EIN FESTE BURG — A Mighty Fortress

A mighty fortress is our God

Martin Luther (text and tune, 1529) Martin Luther (1529); composite English translation, circa 1868 Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book (1931), hymn 273 Public domain. Psalter’s normalized transcription is offered under CC0 1.0. Psalter historical hymn generator

2026-09-11

https://web.archive.org/web/20101127234438id_/http://openhymnal.org/Abc/A_Mighty_Fortress_Is_Our_God-Ein_Feste_Burg_Rhythmic.abc

public-domain SATB hymn

EIN FESTE BURG (rhythmic)

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book (1931), hymn 273

https://web.archive.org/web/20101127234438id_/http://openhymnal.org/Abc/A_Mighty_Fortress_Is_Our_God-Ein_Feste_Burg_Rhythmic.abc

Open Hymnal Project, 2006 revision; the ABC record names the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book (1931), hymn 273, and declares the score public domain.

Complete first stanza in the source’s rhythmic, unmetered form; repeated opening strains are written out exactly as performed.

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

4 2major

1 G 2

quarter

160

4 1 1 D 5 4 1 1 single A D 5 8 1 1 begin might D 5 8 1 1 end y A 4 8 1 1 begin For B 4 4 1 1 end tress D 5 8 1 1 single is C 1 5 4 1 1 B 4 8 1 1 single our A 4 8 1 1 single God, 4 1 1 D 5 4 1 1 single A C 1 5 8 1 1 begin trust B 4 8 1 1 end y A 4 8 1 1 single Shield B 4 4 1 1 single and G 4 8 1 1 begin Weap F 1 4 4 1 1 E 4 8 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end on; 4 1 1 D 5 4 1 1 single He D 5 8 1 1 single helps D 5 8 1 1 single us A 4 8 1 1 single free B 4 4 1 1 single from D 5 8 1 1 begin ev C 1 5 4 1 1 B 4 8 1 1 end ery A 4 8 1 1 single need 4 1 1 D 5 4 1 1 single That C 1 5 8 1 1 single hath B 4 8 1 1 single us A 4 8 1 1 single now B 4 4 1 1 begin o’er G 4 8 1 1 middle tak F 1 4 4 1 1 E 4 8 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end en. 4 1 1 D 4 4 1 1 single The F 1 4 6 1 1 single old G 4 2 1 1 A 4 4 1 1 B 4 8 1 1 begin e A 4 8 1 1 G 1 4 4 1 1 end vil A 4 8 1 1 single Foe D 4 8 1 1 single Now A 4 8 1 1 single means B 4 8 1 1 begin dead C 1 5 8 1 1 end ly D 5 8 1 1 single woe; 8 1 1 C 1 5 8 1 1 single Deep D 5 8 1 1 single guile C 1 5 8 1 1 single and B 4 8 1 1 single great A 4 8 1 1 single might B 4 8 1 1 single Are B 4 8 1 1 single his A 4 4 1 1 single dread B 4 8 1 1 single arms A 4 4 1 1 single in F 1 4 8 1 1 single fight; 4 1 1 D 5 4 1 1 single On C 1 5 8 1 1 single Earth B 4 8 1 1 single is A 4 8 1 1 single not B 4 4 1 1 single his G 4 8 1 1 begin e F 1 4 4 1 1 E 4 8 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end qual. 4 2major

1 G 2 4 1 1 F 1 4 4 1 1 single A F 1 4 8 1 1 begin might F 1 4 8 1 1 end y F 1 4 8 1 1 begin For D 4 4 1 1 end tress F 1 4 8 1 1 single is E 4 4 1 1 E 4 8 1 1 single our C 1 4 8 1 1 single God, 4 1 1 D 4 4 1 1 single A F 1 4 8 1 1 begin trust D 4 8 1 1 end y D 4 8 1 1 single Shield D 4 4 1 1 single and B 3 4 1 1 begin Weap C 1 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 C 1 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end on; 4 1 1 F 1 4 4 1 1 single He F 1 4 8 1 1 single helps F 1 4 8 1 1 single us F 1 4 8 1 1 single free D 4 4 1 1 single from F 1 4 8 1 1 begin ev E 4 4 1 1 E 4 8 1 1 end ery C 1 4 8 1 1 single need 4 1 1 D 4 4 1 1 single That F 1 4 8 1 1 single hath D 4 8 1 1 single us D 4 8 1 1 single now D 4 4 1 1 begin o’er B 3 4 1 1 middle tak C 1 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 C 1 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end en. 4 1 1 A 3 4 1 1 single The D 4 6 1 1 single old E 4 2 1 1 F 1 4 4 1 1 F 1 4 8 1 1 begin e E 4 8 1 1 E 4 4 1 1 end vil C 1 4 8 1 1 single Foe A 3 8 1 1 single Now E 4 8 1 1 single means D 4 8 1 1 begin dead E 4 8 1 1 end ly F 1 4 8 1 1 single woe; 8 1 1 F 1 4 8 1 1 single Deep F 1 4 8 1 1 single guile A 4 8 1 1 single and G 1 4 8 1 1 single great E 4 8 1 1 single might G 4 8 1 1 single Are G 4 8 1 1 single his F 1 4 4 1 1 single dread G 4 8 1 1 single arms E 4 4 1 1 single in D 4 8 1 1 single fight; 4 1 1 F 1 4 4 1 1 single On F 1 4 8 1 1 single Earth D 4 8 1 1 single is D 4 8 1 1 single not D 4 4 1 1 single his B 3 8 1 1 begin e D 4 4 1 1 D 4 4 1 1 C 1 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 end qual. 4 2major

