The most commonly sung Welsh lyrics were written by John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887), and have been translated into several languages, including English (most famously by Harold Boulton (1859–1935)[1]) and Breton.
[2] The melody is also used in the hymns "Go My Children With My Blessing” (text by Jaroslav Vajda, 1983), “God That Madest Earth and Heaven” (1827) and "Father in your Love Enfold Us[3]".
The song is highly popular with traditional Welsh male voice choirs, and is sung by them at festivals in Wales and around the world.
[5] Singable English lyrics to the same tune were written by Sir Harold Boulton in 1884:[7] There is evidence that the song has undergone the folk process to some degree, yielding several similar but modified versions.
[11] The first verse of Green's lyrics (used widely in the harvest season and at Thanksgiving) ends with these words: "For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping, / Future needs in earth's safekeeping, thanks be to God."