結構上,巴赫依循了傳統彌撒曲的五個部份。可是在標題和編排上,卻不是沿用傳統的劃分方式。他把全曲分為四個部份:第一部份稱為“彌撒”(Missa),包括了垂憐經和光榮頌;第二部份為“尼西亞信經”(Symbolum Nicenum),相應為信經;第三部份是聖哉經,這和拉丁彌撒相同;最後是“讚美頌、迎主曲、羔羊經及請賜平安”(Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem),其中在聖哉經中,巴赫把本來羅馬天主教所采用的“你的光明充滿了天地”(Pleni sunt coeli et terra Gloria tua)變成為路德派所采納的“祂的光明充滿了天地”(Pleni sunt coeli et terra Gloria ejus)。
我們頌揚禰,我們祝福禰,我們崇拜禰,我們讚美顯揚禰 (We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee.)
(4部合唱) Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
我們感謝禰偉大的榮耀 (We thank thee for thy great glory).
(男女高音二重唱) Domine Deus, rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe, Altissime, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
主,神,天上的王,萬能的父,主啊,神之子,至高無上的耶穌基督,主,神,上帝的羔羊,天父之子 (Lord God, heavenly King, Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ Highest, Lord God, Lamb of God, son of the Father.)
(4部合唱) Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.
禰拿去世上的罪愆,垂憐我們,禰拿去世上的罪愆,接受我們的祈禱 (Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.)
(假聲男高音獨唱)Qui sedes ad dextram Patris, miserere nobis.
禰坐在天父之右,垂憐我們 (Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.)
(男低音獨唱)Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.
因為唯有禰是神聖的,唯有禰是主,唯有禰,基督,是至高無上 (For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only, Christ, art most high.)
(5部合唱)Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
與聖靈一起在天父的榮耀中,阿門 (With the Holy Ghost in the glory of God the Father. Amen.)
II. SYMBOLUM NICENUM(尼西亞信經)
(5部合唱)Credo in unum Deum.
我信唯一的天主 (I believe in one God.)
(4部合唱)Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
全能的聖父,天地萬物,無論有形無形,都是祂所創造的(The Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.)
(女高音二重唱)Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt, qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis.
我信唯一的主、耶穌基督、天主的獨生子。祂在萬世之前,由聖父所生。祂是出自天主的天主,出自光明的光明,出自真天主的真天主。祂是聖父所生,而非聖父所造,與聖父同性同體,萬物是借著祂而造成的。祂為了我們人類,並為了我們的得救,從天降下 (And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by who all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.)
(5部合唱)Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria virgine, et homo factus est.
祂因聖神由童貞瑪利亞取得肉軀,而成為人 (And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man
(4部合唱)Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est.
祂在般雀比拉多執政時,為我們被釘在十字架上,受難而被埋葬。(And was crucified also under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried.)
(5部合唱)Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas, et ascendit in coelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis.
祂正如聖經所載,第三日複活了。祂升了天,坐在聖父的右邊。祂還要光榮地降來,審判生者死者,祂的神國萬世無疆。(And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father: and he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.)
(男低音獨唱)Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
我信聖神,祂是主及賦予生命者,由聖父聖子所共發。祂和聖父聖子,同受欽崇,同享光榮,祂曾藉先知們發言。我信唯一、至聖、至公、從宗徒傳下來的教會(And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who prodeedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.)
(5部合唱)Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
我承認赦罪的聖洗,隻有一個 (I acknowledge baptism for the remission of sins.)
(5部合唱)Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
我期待死人的複活,及來世的生命,阿門 (And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.)
III. SANCTUS(聖哉經)
(6部合唱)Sanctus, sanctus, snactus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus.
聖哉,聖哉,聖哉,上主、萬有的天主,禰的榮耀充滿天地 (Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.)
IV. OSANNA, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI(頌揚,上帝的羔羊)
(8部重唱)Osanna in excelsis.
頌揚至高無上的主 (Glory be to Thee, O Lord most high.)
(男高音獨唱)Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
被祝福的是信主的人(Blessed is he, who cometh in the name of the Lord.)
(8部重唱)Osanna in excelsis.
頌揚至高無上的主 (Glory be to Thee, O Lord most high.)
(假聲男高音獨唱)Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
啊,上帝的羔羊,禰拿去世上的罪愆,垂憐我們 (O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.)