We Three Kings: Favorite Poems

We Three Kings; or, Kings Of Orient

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star:

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a king on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring, to crown him again--
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign:

Chorus.

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh:
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship him, God most high:

Chorus.

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom:
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb:

Chorus.

Glorious now behold him arise,
King, and God, and Sacrifice!
Heaven sings alleluya,
Alleluya the earth replies:

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

--Dr. J. H. Hopkins (written and composed about 1857).

I love the iconography and symbolism that has developed about the Three Kings (or Three Wise Men, or the Magi) over the years, although very little about it can be traced to Biblical sources. Even their number is not specified (some legends have as many as twelve); three is deduced from the number of gifts they presented to the newborn Messiah. In the carol above gold is allotted to Melchior, frankincense to Gaspar (or Gaspard, or Caspar), and myrrh to Balthazar. Even these names are late Western tradition; Ethiopian and Syrian tradition records other names. They have been pictured as being at three different ages each (young, middle-aged, and old); and different races (African, Oriental, and Caucasian being most common). They travel with entourages or on their own; they ride camels or horses; they come from separate places but join together in their quest or they all set out from the same time and place.

There is some evidence that the "Kings" came to Jesus some time after his birth, and so weren't around for the angels and shepherds part; any time from two weeks to two years has been suggested. The traditional day is Epiphany (Jan.6), sometimes called Three Kings Day, and is the Twelfth Day of Christmas (so now you understand a little more about that other carol with all the birds and leaping). In some cultures in Europe this is the day kids get presents, brought by the Three Wise Men; thoughtful children leave feed for their camels, as this is the one day of the year they get to eat.

Dr. Hopkins, by the way, was a pastor in Pennsylvania when he wrote the carol. So we got a good one by an American boy.