BWV 190a Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied!

The Bicentennial of the Augsburg Confession.

Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), Ernst-Schertzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte, Teil III (Leipzig, 1732); Facs: Neumann T, p. 333; Reprint: Sicul, Annales Lipsienses, Sectio XXXVII (1731) and Das Jubilierende Leipzig (1731).

1. Ps. 149:1, 150:4 and 6; Martin Luther, beginning of the German Te Deum, 1529 (Wackernagel, III, #31); 2. Martin Luther, the same text with interpolated recitative; 7. Martin Luther, verse 3 of "Es woll uns Gott genädig sein," 1524 (Wackernagel, I, #189).

25 June 1730, Leipzig; Parody: 1, 2, 3, 5 ← BWV 190.


1. Chorus (= BWV 190/1.)

2. Chorale and Recit.

Lord God, we give thee praise,
God, that thou both our shield
And our redeemer art.
Lord God, we give thee thanks.
Triumphant shall we go forth
And seek now, Lord, thy countenance,
For thy dear grace extends
As far as heaven’s breadth,
And thine own truth sheds light
As far as clouds are ranging.
Lord God, we give thee praise
That still thy brilliant light
Within our land doth shine.
O God, how great is this thy kindness,
Which doth such faith to all thy children show!
Forget that loving disposition,
My Zion, yea, forget it not!
Lord God, we give thee praise.

3. Aria

Honor, Zion, this thy God,
Praise him greatly for his name’s sake.
Rise! Proclaim it, ponder well
What the Lord for us hath done;
Therefore pray before him now,
Glorify his teaching’s harvest.

4. Recit.

Lord, if thine Evangel’s word,
That heav’nly teaching,
Had not supplied our consolation,
We had by woe and death
Been leveled to the ground.
That is our bread of life,
That is our spirit’s strength,
That doth our soul refreshment bring,
And it with blessedness restore.
Here is true righteousness, the shield of faith,
Which but ’fore God in heaven has weight.

5. Aria

Blessed are we through the word,
Blessed are we through the doctrine,
Blessed are we here and there,(1)
Blessed, if our faith be steadfast.
Blessed, if we not alone
Hearers, rather, doers be.

6. Recit.

Now God, we offer thee
Our lips' reward for this,
We, all we who by thine own names have named us,(2)
And Christ, who is thy Son, acknowledge.
Take henceforth in thy care thy church,
That it as on that rock
Be more and more established firmly.
Make larger this thy flock so tiny,
Within thy hand stand power and might.

7. Chorale

Now thank, O God, and give thee praise,
The people in their good works.
The land bears fruit and mends its ways,
Thy word is made to prosper.
Us bless the Father and the Son,
And bless us God the Holy Ghost,
Whom all the world doth glorify,
To him pay rev’rence unexcelled;
Now say sincerely “Amen.”


1. "Here and there" probably refers to the contemporary and original adherents to the Augsburg Confession.

2. It may well be that deinen is a misprint for deinem, in which case translate "by thine own name."


© Copyright  Z. Philip Ambrose


Back to top