Good King Wenceslas looked 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 gathering 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 him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him 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, my good 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
Stamps designed by David Gentleman issued in 1973.
Sing along with Nelson Eddy while the scenes of Prague and Wenceslas Square, the mausoleum at St Vitus Cathedral etc drift past. May you all have a blessed Christmas
An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps
4 comments:
I never knew the story of Good King Wenceslas or the words to the song before. Now I will probably remember the story after reading it and seeing the images in the stamps.
Good King Wenceslas and these stamps too, have always been favourites of mine. I had the complete strip for ages but started to use them up for Christmas postcards.
What a lovely set of stamps! I also did not know the whole song.
Thank you for participating.
These are wonderful Christmas stamps and interesting to collect! I did not know of the Good King Wenceslas story or the song. Thank you for sharing it with us this week :)
Merry Christmas to you and yours :)
Postcards Crossing
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