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Discussions: Texts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Translations: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4


Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott
Text and Translation of Chorale

EKG:
Author: Johann Christoph Rube (1692)
Chorale Melody: Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt | Composer: Johann Hermann Schein (1628)

 

Vocal Works by J.S. Bach:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Type

 

1

BWV 139

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A159:1

Chorus (Chorale) [S, A, T, B]

 

2~

BWV 139

Mvt. 2

1724

-

238

-

-

A159:2

Aria [T]

 

3~

BWV 139

Mvt. 4

1724

-

238

-

-

A159:5

Aria [B]

 

4~

BWV 139

Mvt. 5

1724

-

238

-

-

A159:5

Recitative [S]

 

5

BWV 139

Mvt. 6

1724

-

238

-

-

A159:6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 
 
 

German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach)

English Translation

1

Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott,
recht kindlich kann verlassen,
dem mag gleich Sünde, Welt und Tod
und alle Teufel hassen,
so bleibt er dennoch wohl vergnügt,
wenn er nur Gott zum Freunde kriegt.

Happy the man who on his God
Can rely just like a child,
Even though sin, the world and death
And all the devils may hate him,
Nevertheless he remains quite content
If only he has God as his friend.

2

Die böse Welt mag immerhin
mich hier und da befeinden,
kann sich nur mein Gemüt und Sinn
mit meinem Gott befreunden,
so frag ich nichts nach ihrem Haß!
Ist Gott mein Freund, wer tut mir was.

The evil world may always
Be hostile to me here and there,
but if my heart and mind
may be friends with God,
then I pay no attention to their hate.
If God is my friend , who does anything to me ?

3

Und ob ich gleich darüber oft
viel Unglück leiden müssen,
so hat Gott gleichwol unverhofft
mich wieder draus gerissen.
Da lern’ ich erst, daß Gott allein
der Menschen bester Freund muß sein.

And even if because of this [friendship]
much misfortune have to be endured
God has nonetheless unexpecxtedly
snatched me clear again from this.
Then I first learn that only God
must be a man’s best friend

4

Ja wenn gleich meiner Sünden Schuld
sich häuft in mir zusammen
wenn sie mir abspricht Gottes Huld
und will mich nur verdammen,
so fürcht’ ich doch dieselben nie,
denn Gott, mein Freund, vertilget sie.

Indeed if the guilt of my sins
Is piled upon me altogether
If I am denied by God's grace
And want only to condemn myself
Then I would still never be afraiid even then,
since God my friend destroys these things

5

Dahero trotz der Höllen-Heer!,
Trotz auch des Todes Rachen!
Trotz aller Welt! mich kann nicht mehr
ihr Pochen traurig machen.
Gott ist mein Freund, mein Schutz und Rat,
wohl dem, der Gott zum Freunde hat!

For this reason I defy the host of hell!
I defy also the jaws of death!
I defy the whole world! I can no longer
Be made sad by their blows.
God is my friend, my protection and adviser
Happy the man who has God for friend

--

   

Source of German Text: Freylinghausen’s neues geistreiches, 2nd Part (published in 1714), Song n° 552
Contributed by Dick Wursten (October 2011)
English Translation by Francis Browne (October 2011)
Contributed by Francis Browne (October 2011); Corrections by Marc Hug (June 2013)

Cantata BWV 139: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
German Text | Translations: Catalan-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-6 | English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7


Chorales BWV 250-438: Details and Recordings
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - N. Matt | Chorales - H. Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
Discussions: Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY / Chorales by Theme | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Passion Chorale
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438 | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Texts & Translations of Chorales BWV 250-438
Chorale Texts: Sorted by Title | Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [A. Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [C.S. Terry] | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions [T. Braatz] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [T. Braatz] | The World of the Bach Chorale Settings [W.L. Hoffman]
Hymnals: Hymnals used by Bach | Wagner Hymnal 1697 | Evangelisches Gesangbuch 1995 | Dietel Chorale List c1734
Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales

Texts & English Translations of Chorales: Sorted by Title

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: Friday, June 02, 2017 04:00