Good King Wenceslas: a Natale una canzone popolare inglese

Assolutamente popolare e molto conosciuta. Vi riportiamo il testo della canzone Good King Wenceslas e se non la conoscete ancora, vi consigliamo di ascoltarla. Siamo sempre alla ricerca di testi tipici che prima di riportare, “ripassiamo” anche noi per essere praparatissimi quando si avvicina la festa più bella dell’anno. Il Natale? Cosa c’è di più coinvolgente nei dodici mesi? Che tristezza quando passa e bisogna scorrere di nuovo tutto il calendario affinchè ritorni. Non abbattiamoci però, ancora una manciata di mesi e poi ritornerà:

Good King Wenceslas

Canzone Tradizionale Natalizia

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,
Tho’ 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;
Thro’ 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.