Good King Wenceslas
Boy's & Girl's Children's Choir Lyrics
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When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel
Hither, page and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go not longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page! Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage, freeze thy blood less coldly
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod, which the saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing
"Good King Wenceslas" is a traditional Christmas carol that tells the story of King Wenceslas, the Duke of Bohemia, who lived in the 10th century. The song begins with King Wenceslas looking out on the Feast of Stephen, which is celebrated the day after Christmas. Despite the harsh winter conditions, with snow all around, the moon provides some light. In the distance, Wenceslas spots a poor man gathering fuel for the winter.
Seeking more information about the peasant, Wenceslas calls upon his page to stand by him. The page informs the king that the peasant lives a league (about three miles) away, beneath a mountain near the forest fence by Saint Agnes' fountain. However, the page expresses concern about the dark night and strong winds, feeling unsure about continuing the journey.
But King Wenceslas encourages his page to follow in his footsteps, assuring him that he will find warmth even in the freezing winter. The king's steps leave imprints in the snow, retaining the heat from the ground where the saint had walked before. The song concludes with a message to all Christians, emphasizing the importance of helping the poor. Those who bless the poor will themselves receive blessings.
Overall, "Good King Wenceslas" is a heartwarming tale of compassion and generosity, highlighting the significance of caring for those less fortunate, particularly during the Christmas season.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas look'd out, on the Feast of Stephen
On the Feast of Stephen, Good King Wenceslas peered outside
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even
The snow covered the ground, thick and smooth
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel
Despite the harsh frost, the moon illuminated the night
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel
A destitute man appeared, collecting wood for the winter
Hither, page and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling
Come here, page, and stand beside me, if you know who he is, inform me
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?
Who is that commoner over there? Where does he live and what is his background?
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain
Sir, he resides a fair distance away, beneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain
Directly next to the forest boundary, near the fountain of Saint Agnes
Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger
Sir, the night has grown darker, and the wind blows with greater force
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go not longer.
My courage falters, unexpectedly, and I cannot continue any further
Mark my footsteps, good my page! Tread thou in them boldly
Take note of my footsteps, my good attendant! Walk in them confidently
Thou shalt find the winter's rage, freeze thy blood less coldly
You will encounter the harshness of winter, but it will not chill you as intensely
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted
The page followed in his master's footsteps, where the snow was marked
Heat was in the very sod, which the saint had printed
Even the ground, imprinted by the saint, retained warmth
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing
Hence, all Christian individuals, regardless of wealth or social status
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing
Those who choose to bestow kindness upon the poor will themselves receive blessings
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
wonowreed
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel
Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather
Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
frankieboysgirl
Thank you for all these Christmas carols. Brilliant.
Mary Djan
The one thing I love most about this song is the beat
Naya V.
This is like one of the underrated christmas carols. Like i never anyone sing this irl
Mabel Ƥιηєѕ
unkown format. I agree.
Coolmacatrain
I've just realized I've been singing ♪ Good King Wences last looked out ♪ my whole life...
MattGamingZ 01246
I love the song!
RISHABH AGRAWAL
Big Bang Theory fetched me up, I’m dwelling on it❤️💯
Stacey atkinson
Love this Carol, I'm filling up listening to this,
Dave Cadman
Thank you, I have practiced the young voices choir Christmas disco concert at Corpus Christi school. I used you're songs and lyrics for it. 😘😎😌🙎🎄🎁🎤🎵🎶🎼
Yellow Pages
I love this hymn. I'm sure we sang, "bring me flesh and bring me wine" though.