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Text for Cantata 52
Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht

Original German Text

English Translation

1. SINFONIA

2. REZITATIV (Sopran)

Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht!
Hier muß ich unter Skorpionen
und unter falschen Schlangen wohnen.
Dein Angesicht,
das noch so freundlich ist,
sinnt auf ein heimliches Verderben:
wenn Jaob küßt,
so muß ein frommer Abner sterben.
Die Redlichkeit ist aus der Welt verbannt,
die Falschheit hat sie fortgetrieben,
nun ist die Heuchelei an ihrer Stelle blieben.
Der beste Freund ist ungetreu,
o jämmerlicher Stand!

Deceptive world, I do not trust you!
Here I must live among scorpions
and among deceptive snakes.
Your appearance,
which seems ever so friendly,
plots a underhanded demise:
by Joab's kiss
a pious Abner would die.*
Integrity is exiled from the world,
deception has expelled it,
now hypocrisy resides in its place.
A best friend is untrue,
O pathetic state!

3. ARIA (Sopran)

Immerhin, immerhin,
wenn ich gleich verstoßen bin!
Ist die falsche Welt mein Feind,
o so bleibt doch Gott mein Freund,
der es redlich mit mir meint.

So what, so what,
even if I am suddenly cast out!
If the deceptive world is my foe,
O, then God still remains my friend,
he means to be honest with me.

4. REZITATIV (Sopran)

Gott ist getreu!
Er wird, er kann mich nicht verlassen;
will mich die Welt und ihre Raserei
in ihre Schlingen fassen,
so steht mir seine Hilfe bei.
Auf seine Freundschaft will ich bauen
und meine Seele, Geist und Sinn
und alles, was ich bin,
ihm anvertrauen.

God is true!
He will not, he cannot forsake me;
should the world and its frenzy want
to snare me in its noose,
then his aid remains beside me.
Upon his friendship do I build,
and my soul, spirit and mind
and everything that I am
I entrust to him.

5. ARIA (Sopran)

Ich halt es mit dem lieben Gott,
die Welt mag nur alleine bleiben.
Gott mit mir, und ich mit Gott,
also kann ich selber Spott
mit den falschen Zungen treiben.

I keep next to my dear God,
let the world remain alone.
With God beside me, and me beside God,
thus I myself can dismiss
the derision of deceptive tongues.

6. CHORAL

In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr,
hilf, daß ich nicht zuschanden werd,
noch ewiglich zu Spotte!
Das bitt ich dich,
erhalte mich
in deiner Treu, Herr Gotte!

In you I have hoped, Lord,
help me not come to ruin
nor eternally be scorned!
This I pray you,
preserve me
in your faithfulness, Lord God!


*Joab was the nephew of King David and captain of his army. His brother Asahel was killed by Abner in combat, for which Joab took revenge by murdering Abner, to the sorrow of David. The kiss actually refers to Joab’s later Judas-like confrontation and murder of his own cousin Amasa.


COMPOSED: November 24, 1726 for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity
LIBRETTIST: unknown; Mvt 6. Adam Reusner, stanza 1 In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr (1533)
TRANSLATION: 2017 © Tobin Schmuck, NYC
Print by permission only, please. Click here.

Cantata BWV 52: Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht! for 23rd Sunday after Trinity (1726)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 52 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-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Italian-4 | Japanese-6 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: In dich hab' ich gehoffet, Herr [BWV 52/6]

English Translations (English-10): Index by BWV Number | Index by Title | Index 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: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 14:11