We Three Kings in Old English [Christmas Carol] - The Skaldic Bard

[@SkaldBard]

Here’s my translation, arrangement and performance of the Christmas carol “We Three Kings (of Orient Are)” / “The Quest of the Magi” in Old English. It was written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. Merry Christmas to you all. Thank you for a successful year - the channel has grown far more than I thought it would, and I’m really grateful to everyone who has stuck with me, watches my videos and leaves such edifying and kind comments. It really means the world to me. Next year should bring a lot more original content and new songs, so please stay tuned! If you enjoyed this, please consider subscribing, and please do leave a comment. It really supports the channel. If you’d like to go the extra mile, you could also leave a donation at buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard. Ic eow þancas do. Bliþre Cristesmæssan! Lyrics: Wē þrī cyningas of ēastheorran, mid ġifum wē faraþ feorran. Ofer felda ġehwelċ ġelda folgaþ ġeonum steorran. On Hlāfhūse cyning ġeboren, þurh gold is mīn āþ Him ġesworen. Cyning ǣfre, ne biþ nǣfre His cynedо̄m forloren. Þū wundorsteorra nihtlīċa, Cynesteorra brihtlīċa. West þū lǣdest, ġit þū þæt dēst. Līht Hine, þū rihtlīċa! Wē þrī cyningas of ēastheorran, mid ġifum wē faraþ feorran. Ofer felda ġehwelċ ġelda folgaþ ġeonum steorran. Rēcels bringe iċ on þæt set, forþām stо̄r biþ Gode ġemet, Frēawine wēorðian Hine on hēahnesse folc hēt. Þū wundorsteorra nihtlīċa, Cynesteorra brihtlīċa. West þū lǣdest, ġit þū þæt dēst. Līht Hine, þū rihtlīċa! Iċ mid myrran biterum cwо̄m, hēo bodaþ on līfe glо̄m. Sorg and sice, dēaþ for swice, sēо̄ rо̄d wæs Godes dо̄m. Þū wundorsteorra nihtlīċa, Cynesteorra brihtlīċa. West þū lǣdest, ġit þū þæt dēst. Līht Hine, þū rihtlīċa! Hwæt! Nū sē þrymfæsta ārīst! Cyning, God and lāclīċ Crīst, Heofonas singaþ Alleluia, ēac eorðe þæt word ċīst. Þū wundorsteorra nihtlīċa, Cynesteorra brihtlīċa. West þū lǣdest, ġit þū þæt dēst. Līht Hine, þū rihtlīċa! Wē þrī cyningas of ēastheorran, mid ġifum wē faraþ feorran. Ofer felda ġehwelċ ġelda folgaþ ġeonum steorran.

[@AunninnGamli]

Don't worry, bardaz. We love you.

[@lucassilvadeoliveira5314]

All the best to you there, Merry Christmas for you and your familly, And a prosperous new year

[@AjayRiver]

You're an English hero at this point

[@brankodasic4819]

An Old English hero

[@TheBakedCrusader]

Never stop brother. One day, I can only hope that Old English becomes a part of the educational curriculum because it is such a beautiful language. Merry Christmas to you and your wife.

[@SkaldBard]

We can indeed only hope that such a day may come. Merry Christmas to you and your family

[@Flavius2001]

@@SkaldBard It will if you keep this up! Good work, brother.

[@oliviachernutan370]

Happy to report that at my university in NC I finished taking a class on Old English language and literature. Only wish I had found this chanel earlier, it might've helped with my pronunciation!

[@antidweller6373]

"Gesworen" "Geboren" "Forloren" Almost the same as present day German. Makes you appreciate the purity of German.

[@koreyb]

Yes!

[@NastyCupid]

''Almost'' the same as German, but completely the same as Dutch :)

[@antidweller6373]

@@NastyCupid in German we say "Verloren". How do you say it in Dutch?

[@NastyCupid]

@@antidweller6373 In Dutch it's written as: "Gezworen" "Geboren" "Verloren" But phonetically it sounds identical.

