A Mighty Fortress is Our God

From Age to Age, the Same

A Mighty Fortress is Our God is a Fredrick H. Hedge (1805-1890) translation of the famous hymn by the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546).  Luther wrote both the words and melody (Ein Feste Burg) to this paraphrase of Psalm 46 sometime between 1527 and 1529. It has been translated into almost every known language. Among the 70 or so English versions, Hedge's 1852 translation is the most widely know. In the Liturgy of the Hours, A Mighty Fortress is Our God is used in the Common of One Martyr, and the Common of Several Martyrs.

Tune: Ein Feste Burg

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD translated by Fred­er­ic Hedge, 1853 (PUBLIC DOMAIN)

1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

 3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

 4. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands / Victimae Paschali Laudes

At God's Right Hand He Stands

Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands is an Anthony G. Petti adaption of the 1854 translation (shown below) by Richard Massie (1800-1887) of the 1524 Martin Luther (1483-1546) German hymn, Christ lag in Tod­es ­Band­en. It is based upon one of his favorite Latin hymns: Victimae Paschali Laudes, an 11th century Easter Sunday Sequence usually attributed to the Chaplain to the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II, Wipo of Burgundy (995?-1048?). The initial melody used by Luther suggests that he may have adapted parts of the Latin plainchant of Victimae Paschali Laudes for his translation. The tune, Christ lag in Todesbanden would see a final arrangement by Johann Walther (1494-1570) when published in his Wittembergisch Geistlisch Gesangbuch of 1524. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands is used during Easter.

Tune: Christ lag in Tod­es ­Band­en

CHRIST JESUS LAY IN DEATH’S STRONG BANDS by Richard Massie, 1854 (Public Domain)

1. Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,
For our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand He stands,
And brings us life from Heaven.
Wherefore let us joyful be,
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of Alleluia! Alleluia!

2. No son of man could conquer Death,
Such mischief sin had wrought us,
For innocence dwelt not on earth,
And therefore Death had brought us
Into thralldom from of old
And ever grew more strong and bold
And kept us in his bondage. Alleluia!

3. But Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
To our low state descended,
The cause of Death He has undone,
His power forever ended,
Ruined all his right and claim
And left him nothing but the name,
His sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

4. It was a strange and dreadful strife
When life and death contended;
The victory remained with life;
The reign of death was ended.
Stripped of power, no more it reigns,
An empty form alone remains
Death’s sting is lost forever! Alleluia!

5. Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,
Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree—
So strong His love!—to save us.
See, His blood doth mark our door;
Faith points to it, Death passes over,
And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia!

6. So let us keep the festival
Where to the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us.
By His grace He doth impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended! Alleluia!

7. Then let us feast this Easter day
On the true Bread of Heaven;
The Word of grace hath purged away
The old and wicked leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed;
He is our Meat and Drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia!

Gregorian Chant

VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES

Victimae paschali laudes
immolent Christiani.

Agnus redemit oves:
Christus innocens Patri
reconciliavit peccatores.

Mors et vita duello
conflixere mirando:
dux vitae mortuus,
regnat vivus.

Dic nobis Maria,
quid vidisti in via?

Sepulcrum Christi viventis,
et gloriam vidi resurgentis:

Angelicos testes,
sudarium, et vestes.

Surrexit Christus spes mea:
praecedet suos in Galilaeam.

Scimus Christum surrexisse
a mortuis vere:
tu nobis, victor Rex, miserere.
Amen. Alleluia.

From Heaven High

I Bring You Tidings Good and New

From Heaven High is an adaptation of the German carol, Vom Himmel Hoch da Komm' ich Her. Martin Luther (1483-1546) wrote this hymn for his five year old son Hans and later had it performed at their home on Christ­mas Eve by someone dressed as an angel who then after singing the opening verses was greeted by the children who responded: "Wel­come to earth, thou no­ble guest!" JS Bach would later compose a set of variations based upon the text. The 1939 translation in the Divine Office is by Episcopalian, Winfred Douglas (1867-1944) and is set to the same tune Luther used: Geistliche Lieder (1539). In the Liturgy of the Hours, From Heaven High is used during Christmas.