:
Gott kann den Wermutsaft gar leicht in Freudenwein verkehren
Und dir alsdenn viel tausend Lust gewähren.

 

My sorrow increases
and robs me of all peace,
my cup of misery is completely filled with tears,
and this distress will not be soothed

That makes me so insensitive.
The night of care and sorrow

presses and weighs down on my heart,
and so I sing only songs of sorrow.
But now my soul

be consoled in your pain:
God can turn the taste of wormwood
very easily into the wine of joy

And grant you then many thousand joys.

       

5

Aria B

5

Aria [Bass]

 

Violino solo, Flauto dolce I/II all' unisono, Continuo

   
 

Ächzen und erbärmlich Weinen
Hilft der Sorgen Krankheit nicht;
Aber wer gen Himmel siehet
Und sich da um Trost bemühet,
Dem kann leicht ein Freudenlicht
In der Trauerbrust erscheinen.

 

Groaning and pitiful weeping
are no help to the sickness of care;
but whoever looks towards heaven

and strive to find comfort there
for that person easily can a light of joy

appear in his grieving breast.

       

6

Choral

6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

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

 

So sei nun, Seele, deine
Und traue dem alleine,
Der dich erschaffen hat;
Es gehe, wie es gehe,
Dein Vater in der Höhe,
Der weiß zu allen Sachen Rat.

 

Then be now, my soul, true to yourself
and trust alone in him
who has created you
no matter what may happen
your father on high
knows what to counsel in all circumstances.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (July 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (July 2008)

Cantata BWV 13: Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen for 2nd Sunday after Epiphany (1726)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

BWV 13 Text: German-1 | German-2 | German-6 | German-7 | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-13 | English-14
Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Danish-1 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-2 | Dutch-3 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Polish-2 | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Texts: Zion klagt mit Angst und Schmerzen [BWV 13/3] | In allen meinen Taten [BWV 13/6]

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