Entsagen WAB 14

This setting for SATB voices of a German devotional text opens with a lyrical unfolding, suggesting the gentle plea of the faithful. The music moves with a certain grace, drawing the listener into the contemplative mood. The text addresses the Virgin Mary with profound reverence, seeking her intercession and guidance. The singer asks for strength to accept God's will through submission, acknowledging Mary as the 'star of obedience' and a 'mirror of humility'. Later verses invoke her as the source of holy love, asking her to accept the singer's devotion and to ensure the happiness of her beloved. She is also called upon as a protector, a 'strong shield of heaven', to watch over him in all dangers, with the assurance that the singer seeks nothing more than his well-being.