33. Chorale Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1653
The melody for this chorale comes from the Lutheran hymn Warum solt ich mich denn grämen – Why should I then grieve? The melody has an unusual structure; bars 1 - 7 are identical to bars 7 – 14. The harmony, however, is totally different although, skilfully, the cadences are all the same except for one. In other words, Bach treats the melody with two completely different harmonic progressions but manages to end almost every phrase in the same place
| Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren, ich will dir leben hier, dir will ich abfahren, mit dir will ich endlich schweben, voller Freud, ohne Zeit, dort im andern Leben. |
I will keep you diligently, I will live to you, I will depart to you, I will soar with you eternally, joyful, timeless, there in another life. |
34. Evangelist Text: St Luke 2: v 20
| Und die Hirten kehten wieder um, preiseten und lobten Gott um alles, das sie gesehen und gehöret hatten, wie denn zu ihnen gesaget war. | And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. |
35. Chorale Text: Christoph Runge, 1653
Apart from the Passion Chorale (nos. 5 & 64) this is the only chorale in the entire work to be in a minor key – the key of F# minor. Its text is direct and delivers a message of great significance. The melody for this chorale comes from the Lutheran hymn Wir Christenleut’ – We Christian folk.
| Seid froh dieweil, seid froh dieweil, daß euer Heil, ist hie ein Gott und auch ein Mensch geboren, der welcher ist, der Herr und Christ, in David’s Stadt, von vielen auserkoren. |
Rejoice now, rejoice now, that your saviour is born here as God and man, He, who is the Lord and Christ in David's city, is the chosen one of many. |
Chorus
The opening chorus from Part 3 (number 24) is repeated at this point.
