¹ This text is an ode in a series of nine 8-line strophes, often implying a setting in which the music composed for the first strophe would be repeated for each of the others. (That is the procedure Bach followed, for example, with the 12-strophe text of “Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn’ ihn,” BWV 1127.) In Bach’s musical setting, the text is instead reconfigured as a series of recitatives, solo and tutti arias, and one chorus, of varying lengths.

² This is Christiane Eberhardine, wife of August the Strong (Elector of Saxony, and King of Poland—see line 5 of movement 2) and honoree of this work. “Fürstin” (“Princess”) is short, here, for “Kurfürstin” (“Electress”); the designation “Queen” appears in movements 7 and 10. This is a title she disdained, and its presence here is probably directed to her husband.

³ In a collection of odes published in 1728, this line reads “Und sieh, wie viel hier Tränen fliessen” (“And see how many tears flow here”).

⁴ In the printed text booklets distributed at the performance in 1727, this line reads “Benetzen wir dein Ehrenmal!” (“We drench your monument”); in the 1728 book: “Und sieh dein hohes Ehrenmal!” (“And see your lofty monument!”).

⁵ Salem” is the locality where Melchizedek was king, according to Genesis 14:18. Salem is traditionally identified with Jerusalem, in part because of the parallelism between “Zion” and “Salem” in Psalm 76:2.

⁶ “Jerusalem’s starry vault” is a poetic phrase for “heaven.”

⁷ Those attending Christiane Eberhardine’s memorial service in the University Church in Leipzig did literally gather round her catafalque (a monument in the form of a stage or platform, erected in a church to receive in honor the coffin or effigy of a deceased personage). An engraved image of this structure appeared among the memorial publications produced in Leipzig.

⁸ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Erstaunt bei deiner Totengruft” (“taken aback at your burial crypt”).

⁹ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Mein Schmerz muss unaussprechlich heissen” (“My sorrow must be called inexpressible”).

¹⁰ A Saxon town, used historically as an alternative name for Saxony as a whole.

¹¹ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Hier klagt August, der Prinz, das Land” (“Here laments [King] August, [as well as] the Prince, [and] the land”).

¹² Also named August, the heir and successor Elector and King.

¹³ Text booklet, and 1728 book, has a question mark here; Bach’s score has an exclamation mark.

¹⁴ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Um ihrer teuren Mutter Tod” (“About their precious mother’s death”).

¹⁵ The “lands” are Saxony and Poland.

¹⁶ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Soll der betrübten Seelen Schrecken . . . entdecken” (“Shall bare the troubled souls’ terror).

¹⁷ Text booklet: “Durch ihr geschlagnes Erz entdecken” (“Bare [the souls’ terror] by their struck-against bronze”); 1728 book: “Durch ihr geschwungnes Erz entdecken” (“Bare [the souls’ terror] by their vibrating bronze”).

¹⁸ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “O könnte nur ihr banges Klingen” (“Oh if only their fearful tolling”).

¹⁹ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Bis sie des Todes Arm bezwungen” (“Until death’s arm overpowered her”).

²⁰ The word “vergnügt” here does not mean “merry” or “cheerful.” In older German, the sense of “vergnügt” is “at peace.”

²¹ The sense here appears to be that death took her life without having ever conquered her spirit.

²² Text booklet, and 1728 book: “dann.” Both “dann” and “denn,” depending on their contexts, meant either “at that time” or “for/because.”

²³ An alternative spelling of “Vorbild.”

²⁴ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “An dir, du Muster grosser Frauen” (“In you, you paradigm of great women”). “Muster” and “Fürbild” are essentially synonyms, apart from a special theological use of the latter as a kind of spiritual foreshadowing (which does not seem to apply here). See also line 2 of movement 9.

²⁵ Queen Christiane Eberhardine was much-admired by her Saxon subjects for remaining staunchly Lutheran after her husband’s conversion to Roman Catholicism to become king of Poland. On account of her piety, she was called “die Betsäule Sachsens” (“the prayer column of Saxony”) both by Lutherans (in honor) and Roman Catholics (in derision).

