Good King Wenceslas: Difference between revisions

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"'''Good King Wenceslas'''" is a popular [[Christmas carol]] about a king who goes out to give [[alms]] to a poor peasant on [[St. Stephen's Day|The Feast of Stephen]] (the second day of [[Christmas]], December 26). In the journey, his [[page (servant)|page]] gives up the struggle against the cold weather and is aided by the king who provides the miracle of the warmth that’s needed in his footprints in the snow. The subject of the carol is the historical [[Saint]] [[Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia |Wenceslaus I]], [[List of rulers of Bohemia|Duke of Bohemia]] (907-935).
"'''Good King Wenceslas'''" is a popular [[Christmas carol]] about a king who goes out to give [[alms]] to a poor peasant on [[St. Stephen's Day|The Feast of Stephen]] (the second day of [[Christmas]], December 26). In the journey, his [[page (servant)|page]] gives up the struggle against the cold weather and is aided by the king who provides the miracle of the warmth that’s needed in his footprints in the snow. The subject of the carol is the historical [[Saint]] [[Wenceslaus (Wenceslas, Vaclav) I, Duke of Bohemia |Wenceslaus I]], [[List of rulers of Bohemia|Duke of Bohemia]] (907-935).


The tune is to "Tempus Adest Floridum" ("It is time for flowering"), a 13th-century spring [[carol (music)|carol]], first published in the [[Sweden|Swedish]]/[[Finland|Finnish]] ''[[Piae Cantiones]]'', [[1582]]. The carol is also found in ''[[Carmina Burana]]'' as CB 142. "Tempus Adest Floridum" was translated into English as "The Flower Carol", and was recorded by [[Jean Ritchie]] on the album "Carols For all Seasons" (1959), with the "Good King Wenceslas" tune.
The tune is to "Tempus Adest Floridum" ("It is time for flowering"), a 13th-century spring [[carol (music)|carol]], first published in the [[Sweden|Swedish]]/[[Finland|Finnish]] ''[[Piae Cantiones]]'', [[1582]]. The carol is also found in ''[[Carmina Burana]]'' as CB 142. "Tempus Adest Floridum" was translated into English as "The Flower Carol", and was recorded by [[Jean Ritchie]] on the album "Carols For all Seasons" (1959), with the "Good King Wenceslas" tune.

Revision as of 01:26, 5 January 2008

"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on The Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). In the journey, his page gives up the struggle against the cold weather and is aided by the king who provides the miracle of the warmth that’s needed in his footprints in the snow. The subject of the carol is the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907-935).

The tune is to "Tempus Adest Floridum" ("It is time for flowering"), a 13th-century spring carol, first published in the Swedish/Finnish Piae Cantiones, 1582. The carol is also found in Carmina Burana as CB 142. "Tempus Adest Floridum" was translated into English as "The Flower Carol", and was recorded by Jean Ritchie on the album "Carols For all Seasons" (1959), with the "Good King Wenceslas" tune.

In 1853, G. J. R. Gordon, Her Majesty's Envoy and Minister at Stockholm, gave a rare copy of the 1582 edition of Piae Cantiones to The Reverend John Mason Neale (Warden of Sackville College, East Grinstead, Sussex) and to The Reverend Thomas Helmore (Vice-Principal of St. Mark's College, Chelsea). The book was entirely unknown in England at that time.

Neale translated some of the carols and hymns, and in 1853, he and Helmore published 12 carols in Carols for Christmas-tide (with music from Piae Cantiones). In 1854, they published 12 more in Carols for Easter-tide. The inspirational copy of Piae Cantiones is now said to be in the British Museum.

The lyrics are by Neale (1818–1866). He may have written the hymn some time earlier; he related the story on which it is based in Deeds of Faith (1849). The usual English spelling of King Václav's name, Wenceslaus, is occasionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale in the original.


Song

Poetic structure of the lyrics

The lyrics of GKW consist of five quatrains in the meter trochaic heptameter. Each quatrain has the scheme AABB with feminine rhyme. The unstressed syllable of the fourth foot is abated in each line in favor of a caesura, forming the line into two hemistichs, which conveys a sense of urgency.

In the accompanying common time musical score, the caesura is attained by rendering the fourth foot as a half note, while the last foot of the line effectively becomes a spondee by being realized as two half notes. Each line is thus sung in four measures.

Nineteenth century songwriter, John Mason Neale wrote these lyrics based on the by then legendary English figure of King Wenceslas and put them to a 13th century tune, Tempus Adest Floridum, a Swedish song celebrating Spring:

Text of the lyrics

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st 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 them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather. (or "...winter weather.")
"Sire, the night is darker now, and the winds blow stronger; (or "...wind blows...")
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer." (or "...can not go longer.")
"Mark my footsteps, my good page. Treadst thou in them boldly: (or "Tread now...")
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly." (or "Thou should find...")
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
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 are in the public domain.

MIDI recording of the song

Cover Versions

Score

Click to enlarge.

External links

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