Monday, October 10, 2011

#2369-To Eoban Hesse
To the renown poet of our time, who is God-pleasing as well as chaste, Herr Eoban Hesse, his very dear brother in the LOrd.
Grace and peace in our LOrd Jesus Christ,Amen. Your Psalter,highly-renown Eoban, in the LOrd very dear brother, which you in your name have delivered   to me, I have received. And read with the greatest pleasure,do read, and will always read as so acceptable to me is your work which this very lovely book has supplied to me. I say to you the greatest possible thanks that your goodly effort, such god-pleasing labor has given me this royal,divine and excellent Hebrew poetry made to be seen in Latin.Also I praise all others have devoted their efforts to translate this poetry, to clarify and to make it very much delightful although likely they did not achieve everything since we all cannot achieve everything;; with exception (which I do not praise) that which brings in the Jewish darkness to the very bright light in several Psalms, since I cannot look at it without distaste.So it pleases me most of all that you are the first and likely the only who delivered this divine poetry completely in Latin vocabulary and have so happily undertaken and likewise so happily succeeded. Through this you have indicated that yes these thoughts (vires) come from the heavenly Heights, done by you richer and more powerfully than by other poets this royal poetry though they were greatly inspired and always motivated but hardly ever recognized or only slightly.This you have done and in no way you not of the matter itself beyond the understanding , as we are accustomed to say, it should also be moved by the truth. This movement.however, comes not by nature , also not of the common power of labor,or not through the customary inspiration, but it is in truth a new gift of the Spirit and an higher inspiration from heaven.Therefore I wish you not only happiness but praise also my LOrd Jesus Christ who through His Spirit  has this blessed work completed which without doubt to others benefit greatly and for an example extends. mainly for the youth whom through the faithful teachers from this poetry at the same time  the knowledge and the efforts the spiritual things and concerns can learn. Then I must say am one of those who is who is more strongly moved ,more delighted, and it more firmer adhere than to the stringent form  be it of Cicero and Demosthenes.That this happens to me in other things, so much more in the matter of the Psalter!With this book I have from youth delighted in actively and worked at. and , thanks to God ! not without great fruit.Then not to put my gift above that of others yet I boast with an holy arrogance that for all the thrones and kingdoms of this world I would dispense with what I have through consideration and delight have received under the blessing of the Holy Spirit.Since I have not a foolish humility  so that God's gifts to me, which He has given to me should not be spoken of . Of myself I have likely enough and more than enough that humiliates me and instructs me that I am nothing; in God once must confidently proud, in His gifts rejoice, triumph and boast, as I do in my own German Psalter, yet actually more in your Eobanische, however, everything to the glory of God, Who is to be praised in etrernity. In Him be it right well with you always and eternally, Amen. Wittenberg the first of August 1537. Martin Luther.

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