Es muß die gantze Christen schar

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Es muß die gantze Christen schar” (Burkard Waldis, d. 1556), based on Psalm CXXIV, Nisi quia Dominus, with title “A psalm of consolation that God may miraculously preserve His church against her foes in the highest need.” The proper melody is by Waldis.

 

ALL Christians surely must admit
Nor doubt a bit:
Had God not been / beside us, when
Our raging foes / did us oppose
And sore beset,
And did their teeth against us whet:—

2 Then would they have devoured us all,
Both great and small,
Our lives consumed, / our limbs entombed,
They would our soul / have swallowed whole,
And all around
Their flood of wrath would have us drowned.

3 Yea, were the Lord not on our side
Help to provide,
They surely would / have spilt our blood,
Banned and defamed, / and, unashamed,
Poured out their cup,
And with their teeth had chewed us up.

4 Praise God that we did fly and flee
Calamity,
And did escape / the fowler’s trap!
The snare they laid / is now unmade,
The cord is rent,
The Lord hath freedom to us sent.

5 In God we trust, who hath us bought;
Our foes He fought,
And He prevailed, / their hand curtailed,
Their pow’r and fame / He put to shame;
We grace are giv’n
By Him who made the earth and heav’n.

¶ To God the Father in His throne,
With Christ His Son,
E’er one true God / be praise and laud,
And with them too / the Spirit true,
Who points the way
To bliss prepared for us for aye!

Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Es muß die gantze Christen schar,
Bekennen zwar,
Wo Gott der Herr / nit bei uns wer,
Wann unser feindt / tobt wüt und greint,
Uns hart zusetzt,
Und wider uns sein zeene wetzt,

2 So hettens uns verschlungen gar,
Mit haut und haar,
In irem zorn / wern wir verlorn,
Wer unser seel / in grosser quel,
Auch gar erseufft,
Weil ir zorn wie ein strom herleufft.

3 Ja, wo der HERR nit bei uns tret,
Geholffen het,
Het uns ir sinn / gerissen hin,
Verbant, verdampt / auch unverschampt,
Zerquetscht, zermürscht,
Mit iren zeenen gar zerknirscht.

4 Gott lob, daß wir entkummen sein,
Entrunnen fein
Auß dem unglück / des voglers strick
War uns gestelt, / jetzt nicht mehr helt,
Er ist entzwei,
Der HERR hat uns gemachet frei.

5 Im namen Gotts steht unser trost,
Der uns erloßt,
Die feinde stürtzt, / ir handt verkürtzt,
Im gwalt und pracht / zu schanden macht,
Erzeygt uns gnad,
Der himl und erd geschaffen hat.

¶ Gott Vatter in seim höchsten thron,
Und seinem Son,
Sei lob und preiß / auff alle weiß,
Dem heylgen geyst, / der uns recht weißt
Zur seligkeyt,
Die uns dort Ewig ist bereyt.