Third Day of Pentecost.

Christiane Mariane von Ziegler, Versuch in Gebundener Schreibart, Teil I (Leipzig, 1728), with many changes; Facs: Neumann T, p. 364.

1. Jn. 10:3; 5a. Jn. 10:6; 7. Johann Rist, verse 9 of "O Gottes Geist, mein Trost und Rat," 1651 (Fischer-Tümpel, II, #247), with an added Alleluia.

22 May 1725, Leipzig; Parody: 4 <--- BWV 173a/7.

BG 35; NBA I/14.

1. Recit. [Dictum] (T)

He calleth his own sheep by name then and leadeth them outside!

2. Aria (A)

Come, lead me out,
With longing doth
My soul desire green pasture!

My heart doth yearn,
Sigh day and night,
My shepherd, thou my pleasure.

3. Recit. (T)

Where art thou then?
Ah, where art thou now hidden?
Oh! To me soon appear!
I long for thee.
Break forth, O welcome morning!

4. Aria (T)

It seems to me, I see thee coming,
Thou com'st through the proper door.
Thou art by faith received amongst us
And must then our true shepherd be.
I recognize thy voice so graceful,
So full of love and gentleness,
That in my soul I'm moved to anger
At doubters that thou Savior art.(1)

5a. Recit. [Dictum] (A)

They, however, did not see what it was that he with this had been saying to them.

5b. Recit. (B)

Ah, yes! We mortals are often to deaf men to be likened:
Whenever blinded Reason fails to grasp what he hath spoken to it.
Oh! Folly, mark it well when Jesus to thee speaks,
It is for thy salvation done.

6. Aria (B)

Open ye both ears and listen,
Jesus' oath is your assurance
That he devil, death hath slain.

Blessing, plenty, life abundant
Shall he give to ev'ry Christian
Who obeys, his cross doth bear.

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

Now, spirit dear, I'll follow thee;
Help me to seek out more and more
At thine own word a new existence,
One thou wouldst give me of thy mercy.
Thy word is, yea, the morning star,
Whose glory shineth near and far.
And I'll to those who would deceive me
Eternally, my God, not listen.
Alleluia, alleluia!

1. The Ziegler PT and Bach's texts often differ. The differences in this case are typical. Perhaps there was a theological basis (the doctrine of justification by faith, n.b. line 3) for some of the changes. Here is the PT version of 4:

[4.] ARIA

Mir ist, als säh ich dich schon kommen,
Du gehst zur rechten Thür hinein,
Ich werd im Glauben aufgenommen,
Du wirst der wahre Hirte seyn.
Wer wolte nicht die Stimme kennen,
Die voller Huld und Sanfftmuth ist
Und nicht so gleich vor Sehnsucht brennen,
Weil du der treuste Hirte bist.

Me thinks I see thee e'en now coming,
Thou com'st through the proper door.
I shall in faith by him be welcomed,
Thou wilt in truth the shepherd be.
Who would not recognize thy voice now,
So full of grace and gentleness,
And not at once with yearning burn then,
For thou the faithful shepherd art?

2. In 5 Bach's text makes a change which personifies Reason as Folly, a change consistent with the attention to the nature of Faith in 4.

© Copyright Z. Philip Ambrose

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