Being born on the thirty-first of October often caused me no little grief growing up. I hated seeing the horrible images people put up, on my birthday! I hated having trick-or-treaters showing up on the doorstep in the middle of my party, and, to top it off, I hated having  people call me a "boo baby" in stores!
But their was one consolation; I always knew that my birthday was also the commemoration of a very special event in History, that of the sparking of the fire of reformation and revival in the town of Wittenburg, Germany by a fiery  monk named Martin Luther. When He nailed his Ninety-five theses to the door of Wittenburg chapel.
 So that is what I focus on now. Forget about Halloween!
           But this is a music blog so I am about to share with you once again the most popular hymn of the reformation. (Next year, I promise, I'll find some obscure hymn that no one has ever heard of to post instead!)
    A Mighty Fortress is Our God, or, Ein Feste Burg ist Unsrer Gott.
Last year I shared the German version of the song with you, see my post from then if you want to hear it: http://joyfullysinging.blogspot.com/2012/10/ein-feste-burg-ist-unser-gott.html
 But this time I want to share the actual translations of this hymn into English. The differences between the words we know and what Luther actually wrote are quite striking.
                 So here is the Original German and below is its literal translation.

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, ein gute Wehr und Waffen; er hilft uns frei aus aller Not, die uns jetzt hat betroffen. Der alte böse Feind, mit Ernst er’s jetzt meint, groß Macht und viel List sein grausam Rüstung ist, auf Erd ist nicht sein gleichen. Mit unser Macht ist nichts getan, wir sind gar bald verloren, es streit für uns der rechte Mann, den Gott hat selbst erkoren; fragst du, wer der ist? Er heißt Jesu Christ; der Herr Zebaoth, und ist kein and’rer Gott; das Feld muß er behalten. Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel wär, und wolltn uns gar verschlingen, so fürchten wir uns nicht so sehr, es soll uns doch gelingen, Der Fürst dieser Welt, wie saur er sich stellt, Tut er uns doch nicht, das macht, er ist gericht; ein Wörtlein kann ihn fällen. Das Wort sie sollen lassen stahn, und kein Dank darzu haben. Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan, mit seinem Geist und Gaben. Nehmen sie uns den Leib, Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib, laß fahren dahin; sie haben’s keinen Gwinn. Das Reich muß uns doch bleiben.

 English Translation

A mighty fortress is our God,
a good defense and armory,
he helps us get free from every difficulty
that befalls us.
The ancient wicked foe,
grim is his intent,
great might and much deceit
are his ruthless weapons,
on earth he has no equal.
 
With our might naught can be done;
soon were we lost.
But for us fights the valiant one,
whom God himself elected.
Ask ye, who is this?
He is called Jesus Christ;
the Lord of Sabaoth;
and there is no other God;
He holds the field forever.
 
And if the world were full of devils
wanting to devour us,
we would not be all that afraid,
for we would nonetheless succeed.
The prince of this world,
however bad-tempered he may appear,
can do nothing to us,
The result: he stands condemned;
one little word can fell him.
 
The Word they still shall let remain
nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain,
with his good gifts and spirit,
And take they our life,
goods, fame, child and wife,
let all these go;
they have won nothing.
The kingdom remains ours.

I also want to share a more literal translation of the hymn in poetry as the one above is in prose. And then I will show you the words we all are familiar with.