Good King Wenceslas
Paul Weston & His Orchestra 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
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.
The song “Good King Wenceslas” tells the story of King Wenceslas I of Bohemia who, on the night of December 26 (known as the Feast of Stephen), braves the harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor farmer. The song praises the king for his generosity and his concern for the poor. As the king and his page journey through the cold winter night, the page grows weary and the king encourages him to continue by following in his footsteps.
The song is often associated with the Christmas season, despite not being a strictly religious song. The lyrics speak to the importance of charity and selflessness, which are values often associated with the Christmas spirit. The character of King Wenceslas also symbolizes the idea of a just ruler who cares for his people.
One interesting fact about “Good King Wenceslas” is that the lyrics were actually written by an English hymn writer named John Mason Neale in 1853, and were set to a tune by a different composer. The tune that is now associated with “Good King Wenceslas” was actually composed by a man named Thomas Helmore, who was a colleague of Neale’s.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
King Wenceslas peered out through a window
On the Feast of Stephen
On the day after Christmas
When the snow lay round about
There was snow everywhere
Deep and crisp and even
The snow was deep, cold and flat
Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon was shining brightly that night
Though the frost was cruel
Despite the bitterly cold temperature
When a poor man came in sight
King Wenceslas saw a poor man approaching
Gathering winter fuel
The poor man was collecting wood
Hither, page, and stand by me,
Come here, my assistant, and stand beside me
If thou knowst it, telling
If you know who he is, tell me
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that man over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives a long distance from here
Underneath the mountain
His home is located near a mountain range
Right against the forest fence
His dwelling is adjacent to the forest boundary
By Saint Agnes fountain.
It is located near a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Bring some pieces of pine wood
Thou and I shall see him dine
You and I will watch him eat
When we bear them thither.
When we take those things to him
Page and monarch, forth they went
The assistant and the king set off together
Forth they went together
They went outside hand in hand
Through the rude winds wild lament
They braved the harsh gusts of wind and its noise
And the bitter weather
They put up with the terrible weather conditions
Sire, the night is darker now
My lord, the night sky is getting darker
And the wind blows stronger
And the wind is blowing with greater force
Fails my heart, I know not how
I am becoming anxious and unsure
I can go no longer.
I can't go on anymore
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Follow my footsteps, my good assistant
Tread thou in them boldly
Step onto the snow confidently just like I did
Thou shall find the winters rage
You will experience the anger of the winter chill
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
But your blood will be frozen less coldly
In his masters step he trod
The assistant walked in step with his master
Where the snow lay dinted
On the patch where the snow had already sunk in
Heat was in the very sod
The earth felt warm under his feet
Which the Saint had printed
The ground was warmed by the footprints of a saint
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Therefore, Christian men, be sure to remember
Wealth or rank possessing
Whether you are rich or poor
Ye, who now will bless the poor
You, who bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Will receive blessings in return
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES MORGAN, JULIETTE POCHIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind