Good King Wenceslas
St. Mary'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
"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol based on the life of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia. The song was written in 1853 by John Mason Neale, an Anglican priest and hymnologist, and it recounts the story of the king and his page on a journey to deliver aid to a poor man. The lyrics of the song are full of symbolism and provide an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of kindness, humility, and charity.
The first verse of the song sets the scene on the feast of Stephen, which takes place on December 26th. Wenceslaus, the king of Bohemia, observes a poor man collecting firewood in the snow, and he instructs his page to accompany him to deliver food, wine, and logs to the poor man's home. The journey is perilous, as they face cold and windy weather, but the page is reminded to follow in his master's footsteps and trust in his guidance. The last verse of the song concludes with a call to action for the listener to follow Wenceslaus' example and bless the poor.
The symbolism in the lyrics is rich and meaningful. Wenceslaus' journey represents an ideal of Christian charity, where those in positions of power have a duty to help those less fortunate. The imagery of the harsh winter weather and the poor man's plight emphasizes the importance of generosity and kindness in the face of suffering. The mention of Saint Agnes' fountain connects the story to the theme of Christian martyrdom, as Saint Agnes was a well-known martyr who died for her faith.
Overall, "Good King Wenceslas" is a song that encourages us to give generously to others, especially in times of need. It reminds us that we can find blessings by helping others and following the example of selfless leaders like Wenceslaus.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king gazed through his window
On the feast of Stephen,
On the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day or St. Stephen's Day
When the snow lay round about,
While there was snow all around
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was deep, firm, and even
Brightly shown the moon that night,
The moon was shining brightly in the sky that night
Though the frost was cruel,
Although the cold was harsh
When a poor man came in sight,
When a poor man appeared in view
Gathering winter fuel.
Collecting wood to burn for heat during the winter
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come here, page, and stand next to me
If thou know it telling:
If you know, tell me:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that farmer over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his house like?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
My lord, he lives a few miles from here
Underneath the mountain,
Near the base of a mountain
Right against the forest fence
Directly next to the border of the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
On the edge of a fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me some meat and some wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring me some logs made of pine wood
Thou and I will see him dine
You and I will watch him eat
When we bear the thither.
When we carry them to him
Page and monarch, forth they went,
The page and the king went out
Forth they went together
They went out side-by-side
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the strong, harsh wind making loud noises
And the bitter weather.
And the harsh winter conditions
Sire, the night is darker now,
My lord, it's much darker now
And the wind blows stronger.
And the wind is now even stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I don't know why, but my heart is starting to fail me
I can go no longer.
I cannot continue on anymore
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Listen to my footsteps, my loyal page
Tread thou in them boldly:
Step in my footprints boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will discover the full fury of the winter
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
If you follow me, you won't be as cold
In his master's step he trod,
He followed in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Where the snow had been compressed by the king's feet
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was still warm where the king had walked
Which the saint had printed.
Which had been left behind by the saint
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Therefore, Christians, be certain
Wealth or rank possessing,
Whether you are rich or poor,
Ye who now will bless the poor
If you help the poor now,
Shall yourselves find blessing
You will be blessed yourself
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TONY ALLEN, DONIE CASSIDY, MICK FOSTER, JOHN MASON NEALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garyrodd4791
I find this Christmas carol to be of special meaning to me...Growing up in poverty, we did not have the luxury of material gifts, but we shared the Holiday spirit by sharing the spirit of family and food we normally could not afford.. such as cranberry/orange relish, turkey & stuffing & home made apple jack made by my father...Christmas was more about the meal we created than giving gifts..
@TheCallumw100
I looked it up and according to history Wenceslas did exist he was the duke of Bohemia and went round giving the poor, orphaned widowed and imprisoned gifts at evening.
@frantisekbuchta8902
I am from the Czech Republic and I think it is amazing how our history has penetrated even to England. We have really interesting history.
But I have some remarks:
1. St. Wenceslas (Václav I.) was a duke not a king, we had some kings, but they were kings until their death, so on succesion title was lost. That changed in year 1212 with document known as "Golden Bull of Sicily" (Zlatá bula Sicilská) which granted title of king even to descendants.
2. He is very controversial character of our history. Despite he was declared as saint, because he was very good Christian, some people and historians says that he didnt care about destiny of Bohemia in case of East Francia´s pressure on borders. But who knows, it is over thousand years ago, but legend about St. Wenceslas is immortal!
@ToddSF
The "Feast of Stephen", for those who might not know, is St. Stephen's Day, December 26, one of the "Twelve Days of Christmas". This carol is associated with December 26, since "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen". It's not a Christmas carol, but associated with the Christmas season nonetheless. One strange thing is the tune, which is taken from a Latin spring carol "Tempus adest floridem" which is all about springtime being the time when flowers bloom again. I've known "Good King Wenceslas" (who was actually a Duke during his lifetime) in this carol for so long, I can't think of the tune as a springtime song. I note that after his assassination at age 27 by his younger brother, Wenceslas the Duke was posthumously declare a King by the Pope as well as a saint, and the Duchy of Bohemia became the Kingdom of Bohemia, with Kings in charge ever after. Today, of course, most of Bohemia lies within the borders of the Czech Republic, also called Czechia, and St. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czechs. I wouldn't call this carol a hymn because it is never sung in church and, instead, it's a narrative that tells a story about a miracle associated with an act of charity, ending with a moral that instructs Christians to be charitable, because in giving to those in need, the giver will find a blessing.
@bowtiesarecool91011
The words were by an English guy.
The music's Scandanavian.
Wenceslas was five foot six.
He kept his face unshaven.
Though just a Duke throughout his life,
he always ruled so justly.
His kingly title was conferred
upon him posthumously.
@BeingRomans829ed
Learned this song for the Christmas play when I was a child over 40 years ago.
Still remember every word.
Brings back memories. Thanks for uploading.
Merry Christmas!
@aalennn1
God bless :)
@marendenison3391
“But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.”
- Cosmas of Prague, about the reign of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, a.k.a. Good King Wenceslaus.
@smittysmeee
+Maren Denison Neat! Thank you for sharing this!
@smittysmeee
christopher snedeker Nope, if you listen to the lyrics beginning at 2:17, the line begins: "Mark my footsteps good, my page, tread thou in then boldly," meaning that the page ought to step carefully (i.e. "mark well") in his king's footprints, not that he is a "good page."