{"id":2275,"date":"2016-10-18T20:24:36","date_gmt":"2016-10-18T10:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/?p=2275"},"modified":"2016-10-18T20:26:33","modified_gmt":"2016-10-18T10:26:33","slug":"sixty-seven-the-wise-and-foolish-virgins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/?p=2275","title":{"rendered":"sixty-seven (The wise and foolish virgins)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Wise Virgins (detail of Salvator Mundi, flanked by the wise virgins and the foolish virgins. C1500. South German. Artist Unknown.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The parable of the\u00a0ten virgins (also known as the parable of the wise and foolish virgins) was enormously popular during the Middle Ages. There are sculptures of the virgins in many French and German cathedrals, including the Notre Dame de Paris and Strasbourg Cathedral.<\/p>\n

Bach’s chorale cantata\u00a0Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake,\u00a0the voice calls to us)\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/a>BWV140, also known as\u00a0Sleepers Wake<\/em> is based\u00a0on Philipp Nicolai’s hymn with the same title from 1599. The cantata was composed to be played for the first time on the 27th Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday doesn’t appear every year: it only occurs if Easter is early in the calendar. So Bach only performed this particular cantata once, on 25 November, 1731 (there was another 27th Sunday after Trinity in 1742, but according to the Bach biographer, Christos Wolff, he didn’t perform it on that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

This stunning piece of music is composed of seven movements, and was written to be performed by three vocal soloists, a vocal choir, and a baroque instrumental ensemble (horn, two\u00a0oboes,\u00a0taille,\u00a0violino piccolo, two\u00a0violins,\u00a0viola, and\u00a0basso continuo,\u00a0including a\u00a0bassoon). The first, fourth and final movements are based on Nicolai’s hymn, and use Nicolai’s text (below). Bach\u00a0transcribed the fourth movement chorale for organ (BWV 645) and published it alongside\u00a0the Sch\u00fcbler Chorales.<\/p>\n

Undated image of the virgins. Artist Unknown. Source unknown (!) Any idea where this image is from? I’d love to know …<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 27th Sunday has two prescribed readings.\u00a0The first epistle to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11) and the parable of the virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13). Nicolai’s hymn is based on the reading from Matthew:<\/p>\n

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.\u00a0And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.\u00a0They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:\u00a0But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.\u00a0While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.\u00a0And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.\u00a0Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.\u00a0And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.\u00a0But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.\u00a0And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.\u00a0Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.\u00a0But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.\u00a0Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nicolai was a Lutheran pastor in Westphalia.\u00a0Between July 1597 and January 1598, the inhabitants of Unna were ravaged by what Nicolai called a ‘dreadful pestilence’.\u00a0Over 1300 people died. In August, 1598, (in the preface to his to his\u00a0Frewden-Spiegel)\u00a0<\/i>he wrote that:<\/p>\n

… day by day I wrote out my meditations, found myself, thank God! wonderfully well, comforted In heart, joyful in spirit, and truly content; gave to my, manuscript the name and title of a\u00a0Mirror of Joy<\/i>, and took this so composed\u00a0Frewden-Spiegel<\/i>\u00a0to leave behind me (if God should call me from this world) as the token of my peaceful, joyful, Christian departure, or (if God should spare use in health) to comfort other sufferers whom He should also visit with the pestilence\u00a0… Now has the gracious, holy God most mercifully preserved me amid the dying from the dreadful pestilence, and wonderfully spared me beyond all my thoughts and hopes\u00a0so that with the Prophet David I can say to Him “O how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee,” &c.<\/p>\n

Nicolai’s hymnal text is in three parts (the slashes appear in the printed version). I’ve provided here the German, followed by Catherine Winkworth’s English translation from 1865:<\/p>\n

\"Philip<\/a>
Philip Nicolai’s hymn, from <\/em>Freudenspiegel de\u00df ewigen Lebens (p. 412)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I.
\nWachet auff \/ rufft vns die Stimme \/
\nDer W\u00e4chter sehr hoch auff der Zinnen \/
\nWach auff du Statt Jerusalem.
\nMitternacht hei\u00dft diese Stunde \/
\nSie ruffen vns mit hellem Munde \/
\nWo seydt jhr klugen Jungfrauwen?
\nWolauff \/ der Br\u00e4utgam kompt \/
\nSteht auff \/ die Lampen nimpt \/
\nHalleluia.
\nMacht euch bereit \/ Zu der Hochzeit \/
\nIhr m\u00fcsset jhm entgegen gehn.<\/p>\n

