The melody, composer unknown, comes from a secular song “Une jeune fillette de grand" valeur” [a type of ‘vocal allemande’ – a combination of dance and folk music lyrics], the earliest record of which can be found in “Recueil de plusieurs chansons divisи en trois parties” a collection of "Voix de Ville" published by Jehan Chardavoine (1537-c. 1580) in Lyon, France in 1557.

The text of this ‘Voix de Ville’ song is as follows:

French Text

English Translation

Une jeune fillette=De noble coeur
Plaisante et joliette=De grand’ valeur,
Outre son greon=l’a vendu’ nonette,
Cela point ne luy haicte=Dont vit en grand’ douleur.

A young girl
with a noble heart
pleasant and good-looking
and of great value/very worthy,
against her will
she was sold as a novice (nun)
this she hated very much (?)
through this she had much sorrow.

The first use of this secular melody with the sacred text by Ludwig Helmbold can be traced back to a broadside which the author personally prepared and had printed in 1563. Unfortunately, although there is knowledge of its prior existence, it cannot be located for inspection at the present time. Joachim Magdeburg later printed out the text and melody in 1572. The same melody is also used for another old chorale text which is still found in use today as EKG 9: “Mit Ernst, o Menschenkinder”. Both Johannes Eccard (1597) and Johannes Jeep (1629) have settings of this melody with the latter text: