It's Good King Wenceslas Day.
Dec. 26th, 2008 02:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fuzzybluemonkeys
So, now I will go through an de-religionify it because one of the things I like about it is how easy it is to pretend it's not religious. It's about feeding the homeless, dammit.
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
Yes, this line is technically referring to Saint Stephen, but it could just as easily be referring to some random dude named Stephen. The Feast of Stephen as opposed to the Feast of Bob.
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 shall 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 shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
No problems here, all wintry and secular.
In his master's step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore,Christian Honest men be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Both saint and blessing have secular meanings. A saint is just a really good person, or Simon Templar as the case may be. And the song itself uses "bless" as term of generosity and kindness when it refers to blessing the poor (by feeding them as opposed to making them your child's godparent). So the only real sticking point is the "Therefore, Christian men be sure," but once you change "christian" to "honest" (or some other two syllable adjective of your choice, we have acheived a song that even godless heathens such as myself will not object to the lyrics of.
And even if you leave the religious stuff in, it's still about feeding the homeless.
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
Yes, this line is technically referring to Saint Stephen, but it could just as easily be referring to some random dude named Stephen. The Feast of Stephen as opposed to the Feast of Bob.
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 shall 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 shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
No problems here, all wintry and secular.
In his master's step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore,
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Both saint and blessing have secular meanings. A saint is just a really good person, or Simon Templar as the case may be. And the song itself uses "bless" as term of generosity and kindness when it refers to blessing the poor (by feeding them as opposed to making them your child's godparent). So the only real sticking point is the "Therefore, Christian men be sure," but once you change "christian" to "honest" (or some other two syllable adjective of your choice, we have acheived a song that even godless heathens such as myself will not object to the lyrics of.
And even if you leave the religious stuff in, it's still about feeding the homeless.
