Good King Wenceslas
St.Brannon C.D.S. Choir 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 Christmas carol that tells the story of King Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia, who was known for his piety and kindness towards the poor. The first verse begins by describing how the king looked out on the feast of Stephen, which takes place on December 26th, and saw the snow around his palace “deep and crisp and even”. He then notices a poor man gathering firewood, and asks his page to bring him along.
The second verse continues with the page’s questions about the poor man’s identity and location, to which the king replies that he lives under a mountain, by a fence near Saint Agnes’ fountain. The third verse describes the king’s decision to bring the poor man food and logs for his fire, and the pair brave the harsh winter weather to reach him. The fourth verse shows the page’s hesitancy to continue because of the stronger wind and darker night, but the king encourages him to follow in his footsteps and promises that he will stay warm.
The final verse is a call to action for listeners, reminding them that by blessing the poor, they too will find blessing. The song is a reminder of the importance of generosity, kindness, and compassion towards others, especially during the Christmas season.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The King of the land looked outside his castle
On the feast of Stephen,
It was the day of St. Stephen's feast
When the snow lay round about,
The snow was covering everything around
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was thick, clear and smooth
Brightly shone the moon that night,
The moon was shining bright in the sky
Though the frost was cruel,
Even though the cold was harsh
When a poor man came in sight,
A beggar was seen in the distance
Gathering winter fuel.
He was collecting wood to burn for warmth
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come here, my assistant, and stand next to me
If thou know it telling:
If you know who he is, then tell me
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is the peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his occupation?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives a league away from here
Underneath the mountain,
He lives near the mountain
Right against the forest fence
His home is next to the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
His house is located near the fountain of Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me food and drink for the peasant
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring some pine logs here
Thou and I will see him dine
We will watch him eat the food we provide
When we bear the thither.
When we take the food to him
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Both the assistant and the King went out
Forth they went together
They went together to meet the peasant
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the loud, cold wind
And the bitter weather.
And the extreme cold that they faced
Sire, the night is darker now,
Sir, the night has become even darker
And the wind blows stronger.
And the wind has become even stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how.
My heart is failing, I don't know why
I can go no longer.
I can't continue anymore due to the harsh conditions
Mark my footsteps my good page,
Follow my footsteps, my trusty assistant
Tread thou in them boldly:
Step confidently in my footsteps
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will find that the winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
Will not freeze your blood as much as before
In his master's step he trod,
The assistant followed in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Stepping where the snow already lies condensed
Heat was in the very sod
There was heat in the very ground
Which the Saint had printed.
Where Saint Wenceslas had previously walked
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Therefore, Christian people, make sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
Regardless of our wealth or social standing
Ye who now will bless the poor
If you bless the poor now
Shall yourselves find blessing
You shall also 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