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Cantata BWV 85
Ich bin ein guter Hirt
English Translation in Parallel Fo
Cantata BWV 85 - I am a good shepherd

Event: Cantata for Misericordias Domini [2nd Sunday after Easter]
Readings: Epistle: 1 Peter 2: 21-25; Gospel: John 10: 12-16
Text: John 10: 11 (Mvt. 1); Cornelius Becker (Mvt. 3); Ernst Christoph Homburg (Mvt. 6); Anon (Mvts. 2, 4-5) (Probably Christiane Mariane von Ziegler)
Chorale Text: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt

Biblical quotations in green font, chorales in purple

 

Original German Text

 

English Translation

1

Aria B

1

Aria [Bass]

 

Oboe, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Ich bin ein guter Hirt,
ein guter Hirt lässt sein Leben für die Schafe.

 

I am a good shepherd,
A
good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

       

2

Aria A

2

Aria [Alto]

 

Violoncello piccolo, Continuo

   
 

Jesus ist ein guter Hirt;
Denn er hat bereits sein Leben
Für die Schafe hingegeben,
Die ihm niemand rauben wird.
Jesus ist ein guter Hirt.

 

Jesus is a good Shepherd;
for he has already given his life

for his sheep
And nobody shall rob him of them.
Jesus is a good Shepherd.

       

3

Choral S

3

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

Oboe I/II, Continuo

   
 

Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt,
Dem ich mich ganz vertraue,
Zur Weid er mich, sein Schäflein, führt
Auf schöner grünen Aue,
Zum frischen Wasser leit er mich,
Mein Seel zu laben kräftiglich
Durch selig Wort der Gnaden.

 

The Lord is my faithful shepherd
in whom I have complete trust,
he leads me, his little sheep, to the pasture

in a beautiful green meadow
he leads me to fresh water
to give powerful refreshment to my soul
through the blessed word of his grace.

       

4

Recitativo T

4

Recitative [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo

   
 

Wenn die Mietlinge schlafen,
Da wachtet dieser Hirt bei seinen Schafen,
So dass ein jedes in gewünschter Ruh
Die Trift und Weide kann genießen,
In welcher Lebensströme fließen.
Denn sucht der Höllenwolf gleich einzudringen,
Die Schafe zu verschlingen,
So hält ihm dieser Hirt doch seinen Rachen zu.

 

While hirelings sleep,
the shepherd watches over his sheep,
so that each in longed for peace

can relish the meadow and pasture,
in which flow living streams.
for if the wolf of hell should try to break in

to devour the sheep,
this Shepherd keeps wolf's jaws shut.

       

5

Aria T

5

Aria [Tenor]

 

Violino I/II, Viola all' unisono, Continuo

   

Seht, was die Liebe tut.
Mein Jesus hält in guter Hut
Die Seinen feste eingeschlossen
Und hat am Kreuzesstamm vergossen
Für sie sein teures Blut.

See, what love does.
My Jesus in his own safekeeping

keeps those who are his own firmly enclosed
and on the beam of the cross he has shed
for them his own precious blood.

       

6

Choral

6

Choral [S, A, T, B]

 

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

 

Ist Gott mein Schutz und treuer Hirt,
Kein Unglück mich berühren wird:
Weicht, alle meine Feinde,
Die ihr mir stiftet Angst und Pein,
Es wird zu eurem Schaden sein,
Ich habe Gott zum Freunde.

 

If God is my protection and faithful Shepherd
no misfortune can touch me:
go away, all my enemies

who cause me anguish and pain,
it will turn out to
be your own harm,
I have God for my friend.

       

This Translation in Interlinear Format

English Translation by Francis Browne (August 2008)

Contributed by Francis Browne (August 2008)

Cantata BWV 85: Ich bin ein guter Hirt for Misericordias Domini [2nd Sunday after Easter] (1725)
Discography: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements
Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

BWV 85 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-3 | French-4 | French-5 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hungarian-1 | Indonesian-1 | Italian-5 | Norwegian-1 | Polish-1 | Russian-1 | Russian-3 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-3 | Spanish-7 | Spanish/English-8
Chorale Texts: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt [BWV 85/3] | Ist Gott mein Schild und Helfersmann [BWV 85/6]

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