A Multitude of Mighty Fortresses: Comparing Stanza One, Part I

As promised, here is the line-by-line comparison of Stanza 1 of A Mighty Fortress.

To keep the posts from getting to long, I am taking one section at a time.

German:

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

     Ein gute Wehr und Waffen

Literal:

A mighty fortress is our God

     A good defense and weapon

LSB (rhythmic):

A mighty fortress is our God

     A trusty shield and weapon

LSB (isorhythmic):

A mighty fortress is our God

     A sword and shield victorious

Hymntime.com (isorhythmic):

A mighty fortress is our God

     A bulwark never failing

Omar Westendorf (isorhythmic):

A mighty fortress is our God

     A bulwark never failing

When you are putting a literal meaning into a metered form, things get tricky, and sometimes you have to resort to imagery instead of literalness.  LSB (rhythmic) is the closest to the literal translation. As for capturing the imagery of this section, all of the translations do a fairly good job of that.

Still, I am not sure "bulwark" is the best sense of the original text.  This hymn is a loose paraphrase of Psalm 46.  I thought perhaps the King James Version (1611) would have a clue.

1: God is our refuge and strength,

     a very present help in trouble.
2: Therefore will not we fear,

     though the earth be removed,

     and though the mountains be carried

          into the midst of the sea;
3: Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,

     though the mountains shake

          with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4: There is a river,

     the streams whereof

          shall make glad the city of God,

     the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5: God is in the midst of her;

     she shall not be moved:

     God shall help her, and that right early.
6: The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:

     He uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7: The LORD of hosts is with us;

     the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8: Come, behold the works of the LORD,

     what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9: He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;

     He breaketh the bow,

          and cutteth the spear in sunder;

     He burneth the chariot in the fire.
10: Be still, and know that I am God:

     I will be exalted among the heathen,

     I will be exalted in the earth.
11: The LORD of hosts is with us;

     the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

Hmm... I am still not getting the "bulwark" part when compared to the original, other translations, and Scripture.

I will leave that up for discussion in the comment box.