"Merck toch hoe sterck" ("Notice how strong") is a Dutch war song and sea shanty written between 1622 and 1625 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 and John Dowland in 1606 (What if a Day or a Month).[1][2] It was adopted as the anthem for Bergen op Zoom.

Merck toch hoe sterck
English: Notice how strong

City anthem of Bergen op Zoom
LyricsAdriaen Valerius, 1622-25
MusicEnglish lute song, 1606
Audio sample
Merck toch hoe sterck

Lyrics

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References

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  1. ^ Burgers, Jan W. J.; Crawford, Tim; Spring, Matthew (17 August 2016). The Lute in the Netherlands in the Seventeenth Century: Proceedings of the International Lute Symposium Utrecht, 30 August 2013. ISBN 9781443899178.
  2. ^ What if a Day or a Month or a Year - Thomas Campion. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-09.
  3. ^ Adrianus Valerius: Neder-landtsche Gedenck-Clanck. Haerlem 1626, S. 247 (Google Books)