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Good King Wenceslas
Peggo and Paul 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 is a classic Christmas carol with a rich history and touching lyrics. The song is about King Wenceslas of Bohemia who, on the night of St. Stephen's feast day, ventured out into the snow to provide aid to a poor man who was gathering firewood. The lyrics describe the harsh winter weather and the king's compassion towards the poor man, making it a heart-warming story of kindness and generosity.
The first two verses describe the scene: good King Wenceslas peering out into a snowy landscape on the feast of Stephen, with the moon shining bright and the frost biting fiercely. The king spots a poor man gathering fuel and asks his page to identify him and his location. The page responds that the man lives far off, beneath the mountains, and the two decide to bring him food and firewood for Christmas.
The third and fourth verses describe the journey to the poor man's home, with the page warning the king of the harsh weather conditions and his own faltering spirits. The king encourages him to follow in his footsteps for warmth and comfort, and they eventually arrive at the man's home, where they provide him with food, drink, and fuel. The final verse reminds listeners of the importance of helping the less fortunate, as those who do so will be blessed in return.
Overall, the song presents an uplifting message of compassion and generosity, reminding us all of the true meaning of Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The King, Wenceslas, peered out into the world
On the feast of Stephen,
It was the day after Christmas, on the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about,
The snow was piled up all around
Deep and crisp and even.
It was deep, crisp, and evenly spread out
Brightly shown the moon that night,
The moon was shining brightly that night
Though the frost was cruel,
Even though the frost was harsh
When a poor man came in sight,
A poor man came into view
Gathering winter fuel.
He was gathering firewood to keep warm in the winter
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come here, my page, and stand next to me
If thou know it telling:
Tell me if you know who that is
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his story?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives quite far from here, about three miles
Underneath the mountain,
He lives at the foot of the mountain
Right against the forest fence
His house is right next to the fence surrounding the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
It's next to the fountain of Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me food and wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring me some logs of pine wood
Thou and I will see him dine
You and I will sit with him as he eats
When we bear the thither.
When we bring everything over to him
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Together, the page and king went forth
Forth they went together
They left together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the harsh, howling wind
And the bitter weather.
And the horribly cold weather
Sire, the night is darker now,
Your Majesty, it's much darker now
And the wind blows stronger.
And the wind is blowing harder
Fails my heart, I know not how.
My heart is failing me, I don't know why
I can go no longer.
I can't continue anymore
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Follow in my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly:
Walk in them confidently
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You'll find that the winter's anger
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
Will freeze your blood less coldly
In his master's step he trod,
The page followed in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Where the snow had been pressed down
Heat was in the very sod
Even the ground was warm
Which the saint had printed.
Where a saint had once walked
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
So, Christians, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
If you're rich or powerful
Ye who now will bless the poor,
If you're kind to the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
You will be blessed as well
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