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German Original
Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange?
1. Recitativo S
Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange?
Des Jammers ist zuviel,
Ich sehe gar kein Ziel
Der Schmerzen und der Sorgen!
Dein süßer Gnadenblick
Hat unter Nacht und Wolken sich verborgen,
Die Liebeshand zieht sich, ach! ganz zurück,
Um Trost ist mir sehr bange.
Ich finde, was mich Armen täglich kränket,
Der Tränen Maß wird stets voll eingeschenket,
Der Freuden Wein gebricht;
Mir sinkt fast alle Zuversicht.
2. Aria (Duetto) A T
Du mußt glauben, du mußt hoffen,
Du mußt gottgelassen sein!
Jesus weiß die rechten Stunden,
Dich mit Hilfe zu erfreun.
Wenn die trübe Zeit verschwunden,
Steht sein ganzes Herz dir offen.
3. Recitativo B
So sei, o Seele, sei zufrieden!
Wenn es vor deinen Augen scheint,
Als ob dein liebster Freund
Sich ganz von dir geschieden;
Wenns er dich kurze Zeit verläßt,
Herz! glaube fest,
Es wird ein Kleines sein,
Da er für bittre Zähren
Den Trost- und Freudenwein
Und Honigseim für Wermut will gewähren!
Ach! denke nicht,
Daß er von Herzen dich betrübe,
Er prüfet nur durch Leiden deine Liebe,
Er machet, daß dein Herz bei trüben Stunden
weine,
Damit sein Gnadenlicht
Dir desto lieblicher erscheine;
Er hat, was dich ergötzt,
Zuletzt
Zu deinem Trost dir vorbehalten;
Drum laß ihn nur, o Herz, in allem walten!
4. Aria S
Wirf, mein Herze, wirf dich noch
In des Höchsten Liebesarme,
Daß er deiner sich erbarme.
Lege deiner Sorgen Joch,
Und was dich bisher beladen,
Auf die Achseln seiner Gnaden.
5. Choral
Ob sichs anließ, als wollt er nicht,
Laß dich es nicht erschrecken,
Denn wo er ist am besten mit,
Da will ers nicht entdecken.
Sein Wort laß dir gewisser sein,
Und ob dein Herz spräch lauter Nein,
So laß doch dir nicht grauen.
Besetzung
Soli: S A T B, Coro: S A T B, Fagotto, Violino
I/II, Viola,
Continuo Entstehungszeit
19. Januar 1716 Text
Salomo Franck 1715; 5. Paul Speratus 1524
Anlass
2. Sonntag nach Epiphanias
Salomo Franck, Evangelisches
Andachts-Opffer...in geistlichen
Cantaten (Weimar, 1715); Facs:
Neumann T, p. 276; PT (Leipzig, 1724); Facs:
Neumann T, p. 423.
5. Paul Speratus, verse 12 of "Es ist
das Heil uns kommen
her," 1524 (Wackernagel, III, #55).
19 January 1716, Weimar; again 16 January 1724, Leipzig?
from Bach Cantata Page
Created by Walter F. Bischof
Used with permission
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English Translation
1. Recit. (S)
My God, how long, how long then?
Of grief there is too much,
I see no end at all
Of yearning and of sorrow!
Thy soothing face of grace
Beneath the
night & clouds itself hath hidden;
Thy hand of love, is now, ah, quite withdrawn;
For comfort I'm most anxious.
I find now, to this wretch's daily anguish,
My cup of tears is ever full replenished,
The joyful wine doth fail;
And falls nigh all my confidence!
2. Aria (A, T)
Thou must trust now, thou must hope now,
Thou must rest assured in God!
Jesus knows the proper hour,
Thee with help to fill with joy.
When this troubled time is over,
All his heart shall thee lie open.
3. Recit. (B)
So be, O spirit, be contented!
If it should to thine eyes appear
As if thy dearest friend
Were e'er from thee now parted,
When he a short time thee hath left,
Heart, keep thy faith:
A short time will it be,(1)
When he for bitter weeping
The wine of hope and gladness,
And honey sweet for bitter gall will grant thee!(2)
Ah, do not think
That he delights to bring thee sadness;
He only tests through sorrow thine affection;
He maketh now thy heart to weep through cheerless hours,
So that his gracious light
To thee appear e'en still more lovely;
He hath reserved thy joy
For last,
To thy delight and consolation;
So yield to him, O heart, in all things power!(3)
4. Aria (S)
Cast, my heart now, cast thyself
In the Highest's loving bosom,
That he grant to thee his mercy.
Lay now all thy sorrows' yoke,
All that thee till now hath burdened,
On the shoulders of his mercy.
5. Chorale (S, A, T, B)
Though it should seem he were opposed,
Be thou by this not frightened,
For where he is at best with thee,
His wont is not to show it.
His word take thou more certain still,
And though thy heart say only "No,"
Yet let thyself not shudder.
1. Cf. BWV 12/6: Herz! glaube fest, alle Pein/ Wird doch
nur ein Kleines sein.
2. Cf. the punning metamorphosis from bad to good in BWV
12/10: Verwandle dich, Weinen, in lauteren Wein,/ Es wird nun mein Ächzen
ein Jauchzen mir sein!
3. Cf. Samuel Rodigast, the final line of "Was Gott tut,
das ist wohlgetan."
English translation:
© Copyright Z. Philip Ambrose
Used with permission. Visit his site:
www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/
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Commentary
by David Smith
1. In the opening recitative the believer cries out "My
God, how long?" (The believer is represented in this cantata by the
soprano.) He sees no end to his grief. The "soothing face of Grace"
is concealed in darkness and clouds. The wine of joy has failed, the cup
of tears is full, and his confidence has fallen away.
2. In the duet that follows, the believer is exhorted
to trust, hope, and rest assured in God. Jesus knows the proper hour
for his restoration - "mine hour is not yet come (John 2:4)." God's
heart will be open to him again when the time comes. The first step of
transformation is trust. The tone of the music is humble yet hopeful.
There are to be no grand resolutions but a steady, humble, step by step
effort to trust in God and this is reflected in the subdued but purposeful
rhythm of the duet. The music conveys a sense of aspiration for God in
the midst of troubles
3. In the second recitative, the believer is exhorted
not to trust in his feelings if God seems to be absent for a time. He is
to think of the wine of joy that God will give in exchange for this sadness.
God does not delight in his sadness but is only testing him so that God's
joy will be more precious later. The last wine will be better than the
first. The believer should accept, then, God's ruling will.
4. In the aria that follows the believer tells himself
to cast himself on God's loving care. Having humbled himself to accept
God's will and having given up his imagined right to feel God's presence
all the time, he is in his humility able to turn his sorrow into consoling
supplication. He is able to "lay down his burden" in an appeal to God.
5. The final chorale, a verse from a reformation hymn,
universalizes the theme of the cantata. When God seems absent, do not be
frightened. "Where he is at best with thee, His wont is not to show it."
God is most present when he seems most absent (see the wall plaque Footprints").
How do we know? We trust in his word. "His word take thou more certain
still, And though thy heart say only "No," Yet let thyself not shudder."
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