We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing.

The tune was written by an unknown author in celebration of Dutch freedom from Spanish sovereignty at the end of the 16th century. It was first published in the 1626 edition of Adrian Valerius' 'Neder-landisch Gedencklanck'. At the end of the 19th century, it was popularized through the edition of Edward Kremser of 'Sechs Altniederlandische Volkslieder' (Six Old Dutch Folk Songs). An American edition was published in Milwaukee in 1895. The English Translation, by Theodore Baker, first appeared in Coenrad V. Bos' 'Dutch Folk-songs, in 1917.

(Source: The Hymnal 1940 Companion)

Padre