5. Verstumme, Höllenheer

From Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 5

Composer	Johann Sebastian Bach
Key	B flat major
Meter	4/4
Tempo	Vivace
Structure	Da capo
Length	69 measures

German text	English translation
Verstumme, Höllenheer,	Be silent, host of hell,
Du machst mich nicht verzagt!	you shall not make me despair!
Ich darf dies Blut dir zeigen,	I need only show you this Blood,
So mußt du plötzlich schweigen,	and you must suddenly be mute,
Es ist in Gott gewagt.	in God it is dared.
	translation © Pamela Dellal, courtesy Emmanuel Music Inc.

About the text

• Author: Anonymous
• Based on Johann Heermann’s 1630 hymn, the first and last verses of which remain unaltered (Dürr 2005, 578–579)
• Scripture readings for the day: Ephesians 4:22–4:8; Matthew 9:1–9:8

Instrumentation

Notes

Resources

• Full score: Neue Bach-Ausgabe I/24, p. 162
• Background: Alfred Dürr, Cantatas of J. S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 576
• Bach Digital ›
• Scores at IMSLP ›
• Text from Emmanuel Music ›
• Wikipedia ›

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