A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Words: Martin Luther, 1529; tr. Frederick H. Hedge, 1852 · Tune "Ein Feste Burg": Martin Luther, 1529 · Public domain
Verse 1
GA mighty Cfortress Gis our DGod,
DA Gbulwark Cnever Dfailing;
DOur Ghelper CHe, Gamid the Dflood
DOf Gmortal ills Dprevailing.
DFor Gstill our Cancient Dfoe
DDoth Gseek to Cwork us Emwoe;
EmHis Gcraft and Empower are Dgreat,
DAnd Garmed with cruel Dhate, on Gearth is Dnot his Gequal.
Verse 2
GDid we in Cour own Gstrength Dconfide,
DOur Gstriving Cwould be Dlosing;
DWere Gnot the Cright Man on our Dside,
DThe GMan of DGod's own choosing.
DDost Gask who Cthat may Dbe?
DChrist GJesus, Cit is EmHe;
EmLord GSabaoth, His Dname,
DFrom Gage to Cage the Dsame, and GHe must Dwin the Gbattle.
Verse 3
GAnd though this Cworld, with Gdevils Dfilled,
DShould Gthreaten Cto Dundo us,
DWe Gwill not Cfear, for GGod hath Dwilled
DHis Gtruth to Dtriumph through us.
DThe GPrince of CDarkness Dgrim,
DWe Gtremble Cnot for Emhim;
EmHis Grage we Emcan Dendure,
DFor Glo, his Cdoom is Dsure; one Glittle Dword shall Gfell him.
Verse 4
GThat word Cabove all Gearthly Dpowers,
DNo Gthanks to Cthem, Dabideth;
DThe GSpirit Cand the gifts are Dours
DThrough GHim who Dwith us sideth.
DLet Ggoods and Ckindred Dgo,
DThis Gmortal Clife Emalso;
EmThe Gbody Emthey may Dkill:
DGod's Gtruth Cabideth Dstill, His Gkingdom Dis Gforever.
Chords in the key of G
- G
- C
- D
- Em
About this hymn
- Words
- Martin Luther, German text 1529, translated by Frederic Henry Hedge, 1852
- Music
- EIN FESTE BURG, Martin Luther, 1529
- Meter
- 8.7.8.7.6.6.6.6.7
- In
- 758 hymnals
- Scripture
- Psalm 46, Isaiah 26:4, 1 Peter 5:6-11
The story
Martin Luther wrote the words and the tune both. He worked from Psalm 46, not word for word but loose, and he headed the early printings with just that psalm number. The dates are fuzzy. Hymnary says 1529. Others put the writing somewhere between 1527 and 1529, since no copy of the first printing survives. The oldest one we still have is a hymnal from 1531. The English most of us sing comes from Frederic Henry Hedge in the early 1850s. One more thing worth knowing at the bench. Luther's melody was syncopated and jumpy at the start. The even, squared off version we play now came later.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as an opening hymn, on Reformation Sunday, and in services about trouble and God's protection. It carries well with a full congregation and a strong left hand.
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