[@antidweller6373]

@NastyCupid in German it's also the same except you say "Verloren" and pronounce it that way. So in Dutch you pronounce "Verloren" as "Forloren"? Interesting.

[@jamesbatesibusquets7617]

Thank Skaldic Bard! This is one of my favorite Christmas songs! Our family (having Catalan ancestry) has a tradition where we receive our presents on January 6 (Three Kings Day) rather than Christmas Day. I didn't expect "We Three Kings" in Old English to be one of our presents this year! Thank you!

[@SkaldBard]

Awesome stuff!

[@TheRaptorr]

And yet another banger from the Bard! Thank you, for making these videos. They really calm me down after a rough day. God bless brother ☦️

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you, friend - glad they help

[@BethNehring]

This is awesome! I particularly like that you included both the familiar lyrics and the literal rendition in modern English of your Old English translation.

[@Konzon]

Exquisite.

[@passchen-fail3704]

You have an excellent voice and your songs are great to listen to during painting, exercising, and when I’m just thinking.

[@SkaldBard]

What a wholesome compliment, thank you!

[@JimOFJIM]

OMG new old English Christmas carol released! I needed a new one after listening to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen so often.

[@teyanuputorti7927]

This is the best song I heard in a long time

[@DANIEL-MICHAEL22]

possibly the best xmas ever.

[@natheriver8910]

Magnificent 👏 🔥 👏 🔥 👏 🔥 👏

[@baidyanathroy27]

Last year you uploaded "God rest ye merry gentlemen" and now this year, "We three Kings". You are literally Santa Claus IRL, delivering present 🎁 on your subscriber's notification on every Christmas month. Farya also uploaded a Christmas song but the French one, btw he is our Iranian Santa and your the Irish Santa. Both of you are very talented artists.🙏 Merry Christmas to you my Brother✝️ Greetings from 🇮🇳

[@RickJaeger]

Nice, one of my favorite carols

[@ArtemisDalmasca]

Yay, I was hoping that there'd be another Christmas song this year!!

[@darthnymruk9766]

My friend this is epic! you made me forget my cold for 4:52 minutes straight, weirdly enough I had a dream the other night about "Silent Night" in old norse and honestly believe it will be equally as epic! thank you for what you do keep it up!

[@Hu55ar]

I love it! A great song to welcome the Christmas festivities! p.s. please put on spotify 🙏

[@mrs.g.9816]

Beautiful! This will be in my Christmas music playlist. Thank you!

[@canislupusminecraft2670]

One of my favorite Christmas carols done by one of my favorite musical artists and sung in a cool language. Þank you.

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks, friend. Glad you enjoyed it

[@Bjorn_Algiz]

Hail! 🙏❤ May your work continue to grow and touch the hearts of others around Miðgarðr. Skål!

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you, my friend! Thank you for sticking around from the very start

[@munchycrusader1143]

Best Christmas Carol for history enthusiasts

[@RBS.23]

Merry Christmas; its been a year of excellent works; I am looking forward to seeing what the new year brings!

[@SkaldBard]

Many thanks for the support

[@thephotoshopper5908]

Our Christmas present came early

[@paulliston8561]

Beautiful song and video! A true gift this Advent season. Merry Christmas!

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you, my friend! Merry Christmas!

[@cesarsoriasanchez714]

"The Skaldic Bard uploa-[clic]" A Christmas song to listen all the year Merry Christmas for all

[@Eirik_Jarl]

God bless you and yours this Christmas season! Thank you for sharing your talents for both language and music to make this Holy season a little more bright and joyful! Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

[@easternlights3155]

I actually squeed when I saw the notification. You're my hero.

[@SkaldBard]

Haha, love it. Thanks, my friend, glad to have you here

[@AmericanImperium2112]

Amazing. 👍 God Bless and Merry Christmas. 🎄🙏🏻

[@sergiusleonis]

Now its my favorite Christmas carol 🎉

[@grandmarshallsteve]

And we have finally once more reached the era of Skaldic Christmas songs! Very based, keep up the good work man

[@THIRDR0ME]

Merry Christmas to you all, emphasis on Christ! May you all be blessed, and have a happy holiday season! ❤ ✝️

[@lordanglish]

And the Bard delivers once again. Thank you for the work you do with these songs, God bless and Christ is king!

[@Mr.Renaud]

Awesome song!

[@MatthewVanston]

Merry Christmas in advance

[@Wallachia_place0]

i love your songs never stop posting them man

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks a lot, good sir. Comments like yours certainly help with motivation! Much appreciated

[@vibeman296]

Yup, another Skaldic Banger.

[@EdlesÖsterreich]

Þe Bard hath y-uploaded yet anōðer greāt song!

[@SkaldBard]

Þancas!

[@LAC03098]

Skald! Dearest, have been loving God bless you merry gentlemen for a year now (so much so it was my second most played song on Spotify this year) now I have another childhood classic to listen to in old English, sung by no other than your talent. I like the fact you went again for a slightly darker tone, which I think is the correct idea for someone like you. I also think what you did with the pictures of the king and half screen lyrics was really great and novel. As always, great work friend and a Merry Christmas to you and your wife and families God bless you

[@prathameshpatil7088]

One of the most awaited pieces

[@agentbimlo4555]

Good sir as always you make my day more than perfect when you drop these treasures on youtube. I really like this Christmas vibe hope to see more of them! 😁

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks for the ongoing support, friend -- Merry Christmas!

[@agentbimlo4555]

@@SkaldBard Merry Christmas to you and everyone aswell!

[@Wolfe123]

Great as always Skaldic Bard! Will be listening to this on repeat for the next several days

[@Maples_Syrup_Frog]

Awesome work Skald. God bless you and your family, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you, may the Lord keep you and your kin. Merry Christmas

[@ЕгорФедоренко-б4н]

Wonderful, as always 😄

[@Phobos1483]

Wow great timing.

[@Ianiosos]

Nice Christmas song man!!!

[@evan7391]

Straight fire!

[@Nomatophobic]

Great work! Good king Wenceslas is my favourite carol and I know he was venerated in England strangely enough, as the model of the Justus Rex. I'd love to hear your take on a contemporary version.

[@SkaldBard]

I'll have a think!

[@brendan7048]

@@SkaldBardoh man, you’ve gotta do it!

[@Pickelhaube349]

This is, sincerely, the best rendition of this song, and I think it is one of the best works of yours I have heard. I have been following this channel and your music for a while now, and I have seen amazing improvement, especially in the past couple months. Your music is great, and I can only see it getting greater. Keep it up, man.

[@SkaldBard]

Ah, many thanks for this, your observation is much appreciated. Merry Christmas to you, friend

[@daimionkaizafox]

Merry Christmas Bard! Ive been hearing this for awhile now and i cant get enough of how well this turned out.

[@uberfeel]

Just like always, this is an absolute banger. Out of all Christmas carols this my favourite one because the level of symbolism it contains, I hope you've a great christmas time with your family ❤☦.

[@SkaldBard]

@@uberfeel That's great, and it's one of my favourites for the same reason! Thanks for the long-standing support, my good man. Have a wonderful Christmas!

[@uberfeel]

@SkaldBard You too.

[@Sensible_centrist]

Awesome.

[@AunninnGamli]

Grēate weorca, bārd.

[@SkaldBard]

Ic þe þancie!

[@iantanner-nosker7552]

Merry Christmas~

[@emanuels.pezente1899]

May the three magi pray for us 🙏

[@AjjiTalktv]

داستان سه مغ پارسی یا سه شاه پارسی که خیلی ها با اون آشنایی ندارن چه زمان خوبی برای گذاشتن این موزیک ویدیو بود سپاس از شما

[@kristiangg4263]

I always wait for the moment you post your song...no my bad thats not a song, thats a masterpiece like every other piece you make! chears and marry christmas to everyone that reads this comment

[@SkaldBard]

Hah, thank you! Merry Christmas, my friend!

[@ArizonaSouthwestern]

Merry Christmas, folks!

