This aria for the soprano is one of the most affecting moments in the work and, again, the combination of flute and oboe de caccia is unusual. This is a difficult aria to sing, with a consistently high tessitura. We can assume that Bach was writing this with a particular boy in the Thomasschule in mind – one obviously with a very special voice.

63

Soprano

Aria

Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren dem Höchsten zu Ehren!

Erzähle der Welt und dem Himmel die Not;
Dein Jesus, ist tot!

Dissolve, my heart, in floods of tears to honour the most Holy!

Tell the world and heaven of the agony;
Your Jesus is dead!

At the end of this narration there are, again, quotations from the Old Testament, to both of which Bach gives additional gravitas. 

64

Evangelist

Die Jüden aber, dieweil es der Rüsttag war, daß nicht die Leichname am Kreuze blieben den Sabbath über (denn desselbigen Sabbaths Tag war sehr groß), baten sie Pilatum, daß ihre Beine gebrochen und sie abgenommen würden. Da kamen die Kriegsknechte und brachen dem ersten die Beine und dem andern, der mit ihm gekreuziget war. Als sie aber zu Jesu kamen, da sie sahen, daß er schon gestorben war, brachen sie ihm die Beine nicht; sondern der Kriegsknechte einer eröffnete seine Seite mit einem Speer, und alsobald ging Blut und Wasser heraus. Und der das gesehen hat, der hat es bezeuget, und sein Zeugnis ist wahr, und derselbige weiß, daß er die Wahrheit saget, auf daß ihr gläubet. Denn solches ist geschehen, auf daß die Schrift erfüllet würde: „Ihr sollet ihm kein Bein zerbrechen.” Und abermal spricht eine andere Schrift: „Sie warden sehen, in welchen sie gestochen haben.”

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was an high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers and brake the legs of the first and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled: “A bone of him shall not be broken.” And again another scripture saith: “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”

This chorale is the eighth stanza of the hymn used for number 15, but this time set more arrestingly in a higher key. The harmony is identical to number 15 for the first four phrases and the last phrase, but totally different for lines 5 – 8. 

65

Chorus

Chorale

O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn, 
durch dein bitter Leiden,
daß wir dir stets untertan
all Untugend meiden,
deinen Tod und sein Ursach
fruchtbarlich bedenken,
dafür, wiewohl arm und schwach,
dir Dankopfer schenken! 

O Christ, God’s Son,
help through your bitter suffering,
that we as your subjects
avoid all misdeeds,
think productively
of your death and its cause,
and offer our grateful sacrifice to you,
however poor and weak it may be.