Peter's Denial
Petrus aber saß draußen
Recitative
•Evangelist, Maids, Peter, Chorus
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No. 38a-cpart_45Evangelist
Now Peter sat without in the palace and a damsel came unto him, saying:
Maid I
Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Evangelist
But he denied before them all, saying:
Peter
I know not what thou sayest.
Evangelist
And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there:
Maid II
This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Evangelist
And again he denied with an oath:
Peter
I do not know the man.
Evangelist
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter:
Chorus
Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Evangelist
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying:
Peter
I know not the man.
Evangelist
And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
German
English
Evangelist
Petrus aber saß draußen im Palast; und es trat zu ihm eine Magd und sprach:
Evangelist
Now Peter sat without in the palace and a damsel came unto him, saying:
Magd I
Und du warest auch mit dem Jesus aus Galiläa.
Maid I
Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Evangelist
Er leugnete aber vor ihnen allen und sprach:
Evangelist
But he denied before them all, saying:
Petrus
Ich weiß nicht, was du sagest.
Peter
I know not what thou sayest.
Evangelist
Als er aber zur Tür hinausging, sah ihn eine andere und sprach zu denen, die da waren:
Evangelist
And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there:
Magd II
Dieser war auch mit dem Jesus von Nazareth.
Maid II
This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Evangelist
Und er leugnete abermal und schwur dazu:
Evangelist
And again he denied with an oath:
Petrus
Ich kenne des Menschen nicht.
Peter
I do not know the man.
Evangelist
Und über eine kleine Weile traten hinzu, die da stunden, und sprachen zu Petro:
Evangelist
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter:
Chor
Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen; denn deine Sprache verrät dich.
Chorus
Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Evangelist
Da hub er an, sich zu verfluchen und zu schwören:
Evangelist
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying:
Petrus
Ich kenne des Menschen nicht.
Peter
I know not the man.
Evangelist
Und alsbald krähete der Hahn. Da dachte Petrus an die Worte Jesu, da er zu ihm sagte: Ehe der Hahn krähen wird, wirst du mich dreimal verleugnen. Und ging heraus und weinete bitterlich.
Evangelist
And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Modern adaptation
Peter is recognized three times ('You belong to Jesus!'). Three times he denies it, finally with an oath. Then the rooster crows. Peter remembers Jesus' prediction, runs out and cries bitterly.
Muziektheorie
At the words 'weinete bitterlich' (wept bitterly), Bach writes a very complex, melismatic line for the Evangelist. It is as if the singer himself breaks with grief.
Did you know?
On the words 'und weinete bitterlich' (and he wept bitterly) Bach writes a descending chromatic line for the Evangelist: a falling sequence of semitones painting Petrus' grief in sound. For a brief moment, the sober narrator drops his mask.
Chapters
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