[@samueldamuel1689]

I love it

[@iberius9937]

Fun fact: The Three Wise Men or magi would undoubtedly have been Zoroastrian Parthian envoys, not the mixed group you often see imagined in Christmas post cards. Awesome interpretation and reworking of this classic!

[@AjjiTalktv]

that's indeed true

[@jasonward9429]

Very true, The thing is in early medieval art they were portrayed as mixed to represent the three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa) to represent Christ's dominion over the (then known) world. According to my childhood Vicar anyway.

[@Aureus_]

Such a beautiful piece, Merry delayed Christmas Brother Bard!

[@SkaldBard]

@@Aureus_ Merry Christmas, good sir!

[@Saulus_Procuse]

New banger 🗣️🔥

[@CatholicCrusader__30]

You produce great songs brother have already listened to most of your songs. Merry Christmas to you and God bless. One more request please make songs for the fall of Constantinople, Reconquista and the journey to the new world (Catholic migration to the Americas)

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks very much, and thank you for the suggestions

[@Beorneofmercia449]

Ah just in time for a couple of ales, have a fantastic season skald, glæd geōl/yule merry christmas to you and yours😁🍺

[@gutanman]

This hits better than thick of it.

[@netuzer5895]

7th comment . Happy holidays. Happy Birthday to Christ.

[@HoChiMango]

Never been happier to see a video before in my life. Any chance this will be made available on Apple Music soon?

[@zurgesmiecal]

you could make a Christmas playlist

[@sicsempertyrannis6541]

Good King Wenceslas in old english would be a nice addition, good work on this one too! Edit: Latin would also work nicely methinks

[@garethscott3399]

Perfect song for Epiphany

[@antonmikaj3869]

❤❤❤

[@sterlingwilkes3240]

My great grandad was a volga german from russia named Melchior Hölzer. The three kings were Balthazaar, Caspar and Melchior. Very based.

[@SkaldBard]

Great Grandchad

[@iberius9937]

Wēs hāl, mīn cristen brōþor! Sōþlīce gōd dreamcræft!!!!

[@SkaldBard]

@@iberius9937 Wes hal! Þancas ic þe do!

[@merakliBirGezgin]

Old English is wonderful! I wish although Religion difference, two amazing cultures would aggree. I hope will be one day. Greetings from Turkiye.

[@kebi7792]

Þancie þe, cyste wer! Lēoð þine þyccað mīnre sāwle sylfe! Blīðe Crīstesmæsse ond ēadigra Ġeola!

[@BinkyTheElf1]

A reminder of the strong meat & wine of the traditional Christian Faith. We have Good News to be noising abroad! 👶 🎄 ✝️

[@Flavius2001]

A masterpiece! Your powers of translation never cease to amaze me, Bard! The rhymes, too, reproduced in Old English! May I ask a grammatical question? Why the "a" at the end of "nihtlica," "brihtlica"?

[@SkaldBard]

@@Flavius2001 Thank you very much for this! It's much appreciated. The -a is the weak nominative masculine inflection which was often used in Old English for vocative expressions. Here I'm saying þū! (o, thou...!), which denotes definitivity, so the weak form of the adjective can be used

[@Flavius2001]

@@SkaldBard Thank you for your reply! I am trying to teach myself the language with Mitchell and Robinson's "Guide to Old English," and on p. 31, par. 64 (8th ed.), it says that we use the weak form when the adj. stands alone ("the man is old") or just with a noun ("old men"), while the strong is used when the adj. follows the article ("the/that old man") or a possessive ("my old friend"). (The latter seems to me to correspond to the attributive position of Greek grammar, while the former resembles the predicate position.) Where does definitivity fit in all this? I am not acquainted with this term.

[@SkaldBard]

@Flavius2001 Definitivity refers to a specific noun, which is why we call "the" a "*definite* article", and this is most frequently when you would see a weak adjective be used, i.e sē gōda man (the good man, weak gōd-a) vs gōd man (a good man, strong gōd). By using a vocative "thou!", you are also referring to a specific (read: definite) entity. To pick a random example, Alfred uses this construction in Cura Pastoralis: loca nū, þū gōda (

[@Flavius2001]

@@SkaldBard Yes, this makes perfect sense! Thank you for clarifying! So, the use of a strong adjective makes up for the lack of an indefinite article (a/an) in OE, it would seem. Correct?

