Good King Wenceslas
The Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral 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 tells the story of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who was kind and generous to the poor. On the feast of Stephen (December 26), as he looked out of his castle and saw the snow, he saw a poor man gathering firewood. Moved with compassion, he instructed his page to follow him as they went out to bring the man food and firewood. They faced the bitter weather, dark and cold, but continued on their journey regardless of the obstacles they faced. The Duke's page starts to falter, but Wenceslaus encourages him to walk in the footprints he has left in the snow, reassuring him that they are following in the footsteps of a saint and will be blessed for their good deeds.
The lyrics of Good King Wenceslas symbolize the importance of kindness, generosity, and helping the less fortunate. The song not only celebrates the life of a good and generous king but also sends out a message to those listening to the song to be kind and generous to others. The song focuses on the importance of looking out for one another and not just for ourselves, especially during the festive season. With the presence of the Saint Agnes fountain and the mention of Christians, the song emphasizes the moral values that Christians should uphold and the role they need to play in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen, Good King Wenceslas looked outside
On the feast of Stephen,
During the religious holiday of St. Stephen's Day
When the snow lay round about,
At a time when the ground was covered in snow
Deep and crisp and even.
The snow was deep, clean, and even
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Despite the harsh cold, the moon shone bright in the sky
Though the frost was cruel,
Despite the harsh cold weather conditions
When a poor man came in sight,
A poor, homeless man came into view
Gathering winter fuel.
The poor man was gathering wood to keep warm
Hither, page, and stand by me.
Come closer, my assistant, and stand near me
If thou know it telling:
If you are able to tell me
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that poor man over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live, and what is his situation?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
He lives a long distance away, about three miles
Underneath the mountain,
He lives somewhere in the mountainous region
Right against the forest fence
His dwelling place is located next to the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
It is located near the fountain of Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Bring pine logs here
Thou and I will see him dine
We will watch him eat
When we bear the thither.
Once we bring him these supplies
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Both the assistant and the king set off
Forth they went together
They proceeded on their journey together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Despite the harsh, cold, and windy weather conditions
And the bitter weather.
Despite the tough cold conditions around them
Sire, the night is darker now,
Sir, the night has become darker
And the wind blows stronger.
The wind has become stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how.
My heart fails me, and I do not know why
I can go no longer.
I cannot keep going any further
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Pay attention to the path I'm taking, good assistant
Tread thou in them boldly:
Step confidently in my footsteps
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will discover the true force of winter's fury
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
Your blood will not freeze as coldly in the future
In his master's step he trod,
The assistant followed in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented.
Walking where the snow had been pushed down
Heat was in the very sod
The warmth of Saint Agnes was in the ground beneath them
Which the saint had printed.
The place where Saint Agnes had walked had warmth
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
So all Christian people should be certain
Wealth or rank possessing,
Regardless of your wealth or status
Ye who now will bless the poor
Those who bless the poor now
Shall yourselves find blessing
You will also be blessed
Lyrics © Starshine Music, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TONY ALLEN, DONIE CASSIDY, MICK FOSTER, JOHN MASON NEALE, UNKNOWN COMPOSER AUTHOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind