Good King Wenceslas

The song Good King Wenceslas illustrated in Christmas Carols, New and Old

Good King Wenceslas ( Good King Wenceslas ) is an English Christmas carol . It is about the holy king Wenceslas of Bohemia (908–928 or 935) and his sympathy for a poor peasant collecting firewood on the feast day of Saint Stephen .

His text is by JM Neale . It is based on a poem by the Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda from 1847. The composer Thomas Helmore , who worked with Neale, found the melody in the Piae cantiones collection from 1582, where it was not associated with a Christmas carol but with the spring song Tempus Adest Floridum .

The song culminates in the verse:

"Ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing"

"You also give your neighbors, God will bless you!"

Aside from the motive of compassion , it has little to do with the actual Christmas story.

text

English

Translation ( kronach-klassik.de ; PDF; 100 kB)

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, though the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight, gathering 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. “Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger, Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer. " "Mark my footsteps, good my page, tread thou in them boldly, Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly." 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.

Good King Wenzeslaus looks at St. Stephen's Festival, snow was deep and harsh around the house, shrubs and branches were white. The moon's light shone icily in the frosty night, a poor man came into view, collects wood and sticks. "Come my squire, at my chamber door, hear what I ask you, of those farmers, where he lives, what he creates in the day?" "Sire, he lives many a mile away at St. Agnes' source below the mountains there to the forest's threshold. " "Bring just meat and wine for him, pine in blocks, want to carry food for him, see how it will taste!" Knapp and King went away, the lamentation of the storm sounds wild. One helps the other bear winter's hardship there. “Sire, the night is getting darker now, and the wind is blowing harder, feel my heart more and more, can't walk any longer.” “Follow in my footsteps, good squire, follow me. Winter's pain will be easier, your blood will be warmer. " He follows his master. Look, the tracks are warm! The holy man called warmth to snow-covered corridors! Therefore, Christians, believe me, God has given you, you also give your neighbors, God's blessing will be yours!

literature

• Margaret Vainio, Good King Wenceslas - to “English” Carol . 1999 ( Online ; PDF; 6.8 MB)

See also

The song Good King Wenceslas on a biscuit tin , made by Hudson, Scott & Sons for Huntley & Palmers , 1913

• Saint Martin

Web links

Commons : Good King Wenceslas  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Facsimile of Christmas Carols New and Old from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
• Sound sample a , b , c , d

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Boxing Day or Boxing Day on December 26 , the Second Christmas Day , is the feast of St. Stephen , the first Christian martyr .
2. ↑ Translation ( memento of the original from December 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 100 kB) (kronach-klassik.de) See the literal translation at vocalis-frankfurt.de : The good King Wenceslaus ...