Wachet

Wachet is a German word form that appears mainly in historical, liturgical, and musical contexts. It is the second-person plural imperative of the verb wachen, meaning to wake, stay awake, or keep watch. In modern everyday German, the imperative forms used to address multiple people are typically wachet no longer common outside biblical or archaic usage; phrases like wachet auf are encountered primarily in fixed expressions or titles rather than in ordinary speech.

The most famous usage of Wachet is in the phrase Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, a hymn written by Philipp Nicolai in 1599. The title and opening line translate roughly as “Wake up, the voice is calling us.” The hymn was widely sung in Lutheran practice and has been set to music by many composers. The best-known musical setting is Johann Sebastian Bach’s chorale cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, composed in 1731 as part of his chorale cantata cycle. Bach’s work uses Nicolai’s text and is celebrated for its elaborate choral writing and its Advent theme, symbolizing watchfulness and preparation for the coming of Christ.

In contemporary usage, Wachet remains primarily of interest to readers and performers of liturgical poetry, hymnody, and Baroque music. As a standalone modern term, it is rarely used outside these contexts, with the imperative form more commonly expressed in its modern equivalents. The word’s cultural prominence rests largely on Nicolai’s hymn and Bach’s cantata, which have contributed to its lasting association with Advent and vigilance.