Exaudi (The Sunday after Ascension).

Poet unknown.

1-2. Jn. 16:2; 4. Martin Moller, verse 1 of "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid," 1587; 7. Paul Fleming, final verse of "In allen meinen Taten," 1642 (Fischer-Tümpel, I, #489).

21 May 1724, Leipzig.

BG 10; NBA I/12.

1. Aria [Dictum] (T, B)

In banishment they will cast you.(1)

2. Chorus [Dictum] (S, A, T, B)

There cometh, yea, the time when he who slays you will think that he doeth God a good deed in this.

3. Aria (A)

Christians must, while on earth dwelling,
Christ's own true disciples be.

On them waiteth every hour
Till they blissfully have conquered
Torment, ban and grievous pain.

4. Chorale (T)

Ah God, how oft a heartfelt grief
Confronteth me within these days.
The narrow path is sorrow-filled
Which I to heaven travel must.

5. Recit. (B)

Now doth the Antichrist,
That huge and mighty monster,
With sword and fire
Hound Christ's own members with oppression,
Since what they teach to him is odious.
He is, indeed, meanwhile convinced
That all his actions God's approval have.
But yet, the Christians are so like the palm tree branches,
Which through their weight just all the higher tower.(2)

6. Aria (S)

It is and bides the Christians' hope
That God o'er this his church doth watch.

For when so quick the tempests tower,
Yet after all the storms of sorrow
The sun of gladness soon doth laugh.(3)

7. Chorale (S, A, T, B)

Thyself be true, O spirit,
And trust in that one only
Who hath created thee.
Let happen what may happen,
Thy Father in the highest
Doth counsel in all matters well.

1. I.e., excommunicate you.

2. Detlef Gojowy, "Zur Sprache in Bachs Kantaten," Das Kantatenwerk, Vol. 10, pp. 3-4, with English translation, pp. 8-9, explains that these lines refer to a common view that weights applied to palm branches make them grow higher. This theory is represented in an emblem printed by Andrea Alciate and may be seen in Albrecht Schöne, Emblemata. Handbuch zur Sinnbildkunst des XVI and XVII Jahrhunderts (Stuttgart: Metzler, 1967), p. 68.

3. The transformation of tempest to sunshine is a common motif of the cantatas for Jubilate Sunday. This motif is also represented in the emblematic tradition (see note 2, above), and specifically in a collection by Johann Mannich, Sacra Emblemata, Nürnberg, 1624, p. 15 (shown in Das Kantatenwerk, Vol. 10, p.6). Cf. BWV 12/6 for Jubilate.

© Copyright  Z. Philip Ambrose

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