Good King Wenceslas
The Choir of St. John's College 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 that tells the story of a king who observes a poor man gathering winter fuel outside his castle. The king, named Wenceslas, decides to bring the man some food and logs so he can have a warm meal on a cold night. Wenceslas urges his page to walk with him, although the conditions outside are harsh, to bear the gifts to the peasant. As they make their way through the snow, the king's page begins to feel as though the weather conditions are too harsh for him to continue, and he asks Wenceslas if they should turn back. In response, Wenceslas reminds the page of the warmth that Saint Agnes had found in the snow, then continues with the page to the peasant's home to deliver the gifts.
The carol ends with a moral message: anyone, regardless of their wealth or status, can find blessings by helping the poor. The story is meant to encourage kindness, generosity, and compassion towards those in need, especially during the Christmas season.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king witnessed a sight
On the feast of Stephen,
It was the day after Christmas
When the snow lay round about,
There was snow all around
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was thick and level
Brightly shown the moon that night,
The moon was shining brightly
Though the frost was cruel,
Despite the harsh cold
When a poor man came in sight,
A destitute man was spotted
Gathering winter fuel.
Collecting wood for the winter
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come to me, my assistant
If thou know it telling:
If you know the answer, tell me
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that villager over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his place like?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives far away
Underneath the mountain,
Below the mountain
Right against the forest fence
Adjacent to the forest's barrier
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Near the fountain of Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Give me meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring me pine wood here
Thou and I will see him dine
We will watch him eat
When we bear the thither.
When we bring the food there
Page and monarch, forth they went,
The king and his assistant left
Forth they went together
They left together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the strong wind's lament
And the bitter weather.
And harsh conditions
Sire, the night is darker now,
It is getting darker, Your Highness
And the wind blows stronger.
And the wind is stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how.
My heart is failing me
I can go no longer.
I cannot go any further
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Follow my footsteps, my assistant
Tread thou in them boldly:
Step boldly in my path
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will face the winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
But you will feel its effects less strongly
In his master's step he trod,
He followed his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Where the snow was pressed
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was still warm
Which the saint had printed.
Where the saint had walked
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
So, Christian people, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
Whether you are rich or poor
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Those who give to the poor now
Shall yourselves find blessing
Will themselves be blessed
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