Good King Wenceslas Lyrics in Large Print: Free PDF
The words of Good King Wenceslas are here in large print, one sheet at 18, 24 or 28 point. Credit: John Mason Neale (1853). Published before 1930, so public domain in the US and free to copy.
| Words | John Mason Neale (1853) |
|---|---|
| Type size | 18, 24 or 28 pt |
| Paper | US Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 in, white or cream |
Good King Wenceslas in large print: words and download
Good King Wenceslas
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.
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.
Words: John Mason Neale (1853). Music: Traditional spring carol melody Tempus adest floridum (Piae Cantiones, 1582), arr. Thomas Helmore (1853). Public domain in the United States: words published 1853 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
The words above are set the way this site sets every song: left aligned, one column, plain type with no italics, and a blank line between stanzas. The sheet has 5 stanzas and 40 lines. For more songs of the season, see the large print Christmas carols collection, and the whole set of texts is listed on the large print prayers and hymns page.
Who wrote Good King Wenceslas and when?
John Mason Neale, an English hymnwriter, wrote the words in 1853 with his music editor Thomas Helmore, according to Wikipedia. It first appeared that year in Carols for Christmas-Tide, published by Novello. The tune is much older. It comes from Tempus adest floridum, a spring carol of the thirteenth century printed in the Finnish song book Piae Cantiones in 1582. The story is loosely based on a legend about Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who lived from 907 to 935. Wikipedia explains that the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I gave him the title of king after his death, which is why the carol calls him a king.
When is Good King Wenceslas sung?
The carol is set on the Feast of Stephen, so it suits the days after Christmas as well as carol evenings. It tells a story over several verses. It works alongside The Twelve Days of Christmas or God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.
How do you print Good King Wenceslas for a service, a sing-along or a care-home visit?
Because the carol tells its story over several stanzas, print it on 11 x 17 paper at 24 point to keep it to a single sheet where you can. Give each person a full copy rather than a cut-down version, so that nobody loses the thread of the story. In a care home, you could ask a resident who knows the story to tell it before the singing begins. Cream paper and a matte finish keep glare down, and 28 point copies should be to hand. Eighteen point is the smallest size we offer, because the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) says print below 18 point is not large print, and our page on what large print is explains the reasons for 18, 24 and 28 point.