Willst du dein herz mir schenken text

The Notenbüchlein for Anna Magdalena Bach is a collection of different sorts of music by several composers. Besides pieces for harpsichord – preludes, partitas and various dances – it also includes a series of songs. Some are more spiritual in character and others more secular.

This song, Willst du dein Herz mir schenken, belongs in the latter category. It is a love song in four strophes, in which the singer asks her lover to keep their love hidden and unspoken, because ‘being too free and feeling confident has already led often to danger” and now, too, “a false eye” is watching. In short, “the passion we enjoy must be a secret”. It is clearly a case of a hidden or forbidden love. A young couple with strict parents? An extramarital affair? Or maybe a lesbian romance? As it conjures up all sorts of situations, the song fits well in a wider context, as in this performance, where it is combined with Bach’s Quodlibet, among other pieces.

There is anyway a mysterious side to the song itself. On a blank page preceding the notes, it is called the “Aria di Giovannini”. Although the identity of Giovanni is not certain, he may have been the Count of Saint Germain, an itinerant musician and storyteller who used several names and titles. In any case, it is notable that we cannot discover the identity of the person who notated this song in the Notenbüchlein. Bach researchers have been able to recognise the hands of nearly all the other contributors and link them to someone from the Bach family or the Bach circle. The German words to the song are not written in German script, and this song is the only one in the book to use the treble clef for the singing part (rather than the usual soprano clef). Could Saint Germain have been the composer? Or even the copyist? It turns out that a simple song can raise many questions.

The Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach
Shortly after their arrival in Leipzig in 1723, Johann Sebastian and Anna Magdalena Bach revealed themselves as a cultural power couple. Although Anna Magdalena gave up her successful public singing career, she joined her husband in running a thriving music business, alongside looking after a large and growing family. We have at least two tangible traces of their married life in the form of two Notenbüchlein from 1722 and 1725.

Whereas the first Notenbüchlein was still a sort of notebook, containing things like early versions of five ‘French Suites’ (and who knows what else, as two-thirds of the pages are missing), the second one was definitely intended as a gift from Johann Sebastian to his wife. In fair copy, he notated two Partitas and all sorts of other music of Anna Magdalena’s own choosing, such as the aria from the Goldberg Variations and the song Dir, dir Jehova, as well as music by composers like Couperin and Anna Magdalena’s stepson Carl Philipp Emanuel. Together, the Notenbüchlein form a colourful mix of arias, chorales and suites.

Aria di Giovannini BWV 518

Willst Du dein Herz mir schenken
English Translation
Aria of Giovannini BWV 518 - Do you wish to give me your heart

Aria

Continuo

Willst du dein Herz mir schenken,

Do you wish to give me your heart
So fang es heimlich an,
So it begins secretly,
Dass unser beider Denken
Niemand erraten kann.
That both our thoughts no one can guess.
Die Liebe muss bei beiden
Allzeit verschwiegen sein,
Love must by both always be demured,
Drum schließ die größten Freuden
In deinem Herzen ein.
Thereby is locked the greatest happiness inside your heart.

Behutsam sei und schweige
Und traue keiner Wand,

Be hooded and decline to say and trust no
Lieb' innerlich und zeige
Dich außen unbekannt.
Love innerly and show your self outwardly unbeknownst.
Kein' Argwohn musst du geben,
Verstellung nötig ist.
No suspicion must you give, is necessary.
Genug, dass du, mein Leben,
Der Treu' versichert bist.
Enough is it that you, my love, are certained of the trueness.

Zu frei sein, sicher gehen,

Hat oft Gefahr gebracht.
To free be, secure to go,
has often danger brought.
one must one's self well understand
Man muss sich wohl verstehen,
One must one's self well understand,
Weil ein falsch Auge wacht.
Because a false Eye watched.
Du musst den Spruch bedenken,
You must the saying bethink,
Den ich zuvor getan:
That I hertofore have made;
Willst du dein Herz mir schenken,
Do you wish your heart to me to give,
So fang es heimlich an.
So begins it secretly on.

