"Vom Himmel kam der" (#42)

German text in the Gesangbuch:

Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar,

erschien den Hirten offenbar,

sie sagten ihn'n:  ein Kindlein zart,

das liegt dort in der Krippen hart,

Zu Bethlehem in Davids Stadt,

wie Micha das verkündet hat;

es ist der Herre Jesus Christ,

der euer aller Heiland ist.

Des sollt ihr billig fröhlich sein,

daß Gott mit euch ist worden ein;

er ist geborn eur Fleisch und Blut,

eur Bruder ist das ewig Gut.

Was kann euch thun die Sünd und Tod,

ihr habt mit euch den wahren Gott.

Laßt zürnen Teufel und die Höll,

Gotts Sohn ist worden eur Gesell.

Er will und kann euch lassen nicht,

setzt ihr auf ihn eur Zuversicht,

es mögen euch viel fechten an,

dem sei Trotz, ders nicht lassen kann.

Zuletzt müßt ihr doch haben recht,

ihr seid nun worden Gotts Geschlecht,

des danket Gott in Ewigkeit,

geduldig, fröhlich allezeit.

Dr. M. Luther, 1543.

My prose translation:

From Heaven came the host of angels,

Appeared openly to the shepherds

They said to them:  a gentle Child

Who lies there in the hard manger,

To Bethlehem in David's city,

As Micah has prophesized;

It is the Lord Jesus Christ,

Who is Savior of you all.

Therefore you poor should be happy

That God is become one with you;

He is born [as] your flesh and blood,

Your Brother is the eternal Good.

What can sin and death do to you,

You have the true God with you.

Let the devil and hell be angry,

God's Son is become your companion.

He neither wants nor is able to leave you

Place your trust in Him

It will not worry you much

Despite this, He cannot leave it.

Last, you must yet be right

You are now become God's famil

Therefore thank God in eternity,

Always patient, happy.

Dr. M. Luther, 1543.

The first line of the fourth verse has a subject-verb disagreement.  There's a compound subject ("die Sünd und Tod" - sin and death) but a singular verb ("kann" - can).  It should be können.

I'm not too confident in my translation of the last line of the fifth verse ("dem sei Trotz, ders nicht lassen kann," which I translated as "Despite this, He cannot leave it").

As far as I can tell, this hymn isn't present in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, or The Lutheran Service Book.  In the Gesangbuch, there's a note that the text is sung to "the previous melody," which was "Vom Himmel hoch."  Here's the TLH arrangement: