Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl. M. Luther. [Ps. xiv.] First published as No. 6 in the Etlich cristlich lider, Wittenberg, 1524, in 6 stanzas of 7 lines, entitled "The Thirteenth Psalm." Wackernagel, iii. p. 6, quotes it from Eyn Enchiridion, Erfurt, 1524. In Schircks's edition of Luther's Geistliche Lieder, 1854, p. 78, and in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 221. The only translation in common use is:—
The mouth of fools doth God confess. In full in R. Massie's M. Luther's Spiritual Songs, 1854, p. 29, repeated as No. 146 in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal 1880, and adopted by Dr. Bacon, 1884, p. 8.
Other translations are:— (1) "The foolish wicked men can saye,” by Bishop Coverdale, Remains, 1846, p. 581). (2) “Vain foolish men profanely boast,” by J. C. Jacobi, 1725, p. 66 (ed.1732, p. 84), repeated as No. 112, in pt. 1 of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. (3) “Thus speak the foolish with their mouth,” by J. Anderson, 1846, p. 28 (ed. 1847, p. 49, altered to, “Thus with their mouth the foolish say"). (4) "Though fools in words may boldly say," by W. M. Reynolds, in the Evangelical Review , Gettysburg, Oct. 1849. (5) "Thus with their lips the foolish say," by Dr. J. Hunt, 1853, p. 58. (6) “Although the mouth say of the unwise," by Dr. G. Macdonald, in the Sunday Magazine , 1867, p. 450, altered in his Exotics, 1876, p. 64, to "Although the fools say with their mouth." [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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