# Bach's Christmas Oratorio (need help with subtitles)



## Pyotr

I've been attempting to add English subtitles to JS Bach's Christmas Oratorio(Weihnachts-Oratorium), BWV 248). It's going OK, except for a few Aria's. I was hoping that someone here who speaks German (and English) could help me out with the captions.

Here's the first one is the fourth movement of part 1, entitled "Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben." Here's the translation I'm using, which may or may not be the one the musicians used.

Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben,
_(Make yourself ready, Zion,with tender desires)_

Den Schönsten, den Liebsten bald bei dir zu sehn!
_(to see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dear!)_

Deine Wangen
_(Your cheeks)_

Müssen heut viel schöner prangen,
_(must today be far more beautifully resplendent,)_

Eile, den Bräutigam sehnlichst zu lieben!
_(hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!)_

Here is how I labelled it(as you can tell from the video):

00:28 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
00:34 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest
00:40 Your cheeks
00:43 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
00:51 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
00:56 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
01:01 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest
01:06 Your cheeks
01:10 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
01:18 most dearest
01:21 most beautiful
00:43 Your cheeks must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
01:34 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
02:07 Your cheeks
02:10 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
02:16 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
02:54 Your cheeks
02:57 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
03:07 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
03:37 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
03:44 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest
03:49 Your cheeks
03:52 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
03:57 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
04:28 most dearest
04:31 most beautiful
04:50 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest

I would appreciate if anyone would either point out any mistakes I made (e.g., "She says ***** at 02:07 not ***"). Or add in any new text I missed. As you can see I left a lot blank because I couldn't match what she was saying to the text. Perhaps she was going outside the text?






Thanks in advance.

P.S. If you have time and want to compose a finished product, I'd be glad to pay you for it.


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## Kreisler jr

The main error is that you got text from the centra B section "your cheeks" etc. into the A section, the rest seems mostly o.k. except for some slight delays and omissions. See below

00:28 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
00:34 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest

00:40 *the most beautiful*
00:43 *the dearest - Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires*

00:51 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
00:56 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
01:01 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest

01:06 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
01:10 
01:18 the dearest
01:21 most beautiful
*Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires* [again the text with cheeks crept in]
01:34 *Make yourself ready, Zion
To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest*
02:07 Your cheeks
02:10 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
02:16 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing! (a bit early, 2:20 would be better)
Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
02:54 Your cheeks
02:57 Must today be far more beautifully resplendent,
03:07 Hasten, to love your bridegroom with the greatest longing!
*3:16 dacapo of section A starts*
03:37 Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires
03:44 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest
03:49 *the most beautiful*
03:52 *the dearest*
03:57 *Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires*
04:07 *Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires 
To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest*
04:16 *Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires 
To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest*
04:28 most dearest
04:31 most beautiful
4:30 *Make yourself ready, Zion, with tender desires *
04:50 To see with you soon him who is most beautiful, most dearest


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## Art Rock

I have the Christmas Oratorio inter alia in a version by the Netherlands Bach Society, which comes with a 178 page "booklet" including translations in English (and Dutch and French). There should be no copyright on these texts, so if you like I can photograph them and share with you. Just drop me an email (invisible text here: [email protected]).


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## JTS

I love this work. There is a full English translation beside the German on this website:

https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV248-1-Eng3.htm

I don't know how good it is as I don't speak German


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## Kreisler jr

I think the problem is not mainly the translation of the text; the example is not very idiomatic but quite literal, so o.k. for subtitles, but the matching of the sung phrases to the translations with all their (partial) repetitions etc.

I would replace "(the) most dear" with "the dearest" that is closer to the two syllables of "den liebsten".


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## Pyotr

Kreisler jr said:


> I think the problem is not mainly the translation of the text; the example is not very idiomatic but quite literal, so o.k. for subtitles, but the matching of the sung phrases to the translations with all their (partial) repetitions etc.
> 
> I would replace "(the) most dear" with "the dearest" that is closer to the two syllables of "den liebsten".


Thanks so much. It's my turn to present something at our local classical music lovers club; I have until next month. There is one German speaking couple in the group so your suggestions, I'm sure, will save me some embarrassment.

FYI Here is the finished version and I know it's not perfect, but it doesn't really have to be. I have one more movement that needs correcting, Part 2 #19 with same alto Stefanie Iranyi, that I'll post in a few minutes.

Thanks again.


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## Pyotr

Here's the 19th movement, in part 2, entitled "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh." Here's the translation I'm using, which I did get from https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV248-2-Eng3.htm :

Thanks in advance. Offer's still good, if you have a paypal account, pm me your email:

Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh, 
(Sleep, my dearest, enjoy your rest.)
Wache nach diesem vor aller Gedeihen!
(wake after this so that all may thrive!)
Labe die Brust,
(Comfort the breast)
Empfinde die Lust,
(feel the pleasure)
Wo wir unser Herz erfreuen!
(with which we make glad our hearts!)

01:02 Sleep
01:11 my dearest, enjoy your rest
01:20 enjoy your rest
01:29 wake after this so that all may thrive!
01:37 Comfort the breast
01:41 Feel the pleasure
01:47 with which we make glad our hearts!
02:26 Sleep, my dearest, enjoy your rest.
02:43 wake after this so that all may thrive!
02:53 Comfort the breast, feel the pleasure with which we make glad our hearts!
04:00-05:24 ?????????????
06:22 Sleep
06:32 my dearest,
06:41 enjoy your rest
06:51 wake after this so that all may thrive!
07:49 Sleep my dearest, enjoy your rest
07:58 wake after this so that all may thrive!
08:10 Comfort the breast, feel the pleasure
08:18 with which we make glad our hearts!
08:31 to end ????????????????


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## Pyotr

Here is my finished version of "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh." Thanks for your help. I'm done now.


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## Pyotr

Here's one of the most popular arias in the Weihnachtsoratorium.






Merry Christmas Everyone!


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