S14E4: "Good King Wenceslas" by Vaclav Svoboda, trans. by John Mason Neale

As befits the time of year, we will be reading six poems of Advent and Christmas during this fourteenth season of the Well-Read Poem. We have selected certain familiar ones, which may yet contain certain surprises in their authorship and composition history, as well as some less well-known pieces which we hope will help you better enjoy the late days of the year leading up to the great Feast of the Nativity of Christ the Lord. 

Today's poem is "Good King Wenceslas" by Vaclav Svoboda in translation by John Mason Neale. Reading begins at timestamp 6:26.

Good King Wenceslas

by Vaclav Svoboda, translation by John Mason Neale

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.