English Translation: Laurenthia Mesh

Contributed by Laurenthia Mesh

(July 2017)

Aus dem Anna Magdalena Notenbüchlein, Nr. 37

Willst du dein Herz mir schenken BWV 518
Aria di Giovannini
French Translation in Interlinear Format
Fais de moi, selon ta volonté BWV 518
Aria di Giovannini
Du petit livre de notes d'Anna Magdalena, N� 37

Composition :

probablement entre 1730 et 1733
Texte : poète inconnu
Accompagnement : continuo

Citations bibliques en vert

, Choral en violet

Aria [Soprano]

Continuo

1

Willst du dein Herz mir schenken,

Si tu veux me donner ton cœur,
So fang es heimlich an,
Alors que cela soit en secret,
Dass unser beider Denken
Pour que nos deux pensées
Niemand erraten kann.
Personne ne puisse les deviner.
Die Liebe muss bei beiden
L'amour doit pour nous deux
Allzeit verschwiegen sein,
Toujours être discret,
Drum schließ die größten Freuden
C'est pourquoi cache les plus grandes joies
In deinem Herzen ein.
À l'intérieur de ton cœur.

2

Behutsam sei und schweige

Sois prudent et silencieux
Und traue keiner Wand,
Et ne fais pas confiance aux murs,
Lieb' innerlich und zeige
Aime dans ton for intérieur et montre
Dich außen unbekannt.
De l'ignorance vers l'extérieur.
Kein' Argwohn musst du geben,
Tu ne dois donner aucun soupçon,
Verstellung nötig ist.
La dissimulation est nécessaire.
Genug, dass du, mein Leben,
Il suffit que toi, ma vie,
Der Treu' versichert bist.
Tu puisses être sûre de ma fidélité.

3

Begehre keine Blicke

Ne réclame aucun regard
Von meiner Liebe nicht,
De mon amour,
Der Neid hat viele Stricke
La jalousie a de nombreux pièges
Auf unser Tun gericht.
Pour nos actions.
Du musst die Brust verschließen,
Tu dois fermer ton cœur,
Halt deine Neigung ein.
Retenir tes penchants.
Die Lust, die wir genießen,
Le plaisir dont nous jouissons
Muss ein Geheimnis sein.
Doit être un secret.

4

Zu frei sein, sicher gehen,

Être libre, s'exciter,
Hat oft Gefahr gebracht.
A souvent apporté un péril.
Man muss sich wohl verstehen,
On doit bien s'entendre,
Weil ein falsch Auge wacht.
Car un œil traître veille.
Du musst den Spruch bedenken,
Tu dois méditer la leçon,
Den ich zuvor getan:
Que je t'ai apprise :
Willst du dein Herz mir schenken,
Si tu veux me donner ton cœur,
So fang es heimlich an.
Alors que cela soit en secret.

--

French Translation by Guy Laffaille (March 2015)
Contributed by Guy Laffaille (March 2015)

Anna Magdalena Notenbüchlein BWV 508-523

: Details & Complete Recordings | Recordings of BWV 508 | General Discussions
Text (German-1): BWV 508 | BWV 509 | BWV 511 | BWV 513 | BWV 514 | BWV 515a | BWV 516 | BWV 517 | BWV 518 | BWV 519 | BWV 520 | BWV 521 | BWV 522 | BWV 523
English Translation (English-1): BWV 508-518
English Translation (English-7): BWV 508
English Translation (English-9): BWV 518
French Translation (French-6): BWV 508 | BWV 509 | BWV 511 | BWV 513 | BWV 514 | BWV 515a | BWV 516 | BWV 517 | BWV 518 | BWV 519 | BWV 520 | BWV 521 | BWV 522 | BWV 523
Spanish Translation (Spanish-7): BWV 508 | BWV 509 | BWV 511 | BWV 513 | BWV 514 | BWV 515a | BWV 516 | BWV 517 | BWV 518 | BWV 519 | BWV 520 | BWV 521 | BWV 522 | BWV 523