A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther wrote and composed a hymn which paraphrases Psalm 46, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott", which was translated as "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". Luther's hymn was called "the "Marseillaise" of the Reformation" by Heinrich Heine in his essay "Zur Geschichte der Religion und Philosophie in Deutschland". It inspired many musical works, both religious and secular. Johann Sebastian Bach based one of his chorale cantatas, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott", BWV 80, on Luther's hymn.