1 G 2

-1

4 1 1 A 3 4 1 1 single A A 3 8 1 1 begin might D 4 8 1 1 end y C 1 4 8 1 1 begin For B 3 4 1 1 end tress A 3 12 1 1 single is A 3 4 1 1 single our G 1 3 4 1 1 A 3 8 1 1 single God, 4 1 1 F 1 3 4 1 1 single A A 3 8 1 1 begin trust G 3 8 1 1 end y F 1 3 8 1 1 single Shield F 1 3 4 1 1 single and G 3 8 1 1 begin Weap A 3 8 1 1 E 3 4 1 1 F 1 3 8 1 1 end on; 4 1 1 A 3 4 1 1 single He A 3 8 1 1 single helps D 4 8 1 1 single us C 1 4 8 1 1 single free B 3 4 1 1 single from A 3 12 1 1 begin ev A 3 4 1 1 end ery G 1 3 4 1 1 A 3 8 1 1 single need 4 1 1 F 1 3 4 1 1 single That A 3 8 1 1 single hath G 3 8 1 1 single us F 1 3 8 1 1 single now F 1 3 4 1 1 begin o’er G 3 8 1 1 middle tak A 3 8 1 1 E 3 4 1 1 F 1 3 8 1 1 end en. 4 1 1 F 1 3 4 1 1 single The B 3 8 1 1 single old D 4 4 1 1 D 4 8 1 1 begin e C 1 4 8 1 1 B 3 4 1 1 end vil A 3 8 1 1 single Foe F 1 3 8 1 1 single Now E 3 8 1 1 single means F 1 3 8 1 1 begin dead A 3 8 1 1 end ly A 3 8 1 1 single woe; 8 1 1 A 3 8 1 1 single Deep B 3 8 1 1 single guile E 4 8 1 1 single and E 4 8 1 1 single great C 1 4 8 1 1 single might D 4 8 1 1 single Are D 4 8 1 1 single his D 4 4 1 1 single dread D 4 8 1 1 single arms C 1 4 4 1 1 single in A 3 8 1 1 single fight; 4 1 1 B 3 4 1 1 single On A 3 8 1 1 single Earth G 3 8 1 1 single is F 1 3 8 1 1 single not F 1 3 4 1 1 single his G 3 8 1 1 begin e A 3 4 1 1 A 3 8 1 1 F 1 3 8 1 1 end qual. 4 2major

1 F 4 4 1 1 D 3 4 1 1 single A D 3 8 1 1 begin might B 2 8 1 1 end y F 1 3 8 1 1 begin For G 3 4 1 1 end tress D 3 8 1 1 single is A 2 4 1 1 E 3 8 1 1 single our A 2 8 1 1 single God, 4 1 1 B 2 4 1 1 single A F 1 2 8 1 1 begin trust G 2 8 1 1 end y D 3 8 1 1 single Shield B 2 4 1 1 single and E 3 8 1 1 begin Weap D 3 4 1 1 A 2 8 1 1 D 3 8 1 1 end on; 4 1 1 D 3 4 1 1 single He D 3 8 1 1 single helps B 2 8 1 1 single us F 1 3 8 1 1 single free G 3 4 1 1 single from D 3 8 1 1 begin ev A 2 4 1 1 E 3 8 1 1 end ery A 2 8 1 1 single need 4 1 1 B 2 4 1 1 single That F 1 2 8 1 1 single hath G 2 8 1 1 single us D 3 8 1 1 single now B 2 4 1 1 begin o’er E 3 8 1 1 middle tak D 3 4 1 1 A 2 8 1 1 D 3 8 1 1 end en. 4 1 1 D 3 4 1 1 single The B 2 6 1 1 single old E 3 2 1 1 D 3 4 1 1 B 2 8 1 1 begin e C 1 3 6 1 1 D 3 2 1 1 E 3 4 1 1 end vil A 2 8 1 1 single Foe D 3 8 1 1 single Now C 1 3 8 1 1 single means B 2 8 1 1 begin dead A 2 8 1 1 end ly D 3 8 1 1 single woe; 8 1 1 F 1 3 8 1 1 single Deep B 2 8 1 1 single guile C 1 3 8 1 1 single and E 3 8 1 1 single great A 2 8 1 1 single might G 2 8 1 1 single Are G 3 8 1 1 single his D 3 4 1 1 single dread G 2 8 1 1 single arms A 2 4 1 1 single in D 3 8 1 1 single fight; 4 1 1 B 2 4 1 1 single On F 1 2 8 1 1 single Earth G 2 8 1 1 single is D 3 8 1 1 single not B 2 4 1 1 single his E 2 8 1 1 begin e F 1 2 2 1 1 G 2 2 1 1 A 2 8 1 1 D 2 8 1 1 end qual.