Brorson's lyrics were first published in "Nogle Jule-Psalmer" in 1732 and reworked by Grundtvig in 1837. The lyrics used today are often a mix of the two versions, and the song is known as "Forunderligt at sige" as well as under its original title. The originally melody used by Brorson was that of a traditional French hymn, but later music by Emil Hartmann (1860) and Christian Barnekow (1864) was used. The music known and used today was composed by Carl Nielsen in 1914 and first published in "Salmer og aandelige Sange" in 1919.