²⁶ “Grossmut” has a wide range of meanings, including “magnanimity” and “lordliness” or “dignity.” Here, however, it seems to refer to how valiantly the queen had cultivated her Lutheranism in the face of her husband’s Roman Catholicism; likewise, she was said in lines 2–4 of movement 5, above, to have “bravely” (“mutig”) fought against the power of death.

²⁷ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Zieht deiner heitern Augen Blicke” (“Draws the serene glances of your eyes”).

²⁸ Text booklet, and 1728 book: “Von der verschmähten Welt zurücke” (“Away from the despised world”).

²⁹ Some modern editions of the cantata here give the improbable reading “Und tilgt der Erden Dreckbild aus” (“And blots out the feculent/filthy image of earth”). The original text booklet and 1728 book of odes both give “Denckbild” (“rememorative image”). And Bach’s composing score, though difficult to decipher, would seem much more likely to indicate “Denckbild” than “Dreckbild.”

³⁰ Text booklet: “Ein starker Glanz, gleich hundert Sonnen” (“An intense splendor, like a hundred suns”); 1728 book: “Dein heller Glanz, gleicht hundert Sonnen” (“Your brilliant splendor, like a hundred suns”).

³¹ 1728 book: “Ein Licht das unsern Tag zur Nacht . . . macht” (“A light that makes our day into night”).

³² 1728 book: “Hat dein verklärtes Haupt gewonnen” (“Has burgeoned your transfigured head”).

³³ This is a poetic reference to the eternal city of Jerusalem (the place where the New Testament says Christians will dwell, resurrected, after the End Time), some of whose wall foundations, according to Revelation 21:19, will be emblazoned with sapphire.

³⁴ The word “Denkbild” is defined in some historical dictionaries as “monument,” or “symbol,” or “emblem”; but none of these really makes sense here. “Rememorative image” perhaps best captures the sense (that is, to read “Denkbild” as a shorter form of “Gedenkbild,” which in turn is read as a synonym for “Gedächtnisbild” [“memory image”]). The conceit appears to be that “eternity’s sapphiric house” is so magnificently emblazoned that the sight of the earth can no longer function as a reminder of its temporality.

³⁵ See fn. 24, above.

³⁶ 1728 book: “Nun stehst du vor des Lammesthrone” (“Now you stand before the throne of the lamb”).

³⁷ 1728 book: “Verschmähst des Purpurs Eitelkeit” (“Despise the vanity of purple”).

³⁸ 1728 book: “Vor deiner Unschuld Perlenkleid” (“in the face of your pearly robe of innocence”).

³⁹ Revelation 7:9 speaks of a crowd, at the end of time, standing “before the throne [of God], and before the Lamb” in “white [i.e., pure] robes.” Revelation 22:3 speaks of “the throne of God and of the lamb;” Jesus is first identified as “the lamb of God” in John 1:29.

⁴⁰ In the Bible, purple clothing was associated with royalty, but without implication of vanity. Otherwise, however, wearing purple could be considered vain: for example, the “rich man” in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is described as someone who was clothed in purple and who feasted sumptuously every day.

⁴¹ “Die Weichsel,” “der Niester,” and “die Warthe” are rivers that ran through (eighteenth-century) Poland, the realm where Christiane Eberhardine was queen.

⁴² “Die Mulde” (not to be confused with “die Moldau”—“Vltava,” in Czech) and “die Elbe” are rivers that ran through Saxony, the realm where Christiane Eberhardine was electress.

⁴³ Torgau and Pretzsch are castle towns in Saxony where Christiane Eberhardine lived in winter and summer, respectively. She never went to Poland with her husband.

⁴⁴ That is, according to 2 Peter 3:10-12, when Jesus comes back to earth and it is destroyed.