John Mason Neale: Selected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Good King Wenceslas

John Mason Neale

A king and his page cross a bitter winter night to bring food and warmth to a stranger.

John Mason Neale: Selected Lyrics Text 1 1853 · historical text
Public domainWinterGivingHopefulWarm
Complete public-domain lyrics

The words come from the Carols for Christmas-tide transcription. Historic spelling and punctuation, including its unusual quotation marks, are retained.

Verse 1

Good King Wenceslas look'd 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,

Gath'ring winter fuel.

Verse 2

"Hither, page, and stand by me,

If thou know'st, 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."

Verse 3

"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.

Verse 4

"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."

Verse 5

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.

Credits

Written by John Mason Neale

Historical words by John Mason Neale. Public-domain text; no claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

Carols for Christmas-tide (1853), No. XI

The historical text is published before 1931 and its credited author died more than 100 years ago. See the source's copyright statement; later editions, translations and recordings may have separate rights.

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-09-07. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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