Good King Wenceslas
Manhattan Transfer Lyrics
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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
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."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him 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."
"Mark 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 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
The lyrics of Good King Wenceslas tell a story of a king who looks out on the feast of Stephen and sees a poor man gathering winter fuel. He asks his page to join him to visit the man and bring him some food, wine and wood for his fire. The two set out together, and as they venture out, the page begins to falter in the cold and dark night. But the king reminds him to follow in his footsteps, which had previously been heated by the passing of St. Agnes. The king and page eventually reach the poor man, and the king bestows upon him the gifts they had brought, bringing light and warmth to his otherwise dark and bitter night.
The song is known for its uplifting melody, which perfectly captures the holiday spirit. It's a classic Christmas carol that has inspired countless adaptations and performances. However, the lyrics are also remarkable because they are based on a true story about Saint Wenceslas the Duke of Bohemia, who is celebrated as a national hero in the Czech Republic. The song was published in the nineteenth century and became an instant hit in England and abroad. It has since been translated into many languages and is still widely sung to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
King Wenceslas peered outside
On the feast of Stephen
It was the day after Christmas
When the snow lay round about
Snow was all around
Deep and crisp and even
The snow was firm and smooth
Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon was bright that night
Though the frost was cruel
Despite how dreadful the cold was
When a poor man came in sight
A destitute man became visible
Gath'ring winter fuel
He was gathering wood to burn for warmth
"Hither, page, and stand by me
"Come here, page, and stand with me
If thou know'st it, telling
And tell me if you know
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?"
Where does he live and what's his story?
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
"Sire, he lives far from here
Underneath the mountain
Beneath a nearby mountain
Right against the forest fence
Right next to the forest edge
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
By the fountain named after Saint Agnes.
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
"Bring me meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither
And bring me pine logs
Thou and I will see him dine
So that he and I can feast together
When we bear him thither."
When we take him to my castle.
Page and monarch forth they went
The king and page went forward
Forth they went together
They went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the intense and violent wind
And the bitter weather
And the bitterly cold weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
"Sire, the night is getting darker
And the wind blows stronger
And the wind is getting stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I don't know why, but my heart is failing me
I can go no longer."
I can't go on anymore.
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
"Follow my footsteps, dear page
Tread thou in them boldly
Step boldly into my footsteps,
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
And you will find that the winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
Will not freeze your blood as coldly.
In his master's steps he trod
The page followed in the king's footsteps
Where the snow lay dinted
Where the snow was marked from the king's footsteps
Heat was in the very sod
There was warmth in the very ground
Which the Saint had printed
Marked by the holy Saint's footsteps
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
So for all of you, good Christians, be sure of this
Wealth or rank possessing
Whether possessing wealth or rank
Ye who now will bless the poor
Those of you who bless the poor today,
Shall yourselves find blessing
Shall certainly receive blessings.
Contributed by Adrian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.