II.<\/div>\n

Zion h\u00f6rt die W\u00e4chter singen \/
\nDas Hertz thut jhr von Frewden springen \/
\nSie wachet vnd steht eilend auff:
\nIhr Freund kompt vom Himmel pr\u00e4chtig \/
\nVon Gnaden starck \/ von Warheit m\u00e4chtig:
\nIhr Liecht wirdt hell \/ jhr Stern geht auff.
\nNu komm du werthe Kron \/
\nHerr Jesu Gottes Sohn \/
\nHosianna.
\nWir folgen all zum Frewden Saal \/
\nVnd halten mit das Abendmal.<\/p>\n

\n
\"William
William Blake’s Virgins …<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

III.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Gloria sey dir gesungen
\nMit Menschen vnd mit Englischen Zungen
\nMit Harpffen vnd mit Cymbaln sch\u00f6n:
\nVon zw\u00f6lff Perlen sind die Pforten
\nAn deiner Statt \/ wir sind Consorten
\nDer Engeln hoch vmb deinen Thron \/
\nKein Aug hat je gesp\u00fcrt \/
\nKein Ohr hat mehr geh\u00f6rt \/
\nSolche Freuwde.
\nDe\u00df sind wir fro \/ jo \/ jo
\nEwig\u00a0in dulci iubilo.<\/tt><\/p>\n

I
\nWake, awake, for night is flying,
\nThe watchmen on the heights are crying;
\nAwake, Jerusalem, at last!
\nMidnight hears the welcome voices,
\nAnd at the thrilling cry rejoices:
\nCome forth, ye virgins, night is past!
\nThe Bridegroom comes, awake,
\nYour lamps with gladness take;
\nHallelujah!
\nAnd for His marriage-feast prepare,
\nFor ye must go to meet Him there.<\/p>\n

\"Frederick
Frederick Leighton’s ‘Wise and Foolish Virgins’ (detail of the foolish virgins section. Fresco\u00a0in the St. Michael and All Angels Church: Lyndhurst, Great Britain)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

II
\nZion hears the watchmen singing,
\nAnd all her heart with joy is springing,
\nShe wakes, she rises from her gloom;
\nFor her Lord comes down all-glorious,
\nThe strong in grace, in truth victorious,
\nHer Star is risen, her Light is come!
\nAh come, Thou blessed Lord,
\nO Jesus, Son of God,
\nHallelujah!
\nWe follow till the halls we see
\nWhere Thou hast bid us sup with Thee!<\/p>\n

III
\nNow let all the heavens adore Thee,
\nAnd men and angels sing before Thee,
\nWith harp and cymbal’s clearest tone;
\nOf one pearl each shining portal,
\nWhere we are with the choir immortal
\nOf angels round Thy dazzling throne;
\nNor eye hath seen, nor ear
\nHath yet attain’d to hear
\nWhat there is ours,
\nBut we rejoice, and sing to Thee
\nOur hymn of joy eternally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The parable of the\u00a0ten virgins (also known as the parable of the wise and foolish virgins) was enormously popular during the Middle Ages. There are sculptures of the virgins in many French and German cathedrals, including the Notre Dame de Paris and Strasbourg Cathedral. Bach’s chorale cantata\u00a0Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake,\u00a0the voice calls…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[725,12,383,193,179,288],"tags":[1444,1438,1394,1442,1441,1439,1393,1443,1440,1445],"class_list":["post-2275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-200-words-200-days","category-art-and-other-catastrophes","category-on-living","category-on-reading","category-on-translation","category-short-works","tag-frederick-leighton","tag-johann-sebastian-bach","tag-parables","tag-philipp-nicolai","tag-ruft-uns-die-stimme","tag-sleepers-awake","tag-the-ten-virgins","tag-trinity-sunday","tag-wachet-auf","tag-william-blake"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4LH1G-AH","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Wilhelm-von-Schadow-964653.jpg?fit=650%2C580","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2275"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2360,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions\/2360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.perilousadventures.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}