Nemen sie den leib,
Gut, ehr, kind und weib,
Las faren dahin;
[48.] Habens, i.e. haben es, the es being a genitive = ‘of it,’ ‘from it.’
Sie habens[48] kein gewin,
Das Reich mus uns doch bleiben.
5
Frau Musica.[49]
[49.] The poem dates from 1538. In lines 1-14, and again in lines 25-40, Frau Musica speaks in her own person; but in lines 15-24 Luther speaks of her, proving the goodness of her art by scriptural instances.
[50.] Für = vor; translate by ‘of’ or ‘among.’