Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Complete Weihnachts-oratorium of JS Bach, Part I:V-IX

5. Choral (S, A, T, B)

Wie soll ich dich empfangen
Und wie begegn' ich dir?
O aller Welt Verlangen,
O meiner Seelen Zier!
O Jesu, Jesu, setze
Mir selbst die Fackel bei,
Damit, was dich ergötze,
Mir kund und wissend sei!

~

How shall I then receive thee
And how thy presence find?
Desire of ev'ry nation,
O glory of my soul!
O Jesus, Jesus,
Set out for me thy torch,
That all that brings thee pleasure
By me be clearly known.

~~~~~

6. Recitativo (T)

Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn
und wickelte ihn in Windeln
und legte ihn in eine Krippen,
denn sie hatten sonst keinen Raum in der Herberge.

~

And she brought forth her first-born son
and wrapped him in swaddling cloths
and laid him within a manger,
for they had no other room in the inn for them.

~~~~~

7. Choral S e Recitativo B

Er ist auf Erden kommen arm,

Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn,
Die unser Heiland vor uns hegt?

Dass er unser sich erbarm,

Ja, wer vermag es einzusehen,
Wie ihn der Menschen Leid bewegt?

Und in dem Himmel mache reich,

Des Höchsten Sohn kömmt in die Welt,
Weil ihm ihr Heil so wohl gefällt,

Und seinen lieben Engeln gleich.

So will er selbst als Mensch geboren werden.

Kyrieleis!

~

He is to earth now come so poor,

Who will the love then rightly praise
Which this our Savior for us keeps?

That he us his mercy show

Yea, is there one who understandeth
How he by mankind's woe is moved?

And in heaven make us rich

The Most High's Son comes in the world
Whose health to him so dear is held,

And to his own dear angels like.

So will he as a man himself be born now.

Kyrieleis!

~~~~~

8. Aria (B)

Großer Herr, o starker König,
Liebster Heiland, o wie wenig
Achtest du der Erden Pracht!

Der die ganze Welt erhält,
Ihre Pracht und Zier erschaffen,
Muss in harten Krippen schlafen.

~

Mighty Lord, O strongest sovereign,
Dearest Savior, O how little
Heedest thou all earthly pomp!

He who all the world doth keep,
All its pomp and grace hath fashioned,
Must within the hard crib slumber.

~~~~~

9. Choral (S, A, T, B)

Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein,
Mach dir ein rein sanft Bettelein,
Zu ruhn in meines Herzens Schrein,
Dass ich nimmer vergesse dein!

~

Ah my belove'd Jesus-child,
Make here thy bed, clean, soft and mild
For rest within my heart's own shrine,
That I no more fail to be thine!

~~~~~


~~~~~


The complete Christmas Oratorio is featured on All for Hymn
beginning at 6:00 PM ET on December 24, 2011
and running every 3 hours.

English Translation © Z. Philip Ambrose, translator,
Web publication: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach.
Used by permission.

Special thanks to counterpoint85 over on youtube
for posting the complete work.

The Complete Weihnachts-oratorium of JS Bach, Part I:II-IV

2. Recitativo (T)

[Evangelist]
Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit,
dass ein Gebot von dem Kaiser Augusto ausging,
dass alle Welt geschätzet würde.
Und jedermann ging,
dass er sich schätzen ließe,
ein jeglicher in seine Stadt.
Da machte sich auch auf Joseph aus Galiläa,
aus der Stadt Nazareth,
in das jüdische Land zur Stadt David,
die da heißet Bethlehem;
darum, dass er von dem Hause und Geschlechte David war:
auf dass er sich schätzen ließe mit Maria,
seinem vertrauten Weibe,
die war schwanger.
Und als sie daselbst waren,
kam die Zeit,
dass sie gebären sollte.

~

It occurred, however, at the time
that a decree from the Emperor Augustus went out
that all the world should be enrolled.
And everyone then went forth
to be enrolled,
each person unto his own city.
And then as well went up Joseph from Galilee
from the city of Nazareth
into the land of Judea to David's city
which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and of the lineage of David
to be enrolled there with Mary,
who was betrothed to be his wife,
and she was pregnant.
And while they were in that place,
there came the time
for her to be delivered.

~~~~~

3. Recitativo (A)

Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam,
Nun wird der Held aus Davids Stamm
Zum Trost, zum Heil der Erden
Einmal geboren werden.
Nun wird der Stern aus Jakob scheinen,
Sein Strahl bricht schon hervor.
Auf, Zion, und verlasse nun das Weinen,
Dein Wohl steigt hoch empor!

~

Now is my dearest bridegroom rare,
Now is the prince of David's stem
As earth's redeeming comfort
Here born in time amongst us.
Now will shine bright the star of Jacob,
Its beam e'en now breaks forth.
Rise, Zion, and abandon now thy weeping,
Thy fortune soars aloft.

~~~~~

4. Aria (A)

Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben,
Den Schönsten, den Liebsten bald bei dir zu sehn!
Deine Wangen
Müssen heut viel schöner prangen,
Eile, den Bräutigam sehnlichst zu lieben!

~

Prepare thyself, Zion, with tender affection,
The fairest, the dearest soon midst thee to see!
Thy cheeks' beauty
Must today shine much more brightly,
Hasten, the bridegroom to love with deep passion.

~~~~~


~~~~~

The complete Christmas Oratorio is featured on All for Hymn
beginning at 6:00 PM ET on December 24, 2011
and running every 3 hours.

English Translation © Z. Philip Ambrose, translator,
Web publication: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach.
Used by permission.

Special thanks to counterpoint85 over on youtube
for posting the complete work.

The Complete Weihnachts-oratorium of JS Bach, Part I:I

1. Coro (S, A, T, B)

Jauchzet, frohlocket! auf, preiset die Tage,
Rühmet, was heute der Höchste getan!
Lasset das Zagen, verbannet die Klage,
Stimmet voll Jauchzen und Fröhlichkeit an!


Dienet dem Höchsten mit herrlichen Chören,
Lasst uns den Namen des Herrschers verehren!

~~~~~

Triumph, rejoicing, rise, praising these days now,
Tell ye what this day the Highest hath done!
Fear now abandon and banish complaining,
Join, filled with triumph and gladness, our song!

Serve ye the Highest in glorious chorus,
Let us the name of our ruler now honor!

~~~~~


~~~~~

The complete Christmas Oratorio is featured on All for Hymn
beginning at 6:00 PM ET on December 24, 2011
and running every 3 hours.

English Translation © Z. Philip Ambrose, translator,
Web publication: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach.
Used by permission.

Special thanks to counterpoint85 over on youtube
for posting the complete work.

Beginning this evening: The Complete Weihnachts-oratorio

Starting this evening at 6:00 PM EDT, All for Hymn will present the complete Weihnachts-oratorio of JS Bach.  A new post will hit every 3 hours until 11:59 PM EDT on December 26.

Special thanks to counterpoint85 over on youtube for posting the complete work and to Z. Philip Ambrose who granted permission to use his translations over here at All for Hymn.  He has the translations of the entire vocal works over at the University of Vermont's website.  Check it out here.

For now, here's the instrumental work at the beginning of Movement II.