Good King Wenceslas
Paul and Brenda Neal 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
The song Good King Wenceslas tells the story of a king who looks out of his castle on the feast of Stephen, which is celebrated the day after Christmas. The snow lay deep and even, and the moon was shining brightly despite the cruel frost. As the king looked out, he saw a poor man gathering winter fuel in the bitter weather. The king asked his page to tell him who the peasant was and where he lived. The page informed him that the peasant lived a league away underneath the mountain, by Saint Agnes fountain.
The king decides to bring the poor man some sustenance, asking for flesh, wine, and pine logs to be brought to him. The king and his page set out into the night, braving the bitter weather and wild winds. As the night grows darker and the winds grow stronger, the page tells the king that he cannot continue. But the king encourages him, telling him to follow in his steps, for he will find the winter's rage less cold that way. The king's steps lead them to where Saint Agnes had walked before, where the snow was dented by her feet, and there they found the peasant. The song concludes with a reminder to Christian men to bless the poor, for in doing so, they bless themselves.
Overall, the song is about the importance of helping those in need, even in the harshest of conditions. It also highlights the connection between the physical landscape and the spiritual realm, as seen in the case of Saint Agnes' footsteps. It is a classic Christmas carol that continues to be beloved and widely performed to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king, named Wenceslas, peered outside his castle
On the feast of Stephen,
This took place on the day after Christmas, the feast day (or Saint's day) of Saint Stephen
When the snow lay round about,
The snow had blanketed the landscape
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was thick, crunchy, and uniform
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Despite the harsh, cold night, the moon illuminated the scene brightly
Though the frost was cruel,
It was very cold with biting winds
When a poor man came in sight,
The king happened to catch a glimpse of a destitute man
Gathering winter fuel.
The poor man was out gathering resources to keep himself warm during the winter
Hither, page, and stand by me.
The king addressed his servant, asking him to come and stand by his side
If thou know it telling:
The king asked his page if he knew who the destitute man was
Yonder peasant, who is he?
The king inquired about the identity of the poor man
Where and what his dwelling?
The king was curious to know where the man lived and what his situation was
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
The servant informed the king that the man lived a couple of miles away
Underneath the mountain,
The man lived near a mountain range
Right against the forest fence
He lived near a fence that bordered the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
The man's dwelling was near a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
The king asked his servant to bring him food and drink
Bring me pine logs hither.
The king instructed his servant to bring pine logs
Thou and I will see him dine
The king and his servant would eat with the poor man
When we bear the thither.
When they arrived at the poor man's dwelling
Page and monarch, forth they went,
They traveled together
Forth they went together
They journeyed out into the cold and windy night
Through the rude wind's wild lament
They persevered despite the strong winds and unpleasant noises of the night
And the bitter weather.
The weather was harsh and unforgiving
Sire, the night is darker now,
The servant pointed out that it was darker and later in the night
And the wind blows stronger.
The winds had picked up and were blowing more strongly
Fails my heart, I know not how.
The page admitted he was feeling scared and uncertain
I can go no longer.
He was unable to continue the journey, feeling too overwhelmed
Ark my footsteps my good page,
The king encouraged his servant to listen and follow in his footsteps
Tread thou in them boldly:
He asked him to be brave and step forward confidently
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
The king reassured him that by following his lead, the cold and harsh weather wouldn't affect him as much
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
The page's blood would feel less cold and less affected by the freezing weather
In his master's step he trod,
The servant walked in the footsteps of the king
Where the snow lay dented.
He followed the same path as the king, which had been disrupted by the snow
Heat was in the very sod
The ground they were walking on still held some warmth
Which the saint had printed.
This may have been because Saint Stephen had passed by there recently and had left a trace of warmth
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
The song's intended audience, possibly other Christians, were advised to take note of what happened next
Wealth or rank possessing,
Regardless of one's rank or social status...
Ye who now will bless the poor
...if you choose to be charitable and help those who are less fortunate...
Shall yourselves find blessing
...you too will be blessed
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TONY ALLEN, DONIE CASSIDY, MICK FOSTER, JOHN MASON NEALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind