Merck toch hoe sterck

Merck toch hoe sterck
English: Notice how strong
City anthem of Bergen op Zoom
LyricsAdriaen Valerius, 1626
MusicEnglish lute song, 1606
Audio sample
Merck toch hoe sterck
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"Merck toch hoe sterck" (Dutch: transl. Notice how strong) is a Dutch war song, written around 1626 by Adriaen Valerius (who adapted the "Wilhelmus", the national anthem of the Netherlands).The music is based on an Elizabethan lute song written by Thomas Campion in 1606 (What if a Day or a Month).[1][2]

Lyrics
Dutch lyrics
1st verse
Merck toch hoe sterck nu in 't werck sich al steld,
Die 't allen tijd' so ons vrijheit heeft bestreden.
Siet hoe hij slaeft, graeft en draeft met geweld,
Om onse goet en ons bloet en onse steden.
Hoort de Spaensche trommels slaen!
Hoort Maraens trompetten!
Siet hoe komt hij trecken aen,
Bergen te bezetten.
Chorus
Berg op Zoom hout u vroom,
Stut de Spaensche scharen;
Laet 's Lands boom end' sijn stroom
Trouwlijck doen bewaren!
2nd verse
't Moedige, bloedige, woedige swaerd
Blonck en het klonck, dat de vonken daeruijt vlogen.
Beving en leving, opgeving der aerd,
Wonder gedonder nu onder was nu boven;
Door al 't mijnen en 't geschut,
Dat men daeglijcx hoorde,
Menig Spanjaert in sijn hut
In sijn bloed versmoorde.
Chorus
Berg op Zoom hout sich vroom,
't Stut de Spaensche scharen;
't Heeft 's Lands boom end' sijn stroom
Trouwlijck doen bewaren!
3rd verse
Die van Oranjen quam Spanjen aen boord,
Om uijt het velt als een helt 't geweld te weeren;
Maer also dra Spinola 't heeft gehoord,
Trekt hij flux heen op de been met al sijn heeren.
Cordua kruijd spoedig voort,
Sach daer niet te winnen,
Don Velasco liep gestoord:
't Vlas was niet te spinnen
Chorus
Berg op Zoom hout u vroom,
't Stut de Spaensche scharen;
't Heeft 's Lands boom end' sijn stroom
Trouwlijck doen bewaren!
English translation
1st verse
Notice how strongly he puts himself to work
Who has ever fought against our freedom
See how he slaves away, digs and marches with force
For our goods and our blood and our cities.
Hear the Spanish drums beat!
Hear the Moorish trumpets!
See how he comes over
to occupy Bergen.
Chorus
Berg op Zoom stay faithful,
Stem the Spanish hordes;
Let our land's trees and its streams
be loyally guarded!
2nd verse
The courageous, bloody, wrathful sword
It shone and it clanged such that the sparks flew from it.
Quaking and shaking, upheaval of earth,
Wonder and thunder, what was below is now above;
Through all the mines and the gunnery,
That one could hear all day,
Many a Spaniard in his cabin
choked on his own blood.
Chorus
Berg op Zoom stays faithful,
it stems the Spanish hordes;
It has kept our land's trees and its streams
loyally guarded!
3rd verse
He of Orange came to oppose the Spanish,
From the field he repelled their violence as a hero;
And as soon as Spinola heard it,
He beat a fast retreat with all his lords.
Cordua soon crawled forth,
He failed to win there
Don Velasco was disturbed
There was nothing he could do
Chorus
Berg op Zoom stay faithful,
it stems the Spanish hordes;
It has kept our land's trees and its streams
loyally guarded!

References
  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=Aev6DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=what+if+a+day+a+month+or+a+year+merck+toch+hoe+sterck&source=bl&ots=KNepxetnef&sig=ACfU3U1S-gDtenu0gcFClinTN6Q20f8H3g&hl=de&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiohbqH8cvlAhXpwosBHejmAMgQ6AEwBXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20if%20a%20day%20a%20month%20or%20a%20year%20merck%20toch%20hoe%20sterck&f=true
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7BvfYsVsGc
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