Johann Sebastian Bach Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

A mighty fortress is our God,
a stronghold never failing.
He helps us when with troubles fraught
and freely grants his caring.
The evil enemy,
attacks us with glee
his weapons are cruel,
treachery would rule,
on earth is none beside him.

All those born of God are praising
and in victory rejoicing.

With all our strength is nothing done,
for soon we are defeated.
For us the right defense has come,
whom God himself selected.

Those who by the blood of Christ
have been baptized, faith to swear him,
will for evermore be blest.

Who is this, you ask?
It is Jesus Christ,
the Lord of Sabaoth,
none other than our God.
He ever is victorious.

All those born of God are praising,
and in victory rejoicing.

Consider now, believer, God’s great love unending.
As Jesus reconciled you with his blood through suff’ring,
and thereby has been sending you to victory against the world, all sinning
and death’s dark night.
Do not give room within you
to Satan and his evil might!
O heart,

...

1. Choral Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott,
ein gute Wehr und Waffen.
Er hilft uns frei aus aller Not,
die uns itzt hat betroffen.
Der alte böse Feind,
mit Ernst ers itzt meint;
groß Macht und viel List
sein grausam Rüstung ist,
auf Erd ist nicht seinsgleichen.

2. Aria (Soprano e Basso) Alles, was von Gott geboren,
ist zum Siegen auserkoren.

Mit unser Macht ist nichts getan,
wir sind gar bald verloren.
Es streit’ vor uns der rechte Mann,
den Gott selbst hat erkoren.

Wer bei Christi Blutpanier

...

Klaus Hofmann
Translation: David Kosviner

Just like the later, newer version of the work (BWV 80), the reconstruction of the first Leipzig version of the cantata Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A mighty fortress is our God) BWV 80b – presented in the Carus edition for the first time – was intended for Reformation Day which was celebrated in Leipzig every year on 31 October to commemorate Martin Luther’s legendary Ninety-Five Theses which he posted in Wittenberg in 1517. Not only the subsequent new version, but even thefirst version of the Reformation Cantata was the result of an adaptation process. Its point of origin was the cantata Alles, was von Gott geboren (All that are born of God) BWV 80a, which Bach had composed in Weimar, probably in 1716, for the court church service on Oculi Sunday which fell on 15 March that year. Only the text of this cantata – taken from the annual cycle of poetry Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer by Salomon Franck (1659−1725) and printed in 1715 in Weimar – has survived. According to this, the cantata consisted of three arias alternating with two recitatives and the final chorale verse “Mit unser Macht ist nichts

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