Good King Wenceslas
Christmas Carols Lyrics
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on the feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown 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 know 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 will see him dine
when we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
forth they went together
through the rude wind's 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.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's step he trod,
where the snow lay dented.
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, who was a 10th-century monarch who ruled the ancient Bohemian kingdom of the Czech Republic. The song was written by John Mason Neale and was published in 1853. The lyrics of the song describe the scene of Good King Wenceslas looking out of his castle window and seeing a poor man gathering wood in the snow. He decides to help the poor man by bringing him food and wood for his fire. His page hesitates because of the harsh weather, but the king encourages him to keep following his footsteps, and they eventually find the man's home. Once there, the king and page dine with the poor man and give him gifts.
The song has deeper meanings than just a story of a kind king helping a poor man. It reflects the essence of Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The story of King Wenceslas symbolizes the behavior that Christians are called to show during the holiday season and throughout their lives. The king's actions, generosity, and kindness align with the principles of Christianity.
The song also illustrates the Christian belief that by giving to those in need, you are not only helping them but are also blessed in return. The last line of the song, "ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing," echoes this idea and serves as a reminder to Christians that the act of giving is just as rewarding for the giver as it is for the receiver.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king, whose name is Wenceslas, looked outside
on the feast of Stephen,
It was on the day after Christmas, which is also known as the Feast of Saint Stephen
when the snow lay round about,
There was snow all around
deep and crisp and even.
The snow was deep, crisp, and level
Brightly shown the moon that night,
The moon was shining brightly on that night
though the frost was cruel,
Despite the extreme cold weather
when a poor man came in sight,
A poor man appeared in the distance
gathering winter fuel.
He was collecting wood for his winter fire
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come here, my servant, and stand next to me
If thou know it telling:
If you know, please tell me
yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his house like?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives a long distance away
underneath the mountain,
He lives under a mountain
right against the forest fence
His house is right next to the forest
by Saint Agnes fountain.
His house is also close to a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me some food and wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring some pine logs here.
Thou and I will see him dine
You and I will watch him eat dinner
when we bear the thither.
When we bring the food and logs to his house.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
The servant and the king went forth
forth they went together
They went together
through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the harsh and unsettling sound of the wind
and the bitter weather.
And the severe cold weather
Sire, the night is darker now,
My lord, it has become much darker now
and the wind blows stronger.
The wind is blowing even harder now
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I am scared and unsure of my ability to keep going
I can go no longer.
I cannot keep going anymore
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Listen to the sound of my footsteps, my loyal servant,
tread thou in them boldly:
Follow closely in my footsteps with confidence,
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will find that the winter's terrible cold,
freeze thy blood less coldly.
Is not as unbearable if you walk where I have walked.
In his master's step he trod,
The servant followed in his master's footsteps
where the snow lay dented.
Where the snow had been stepped on and was no longer smooth
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was warm underfoot
which the saint had printed.
Because a saint had once walked there, the ground was warm
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
So, all you Christian men, be certain
wealth or rank possessing,
Whether you are wealthy or not,
ye who now will bless the poor
If you bless and help the poor
shall yourselves find blessing
You will be blessed in return
Contributed by Mateo L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@garyrodd4791
I find this Christmas carol to be of special meaning to me...Growing up in poverty, we did not have the luxury of material gifts, but we shared the Holiday spirit by sharing the spirit of family and food we normally could not afford.. such as cranberry/orange relish, turkey & stuffing & home made apple jack made by my father...Christmas was more about the meal we created than giving gifts..
@TheCallumw100
I looked it up and according to history Wenceslas did exist he was the duke of Bohemia and went round giving the poor, orphaned widowed and imprisoned gifts at evening.
@frantisekbuchta8902
I am from the Czech Republic and I think it is amazing how our history has penetrated even to England. We have really interesting history.
But I have some remarks:
1. St. Wenceslas (Václav I.) was a duke not a king, we had some kings, but they were kings until their death, so on succesion title was lost. That changed in year 1212 with document known as "Golden Bull of Sicily" (Zlatá bula Sicilská) which granted title of king even to descendants.
2. He is very controversial character of our history. Despite he was declared as saint, because he was very good Christian, some people and historians says that he didnt care about destiny of Bohemia in case of East Francia´s pressure on borders. But who knows, it is over thousand years ago, but legend about St. Wenceslas is immortal!
@ToddSF
The "Feast of Stephen", for those who might not know, is St. Stephen's Day, December 26, one of the "Twelve Days of Christmas". This carol is associated with December 26, since "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen". It's not a Christmas carol, but associated with the Christmas season nonetheless. One strange thing is the tune, which is taken from a Latin spring carol "Tempus adest floridem" which is all about springtime being the time when flowers bloom again. I've known "Good King Wenceslas" (who was actually a Duke during his lifetime) in this carol for so long, I can't think of the tune as a springtime song. I note that after his assassination at age 27 by his younger brother, Wenceslas the Duke was posthumously declare a King by the Pope as well as a saint, and the Duchy of Bohemia became the Kingdom of Bohemia, with Kings in charge ever after. Today, of course, most of Bohemia lies within the borders of the Czech Republic, also called Czechia, and St. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czechs. I wouldn't call this carol a hymn because it is never sung in church and, instead, it's a narrative that tells a story about a miracle associated with an act of charity, ending with a moral that instructs Christians to be charitable, because in giving to those in need, the giver will find a blessing.
@bowtiesarecool91011
The words were by an English guy.
The music's Scandanavian.
Wenceslas was five foot six.
He kept his face unshaven.
Though just a Duke throughout his life,
he always ruled so justly.
His kingly title was conferred
upon him posthumously.
@BeingRomans829ed
Learned this song for the Christmas play when I was a child over 40 years ago.
Still remember every word.
Brings back memories. Thanks for uploading.
Merry Christmas!
@aalennn1
God bless :)
@marendenison3391
“But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.”
- Cosmas of Prague, about the reign of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, a.k.a. Good King Wenceslaus.
@smittysmeee
+Maren Denison Neat! Thank you for sharing this!
@smittysmeee
christopher snedeker Nope, if you listen to the lyrics beginning at 2:17, the line begins: "Mark my footsteps good, my page, tread thou in then boldly," meaning that the page ought to step carefully (i.e. "mark well") in his king's footprints, not that he is a "good page."