Du lieber Heiland du (from 'St Matthew Passion')
German source:
Christian Friedrich Henrici Picander
Wenn deine Jünger töricht streiten,
Daß dieses fromme Weib
Mit Salben deinen Leib
Zum Grabe will bereiten,
So lasse mir inzwischen zu,
Von meiner Augen Tränenflüssen
Ein Wasser auf dein Haupt zu gießen!
Thou, dear Saviour (from 'The Matthew Passion')
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
When Thy disciples foolishly quarrel amongst themselves
As to whether this devout woman
Should prepare Thy body
With ointment for the grave,
Allow me to anoint Thy head
With rivers of tears from my eyes!
Du lieber Heiland du (from 'St Matthew Passion')
German source:
Christian Friedrich Henrici Picander
Thou, dear Saviour (from 'The Matthew Passion')
English source:
Richard Stokes
Du lieber Heiland du,
Thou, dear Saviour,
Wenn deine Jünger töricht streiten,
When Thy disciples foolishly quarrel amongst themselves
Daß dieses fromme Weib
As to whether this devout woman
Mit Salben deinen Leib
Should prepare Thy body
Zum Grabe will bereiten,
With ointment for the grave,
So lasse mir inzwischen zu,
Allow me to anoint Thy head
Von meiner Augen Tränenflüssen
With rivers of tears from my eyes!
Ein Wasser auf dein Haupt zu gießen!
Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebasian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Boroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the…
Poet
Christian Friedrich Henrici Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (1700 – 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig. Some of Bach's most important works used Henrici's libretti.…