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fact； any one of them can correctly understand one part or chapter
of Aristotle； I will eat my hat！ No； I am not overdoing it for I
have been educated in and have practiced their science since my
childhood。 I recognize how broad and deep it is。 They； too； know
that everything they can do； I can do。 Yet they handle me like a
stranger in their discipline； these incurable fellows； as if I had
just arrived this morning and had never seen or heard what they
know and teach。 How they do so brilliantly parade around with
their science； teaching me what I grew beyond twenty years ago！
To all their shouting and screaming I join the harlot in singing：
〃I have known for seven years that horseshoe nails are iron。〃
So this can be the answer to your first question。 Please do not
give these asses any other answer to their useless braying about
that word 〃sola〃 than simply 〃Luther will have it so； and he says
that he is a doctor above all the papal doctors。〃 Let it remain
at that。 I will； from now on； hold them in contempt； and have
already held them in contempt； as long as they are the kind of
people that they are … asses； I should say。 And there are brazen
idiots among them who have never learned their own art of
sophistry … like Dr。 Schmidt and Snot…Nose； and such like them。
They set themselves against me in this matter； which not only
transcends sophistry； but as St。 Paul writes； all the wisdom and
understanding in the world as well。 An ass truly does not have to
sing much as he is already known for his ears。
For you and our people； however； I shall show why I used the word
〃sola〃 … even though in Romans 3 it wasn't 〃sola〃 I used but
〃solum〃 or 〃tantum〃。 That is how closely those asses have looked
at my text！ However； I have used 〃sola fides〃 in other places；
and I want to use both 〃solum〃 and 〃sola〃。 I have continually
tried translating in a pure and accurate German。 It has happened
that I have sometimes searched and inquired about a single word
for three or four weeks。 Sometimes I have not found it even then。
I have worked Meister Philip and Aurogallus so hard in translating
Job； sometimes barely translating 3 lines after four days。 Now
that it has been translated into German and completed； all can
read and criticize it。 One can now read three or four pages
without stumbling one time … without realizing just what rocks and
hindrances had once been where now one travels as as if over a
smoothly…cut plank。 We had to sweat and toil there before we
removed those rocks and hindrances； so one could go along nicely。
The plowing goes nicely in a clear field。 But nobody wants the
task of digging out the rocks and hindrances。 There is no such
thing as earning the world's thanks。 Even God cannot earn thanks；
not with the sun； nor with heaven and earth； or even the death of
his Son。 It just is and remains as it is； in the devil's name； as
it will not be anything else。
I also know that in Rom。 3； the word 〃solum〃 is not present in
either Greek or Latin text … the papists did not have to teach me
that … it is fact！ The letters s…o…l…a are not there。 And these
knotheads stare at them like cows at a new gate； while at the same
time they do not recognize that it conveys the sense of the text …
if the translation is to be clear and accurate； it belongs there。
I wanted to speak German since it was German I had spoken in
translation … not Latin or Greek。 But it is the nature of our
language that in speaking about two things； one which is affirmed；
the other denied； we use the word 〃solum〃 only along with the word
〃not〃 （nicht） or 〃no〃 （kein）。 For example； we say 〃the farmer
brings only （allein） grain and no money〃； or 〃No； I really have no
money； but only （allein） grain〃； I have only eaten and not yet
drunk〃； 〃Did you write it only and not read it over？〃 There are a
vast number of such everyday cases。
In all these phrases； this is a German usage； even though it is
not the Latin or Greek usage。 It is the nature of the German
tongue to add 〃allein〃 in order that 〃nicht〃 or 〃kein〃 may be
clearer and more complete。 To be sure； I can also say 〃The farmer
brings grain and no （kein） money； but the words 〃kein money〃 do
not sound as full and clear as if I were to say； 〃the farmer
brings allein grain and kein money。〃 Here the word 〃allein〃 helps
the word 〃kein〃 so much that it becomes a clear and complete
German expression。
We do not have to ask about the literal Latin or how we are to
speak German … as these asses do。 Rather we must ask the mother
in the home； the children on the street； the common person in the
market about this。 We must be guided by their tongue； the manner
of their speech； and do our translating accordingly。 Then they
will understand it and recognize that we are speaking German to
them。
For instance； Christ says： Ex abundatia cordis os loquitur。 If I
am to follow these asses； they will lay the original before me
literally and translate it as： 〃Out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaks。〃 Is that speaking with a German tongue？ What
German could understand something like that？ What is this
〃abundance of the heart？〃 No German can say that； unless； of
course； he was trying to say that someone was altogether too
magnanimous； or too courageous； though even that would not yet be
correct； as 〃abundance of the heart〃 is not German； not any more
than 〃abundance of the house； 〃abundance of the stove〃 or
〃abundance of the bench〃 is German。 But the mother in the home
and the common man say this： 〃What fills the heart overflows the
mouth。〃 That is speaking with the proper German tongue of the
kind I have tried for； although unfortunately not always
successfully。 The literal Latin is a great barrier to speaking
proper German。
So； as the traitor Judas says in Matthew 26： 〃Ut quid perditio
haec？〃 and in Mark 14： 〃Ut quid perditio iste unguenti facta est？〃
Subsequently； for these literalist asses I would have to translate
it： 〃Why has this loss of salve occurred？〃 But what kind of
German is this？ What German says 〃loss of salve occurred〃？ And
if he does understand it at all； he would think that the salve is
lost and must be looked for and found again； even though that is
still obscure and uncertain。 Now if that is good German why do
they not come out and make us a fine； new German testament and let
Luther's testament be？ I think that would really bring out their
talents。 But a German would say 〃Ut quid； etc。。〃 as 〃Why this
waste？〃 or 〃Why this extravagance？〃 Even 〃it is a shame about the
ointment〃 … these are good German； in which one can understand
that Magdalene had wasted the salve she poured out and had done
wrong。 That was what Judas meant as he thought he could have used
it better。
Now when the angel greets Mary； he says： 〃Greetings to you； Mary；
full of grace； the Lord is with you。〃 Well up to this point； this
has simply been translated from the simple Latin； but tell me is
that good German？ Since when does a German speak like that … being
〃full of grace〃？ One would have to think about a keg 〃full of〃
beer or a purse 〃full of〃 money。 So I translated it： 〃You
gracious one〃。 This way a German can at last think about what the
angel meant by his greeting。 Yet the papists rant about me
corrupting the angelic greeting … and I still have not used the
most satisfactory German translation。 What if I had used the most
satisfactory German and translated the salutation： 〃God says
hello； Mary dear〃 （for that is what the angel was intending to say
and what he would have said had he even been German！）。 If I had；
I believe that they would have hanged themselves out of their
great devotion to dear Mary and because I have destroyed the
greeting。
Yet why should I be concerned about their ranting and raving？ I
will not stop them from translating as they want。 But I too shall
translate as I want and not to please them； and whoever does not
like it can just ignore it and keep his criticism to himself； for
I will neither look at nor listen to it。 They do not have to
answer for or bear responsibility for my translation。 Listen up；
I shall say 〃gracious Mary〃 and 〃dear Mary〃； and they can say
〃Mary full of grace〃。 Anyone who knows German also knows what an
expressive word 〃dear〃（liebe） is： dear Mary； dear God； the dear
emperor； the dear prince； the dear man； the dear child。 I do not
know if one can say this word 〃liebe〃 in Latin or in other
languages with so much depth of emotion that it pierces the heart
and echoes throughout as it does in our tongue。
I think that St。 Luke； as a master of the Hebrew and Greek
tongues； wanted to clarify and