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Cantata BWV 8
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?
English Translation in Interlinear Format
Cantata BWV 8 - Dearest God, when shall I die?

Event: 16th Sunday after Trinity
Reading: Epistle: Ephesians 3: 13-21; Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17
Text: Caspar Neumann (Mvts. 1, 6); Anon (Mvts. 2-5)
Chorale Text: Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

1

Chorus [S, A, T, B]

Corno col Soprano, Flauto traverso, Oboe d'amore I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?
Dearest God, when shall I die?
Meine Zeit läuft immer hin,
My time runs continually away
Und des alten Adams Erben,
and the heirs of old Adam,
Unter denen ich auch bin,
among whom I also am included,
Haben dies zum Vaterteil,
inherit this from their father
Dass sie eine kleine Weil
that they for a short while
Arm und elend sein auf Erden
are poor and wretched on earth
Und denn selber Erde werden.
and then themselves become earth.

2

Aria [Tenor]

Oboe d'amore, Continuo

Was willst du dich, mein Geist, entsetzen,
What makes you so alarmed, my spirit,
Wenn meine letzte Stunde schlägt?
if my last hour strikes?
Mein Leib neigt täglich sich zur Erden,
My body everyday inclines to the earth
Und da muss seine Ruhstatt werden,
and there must become my resting place,
Wohin man so viel tausend trägt
.
where so many thousands are carried.

3

Recitative ]Alto]

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

Zwar fühlt mein schwaches Herz
Indeed my feeble heart feels
Furcht, Sorge, Schmerz:
fear, care, pain:
Wo wird mein Leib die Ruhe finden?
where will my body find rest?
Wer wird die Seele doch
By whom will my soul
Vom aufgelegten Sündenjoch
from the burden of sin laid upon it
Befreien und entbinden?
be set free and released ?
Das Meine wird zerstreut,
Wht belongs to me will be dispersed
Und wohin werden meine Lieben
and where will those I love
In ihrer Traurigkeit
in their sorrow
Zertrennt vertrieben?
be driven apart and away?

4

Aria [Bass]

Flauto traverso, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

Doch weichet, ihr tollen, vergeblichen Sorgen!
Go away,you foolish, futile anxieties!
Mich rufet mein Jesus: wer sollte nicht gehn?
My Jesus calls me : who would not go to him?
Nichts, was mir gefällt,
Besitzet die Welt.
Nothing the world posseses gives me pleasure
Erscheine mir, seliger, fröhlicher Morgen,
May the blessed , joyful day dawn for me,
Verkläret und herrlich vor Jesu zu stehn.
transfigured and glorious to stand before Jesus.

5

Recitative [Soprano]

Continuo

Behalte nur, o Welt, das Meine!
You can keep, o world, what belongs to me!
Du nimmst ja selbst mein Fleisch und mein Gebeine,
Since you will indeed take my flesh and bones,
So nimm auch meine Armut hin;
take also my poverty;
Genug, dass mir aus Gottes Überfluss
it is enough, that from God’s abundance
Das höchste Gut noch werden muss,
the greatest good must be mine,
Genug, dass ich dort reich und selig bin.
enough, that there in heaven I shall be rich and blessed
Was aber ist von mir zu erben,
What is my inheritance
Als meines Gottes Vatertreu?
but the faithfulness of God my father?
Die wird ja alle Morgen neu
This is new every morning
Und kann nicht sterben.
and cannot die.

6

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

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

Herrscher über Tod und Leben,
Lord over life and death
Mach einmal mein Ende gut,
grant me finally a good end,
Lehre mich den Geist aufgeben
teach me to give up my spirit
Mit recht wohlgefasstem Mut.
in calm self-possession.
Hilf, dass ich ein ehrlich Grab
Help me, so that I may have an honourable grave
Neben frommen Christen hab
among pious Christians
Und auch endlich in der Erde
and also finally in the earth
Nimmermehr zuschanden werde!
never suffer harm.

--

This Translation in Parallel Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (August 2006)
Contributed by Francis Browne (August 2006)

Cantata BWV 8: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? for 16th Sunday after Trinity (1724)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 8 Text: German-1 | German-2 | German-6 | German-7 (1) | German-7 (2) | NBA Text
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | English-10 | English-13 | English-14
Arabic-1 | Catalan-1 | Chinese-1 | Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-2 | Dutch-3 | French-1 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-2 | Japanese-6 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Text: Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben [BWV 8/1,6]

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 14:26