A poignant aria. The alto wants to catch Jesus' blood. The rhythm is jerky, depicting sobbing and pain. The text is very Baroque and bloody, but the music renders it almost mystical.
The Scourging
Können Tränen meiner Wangen
Aria
•Alto
|
No. 52part_60
If the tears on my cheeks
Can achieve nothing,
O, then take my heart instead!
But let it, amidst the floods,
When the wounds bleed gently,
Also be the sacrificial bowl.
German
English
Können Tränen meiner Wangen
Nichts erlangen,
O, so nehmt mein Herz hinein!
Aber lasst es bei den Fluten,
Wenn die Wunden milde bluten,
Auch die Opferschale sein.
If the tears on my cheeks
Can achieve nothing,
O, then take my heart instead!
But let it, amidst the floods,
When the wounds bleed gently,
Also be the sacrificial bowl.
Modern adaptation
If my tears achieve nothing, take my heart! Let it be the cup that catches the blood from his wounds.
Did you know?
The 'jerky' rhythm in this aria is not a mistake, but a deliberate stylistic figure ('Singultus') to depict uncontrollable sobbing.