詩歌的故事：上主是我堅固保障
Hymn
Stories: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
作者：Tim Challies 譯者：駱鴻銘
此詩歌故事系列的最後一篇文章是要突出一個人的作品，他也許是最有名的詩歌作者：偉大的改教家馬丁路德。在他多產的作品中（路德大概寫了36首詩歌），「上主是我堅固保障」比起其他作品來說，是最廣為人知的。The final post in
this Hymn Stories series highlights the work of the man who may be the most
popular hymn writer yet: the great reformer, Martin Luther. Among his
voluminous works, Luther wrote some 36 hymns. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,”
however, is far and away the most well known.
這首詩歌的歌詞來自詩篇第四十六篇，是在慶祝上帝主權的權能，統管地上和屬靈的一切勢力，以及我們因著基督在祂裡面所得到的一切確實盼望。這首詩歌在出版之後大受歡迎，傳遍了整個歐洲的改教勢力範圍。Based on Psalm 46,
the hymn is a celebration of the sovereign power of God over all earthly and
spiritual forces, and of the sure hope we have in him because of Christ. After
its publication, it gained immense popularity throughout Reformed Europe.
它可以說是……宗教改革的「馬賽曲」（Marseillaise；譯按，原文是法國國歌的意思）。在德國國會開會期間，會在奧斯堡唱這首詩歌；在薩克森選侯區，所有的教會也會唱它，通常是為了對抗天主教神父的抗議。當1547年，墨蘭頓、約拿斯（Jonas）、克魯齊格（Cruciger）被逐出威登堡、進入威瑪時，也是唱著這首詩歌，據說也安慰了他們的心。當抗羅宗信徒被放逐移居國外時，以及當他們殉道臨死前，也會唱它。它已經交織到宗教改革時期的歷史當中，成為德國抗羅宗真正的國歌（Louis Benson）。It was … the Marseillaise of the Reformation. It was
sung at Augsburg during the Diet, and in all the churches of Saxony, often
against the protest of the priest. It was sung in the streets; and, so heard,
comforted the hearts of Melanchthon, Jonas, and Cruciger, as they entered
Weimar, when banished from Wittenberg in 1547. It was sung by poor Protestant
emigrants on their way into exile, and by martyrs at their death. It is woven
into the web of the history of Reformation times, and it became the true
national hymn of Protestant Germany. (Louis Benson)
這首詩歌與路德自己也有非常緊密的關聯，其歌詞和旋律充分體現了路德的個性——勇敢、自信、面對壓迫時一無所懼。路德在威登堡的墓碑上刻著這首詩歌的第一句歌詞，正顯出這首詩歌和路德之間的關聯。The hymn became
closely associated with Luther himself, as it embodied in its words and melody
so much of the character of its author — bold, confident, defiant in the face of opposition.
This association is symbolized in the monument to Luther at Wittenberg where
the first line of the lyrics were engraved on the base.
至少有七個被證實的理論，說明了這首詩歌寫作的時間和環境。Benson和其他史家的結論是，最可能的故事是它是在1527年的十月寫的，那時黑死病正在逼近當中。關於這個日期的證據是圍繞這首詩歌的出版歷史（在此之前沒有任何的複本，而在此之後，有越來越多的複本）。There are at least
7 documented theories on the time and circumstances in which the hymn was
written. Benson concludes, along with several other historians, that the most
likely story is that it was written in October 1527 as the plague was
approaching. The evidence for this date is the printing history surrounding it
(no copies beforehand, and a growing number of copies afterwards).
關於這首詩歌曲調的來源一直有爭論。在過去，有人相信它是路德從別處借來的，也許是借用自一首古老的格雷果聖歌的曲調。不過，最近的學者傾向於認為是路德自己寫的（在路德的時代有一個故事說這個曲調是來自一個小酒館非常流行的歌曲，這是誤解了德國音樂術語的結果）。There is debate
about where the tune came from. In times past, it was believed to have been
borrowed by Luther, perhaps from an old Gregorian melody. More recently,
however, scholars are inclined to believe that Luther wrote it himself. (The
story that the tune came from a tavern song that was popular in Luther’s day is
the result of a misunderstanding of German musical terminology.)
有許多人嘗試翻譯成英文。最有名的是Thomas Carlyle的「A Safe Stronghold Our God Is
Still」，和Frederic Henry
Hedges的「A Mighty Fortress
Is Our God」，後者是最受歡迎的。中文的歌詞也是根據後者翻譯的：There have been
many attempts to translate the hymn into English. The two most enduring are
Thomas Carlyle’s “A Safe
Stronghold Our God Is Still” and Frederic Henry Hedge’s “A Mighty Fortress Is
Our God,” Hedge’s translation being far more popular.
上主是我堅固保障，莊嚴雄峻永堅強；
祂領導我安穩前航，助我乘風破駭浪。
惡魔盤踞世上，仍謀興波作浪，
猖狂狡猾異常，殘暴狠毒難防，陰險絕倫真無雙。
A
mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;
Our
shelter He, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.
For
still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe;
His
craft and pow’r are great, And, armed with cruel hate,
On
earth is not his equal.
我若單憑自己力量，自知斷難相對抗，
幸有一人挺身先登，率領著我往前方。
如問此人為誰？乃是基督我王，
統管宇宙萬方， 自古萬民共仰，定能將群魔掃蕩！
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 is His name, From age to age the same,
And
He must win the battle.
群魔雖然環繞我身，向我盡量施侵凌， 我不懼怕，因神有旨，真理必使我得勝。
幽暗之君雖猛，不足令我心驚，
他怒，我能容忍，日後勝負必分，主言必使他敗亡。
And
tho’ 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.
主言權力偉大非常，遠勝世上眾君王，
聖靈恩典為我所有，因主耶穌在我旁。
親戚、財物可捨，渺少浮生可喪，
人或殘殺我身，主道依然興旺，上主國度永久長。
That
word above all earthly pow’rs — No thanks to them — abideth:
The
Spirit and the gifts are ours Thro’ 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.
