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Vår Gud är oss en väldig borg!

[Our God is to us a mighty fortress!]

My life is cheap and up for sale

The priest has called his flock to come

At the sermon in the church

They will name my name:

A dead man’s name

Stay and starve

Or serve, fight and fall

Taxed in blood

Blood:

That is what we owe

To God and our King

Poor folk picked to fight a foe

When that bell does ring

I will dodge the church draft

Load a boat and hack a hole

Drowning dive to flee this toll

Doom another to pay this tithe

To War!

They now call me

To War!

They won’t spare me

To War!

They will slay me

To War!

Holy crowns and richest gowns

Icons upon God’s stone wall

Those saints are standing

Oh, mighty tall

Fiery crowns, evil frowns

All those churchly men

Murder’s Angels sent

Down by jealous heaven

God is good and God is great

Our King is just and in need

Your debts to him are your lives

Paid in blood, paid in deed

Off to war, to south and east

Show your mettle and your creed

Drafted here for us all

You, sinning men:

Go bleed

Our God is our fortress

And this God may murder

Us