Good King Wenceslas
Sid Ramin and His Orchestra 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 lyrics of Sid Ramin and His Orchestra's song "Good King Wenceslas" tell a story of a king, Wenceslas, who ventures out into the harsh winter to help a poor man gather firewood. The song is set on the feast day of Saint Stephen, which is celebrated on December 26th, the day after Christmas. The first verse paints a picture of the snowy landscape, with the bright moon shining down despite the brutal cold. It is then that Wenceslas sees a poor man gathering wood, and he calls upon his page to accompany him as he goes to help the man.
The second verse sees the king and his page setting off into the bitter wind and snow. The page becomes fearful, but Wenceslas encourages him to follow in his footsteps and braves the winter's wrath. The third verse highlights the Christian message of the song, as it is revealed that the patch of ground where the poor man was gathering wood was the site where the saint, Agnes, had left her footprint, thus making it a holy spot. The song concludes with a message that those who help the poor will themselves be blessed.
Overall, "Good King Wenceslas" is a heartwarming tale that promotes generosity and kindness, particularly towards those who are less fortunate. It reflects the values of Christianity, which emphasizes the importance of social justice and helping those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The King, whose name is Wenceslas, was watching outside
On the feast of Stephen,
This was happening on the religious holiday known as Stephen's Day
When the snow lay round about,
The surrounding area was blanketed by snow
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was thick, firm, and uniform
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Despite the cruel frost, the moon was shining brightly
Though the frost was cruel,
The cold weather was harsh and unforgiving
When a poor man came in sight,
The King saw a destitute man
Gathering winter fuel.
The man was collecting wood to keep himself warm
Hither, page, and stand by me.
The King summoned his servant to join him
If thou know it telling:
The King asked the servant for information about the man
Yonder peasant, who is he?
The King was curious about the identity of the destitute man
Where and what his dwelling?
The King wanted to know where the man lived and what his life was like
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
The servant responded that the man lived far away
Underneath the mountain,
The man's home was located at the base of a mountain
Right against the forest fence
The man's dwelling was located next to a fence that lined the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
The man's home was near a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
The King requested food and drink be brought to him
Bring me pine logs hither.
The King wanted the servant to bring pine logs to burn
Thou and I will see him dine
The King and his servant planned to join the poor man for a meal
When we bear the thither.
The King and his servant planned to bring the food and logs to the destitute man's home
Page and monarch, forth they went,
The King and his servant set out together
Forth they went together
The King and his servant traveled together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
They braved the harsh winter wind that howled around them
And the bitter weather.
The cold weather was difficult to endure
Sire, the night is darker now,
The servant noticed that it was becoming darker outside
And the wind blows stronger.
The wind had picked up in intensity
Fails my heart, I know not how.
The servant was afraid and unsure if they should continue
I can go no longer.
The servant felt that he could not continue the journey
Ark my footsteps my good page,
The King urged his servant to follow in his footsteps
Tread thou in them boldly:
The King advised his servant to walk with confidence
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
The King promised that the servant would feel less of the winter's anger
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
The servant's blood would not be as chilled and frozen as it could be
In his master's step he trod,
The servant walked carefully and deliberately in the King's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
The King's footprints created indentations on the snowy ground
Heat was in the very sod
The ground itself felt warm to the servant
Which the saint had printed.
The servant believed that the warmth came from the footsteps of a saint
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
The song's conclusion is a moral lesson for Christians
Wealth or rank possessing,
Regardless of one's social status or wealth
Ye who now will bless the poor
Those who help the needy
Shall yourselves find blessing
Will receive blessings in return
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: - DP, JOHN B. HANCOCK, RICH DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind