That's a good point, Jim.

The hyphens came in because I copied the lyrics right off my version of the song. Keeping the hyphens would save work for anybody who would like a peaceful version for this fall.

The CyberHymnal says that their English words are a 19th C translation of the 16thC Dutch, but it's hard to say. To tell you the truth, they sound suspiciously Victorian to me.

Anyhow, this is a good song to sing while working in the kitchen in the autumn, perhaps while cutting up acorn squash or other symbols of the harvest. You don't have to be a church leader to enjoy it.