Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.

Poet unknown.

6. Adam Reusner, verse 1 of the hymn, 1533 (Wackernagel, III, #170).

24 November 1726, Leipzig; Parody: 1 ← First Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1046/1.

BG 12, 2; NBA I/26.

1. Sinfonia

2. Recit. (S)

Treacherous world, I trust thee not!
Here must I in the midst of scorpions
And midst deceitful serpents sojourn.
Thy countenance,
Which, though so friendly is,
Now plots in secret a destruction:
At Jacob's kiss
Must come a righteous Abner's ruin.(1)
Sincerity is from the world now banned,
Duplicity hath driv'n it from us,
And now hypocrisy
Here in its stead abideth.
The best of friends is found untrue,
O what a wretched state!

3. Aria (S)

Just the same, just the same,
Though I soon an exile am,

Though the false world me offend,
Oh, yet bideth God my friend,
Who doth true for me intend.(2)

4. Recit. (S)

God is e'er true!
He shall, he can me not abandon;
E'en though the world and all its raging seek
Within its coils to seize me,
Yet near to me his help shall stand.
Upon his friendship I will build yet
And give my spirit, soul and mind
And ev'rything I am
To him for keeping.

5. Aria (S)

I'll side with my dear God above,
The world may now alone continue.

God with me, and I with God,
And I'll myself find scorn
For the treacherous tongues about me.

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

In thee I've placed my hope, O Lord,
Help me not be to ruin brought,
Nor evermore derided!
This I pray thee,
Uphold thou me
In thy true love, Almighty!

1. Cf. 2 Sam. 3:27.

2. Here the translation is made to rhyme in order to draw attention to the interesting rhyme of the original: Feind, Freund, meint.

© Copyright Z. Philip Ambrose

Back to top