♪ Music Book Companion

Song 12 in The Christmas Songbook

Good King Wenceslas

Also known as: Tempus adest floridum

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Piano

For The Christmas Songbook (piano edition).

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Normal speed (0:46)
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Ukulele

For The Christmas Songbook (ukulele edition).

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Guitar

For The Christmas Songbook (guitar edition).

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Normal speed (0:46)
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Play-along (0:46)
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Kalimba

For The Christmas Songbook (kalimba edition).

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Recorder

For The Christmas Songbook (recorder edition).

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Normal speed (0:46)
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Play-along (0:46)
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All the words

  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.

  2. "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."

  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.

  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."

  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.

About this song

Music
Melody from Piae Cantiones (1582), TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM; harmony Thomas Helmore (1811–1890)
Words
John Mason Neale (1818–1866)
First published
Tune 1582 (Piae Cantiones, Greifswald); words 1853 (Neale & Helmore, Carols for Christmas-tide)
Copyright
Public domain in the US, UK and EU. The arrangement and recordings belong to the book.

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