[@SkaldBard]

@Flavius2001 That, and it's used predicatively too, so "sē man is gōd" (the man is good)

[@magneticalpacagaming]

Funny enough I have to do a presentation on Los Reyes Magos (The Three Kings) today for Spanish class, and this song is about it 💀

[@gregoryheers2633]

Am I the first or only one to read the Skaldic Bard's note in the opening slides of this video? Wow, I must be more unusual than I thought... That makes me a "hæleth", apparently... Did you mean "a hero," Bard? Because I already am the other definition ("young man"). Haha, thanks, I enjoyed it!

[@SkaldBard]

@@gregoryheers2633 Haha, a hero is indeed what I meant! Good job, sir

[@ProfessorPotatoPhD]

@@SkaldBard I was wondering about that opening note! Would you be willing to share a translation of it? (Sadly, my Old English is non-existent save for the lyrics of your songs that i remember :))

[@Hrvatski_vojnik]

Christ is born! God bless brother

[@gutanman]

KRRRWWWWIIIIMMMMAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[@caledonia123]

are you still planning on doing Zinklers Vase? if so will the lyrics be the same as the original? or will they be different, love you man ❤️

[@SkaldBard]

Hey there, yeah, still planning it. They'll be a translation of the original, as close as I can get to it in Middle Scots at least!

[@marcus4046]

Great now I am torn between which version of this song is better, The one done by Clamavi De Profundis, Or your Olde English version? Merry Chirstmas and Happy Holidays.

[@BethNehring]

The Skaldic Bard and Clamavi de Profundis - my two favorite musical artists!

[@muffinlord3168]

Could you remaster the Old English God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?

[@Nerizwith]

Love it. Out of curiosity though why doesn't the beginning text & the end get Translations?

[@SkaldBard]

The end text is a repeat of some of the earlier text, and, well, let's see if anyone works out the beginning text!

[@Nerizwith]

@@SkaldBard I'm no translator, and I'm not even sure if I've read the font right but, Bliþne cnirtermærran eop eallum. Gif þu þir nædan mæth, þonne þu hæleð eant. Acyþ me, Sif þu meaht! Nu, bliþne hlyrtunse! Simply plugging it into google does nothing, so if anyone else wants a go at it try to see what you can do.

[@Chief_Hiccup]

I am enjoying your work. But I would like to know both how you you've been learning the old languages and where I can do so as well. Are you taking courses at a university, using online resources, or working under a tutor? And where do you get those faunts from? I do D&D those are killer looking.

[@realoceansss]

Amazing work! What is the font you use in the beginning of the video? Where could I get it?

[@SkaldBard]

It's called Beowulf, not too difficult to find online

[@jimmysosa5891]

Is a Mercian dialect of Old English?

[@SkaldBard]

West Saxon

[@МартинХристофор]

👍👍 СЛАВА ГОСПОДУ ИИСУСУ ХРИСТУ_!!! ➕️➕️➕️✝️✝️✝️☦️☦️☦️

[@servantofaeie1569]

I have no formal education in Old English whatsoever, all my knowledge is from Wiktionary, Reddit, and your videos, and here's my attempt at translating the beginning: Merry Christmas to you all If you can read this, then you are healed ??? me, give you might/strength! Now, happy listening! How did I do?

[@SkaldBard]

Haha, good effort! "Merry Christmas to you all. If you can read this then you're a hero. Let me know if you can! Now, happy listening!" Got most of it!

[@Studd1990]

И Вас с наступающим Рождеством! Может хоть иногда люди будут вспоминать о Боге и его заповедях (без всяких сносок и допущений).

[@Sergeant_Tofu]

Educate me if i'm wrong but in the older versions of the Bible was it never specified how many kings there were? Idk just something i heard somewhere.

[@felipeschmoellerSCJ]

Can you remake Otto the Great?

[@blugaledoh2669]

Are you to do Middle English?

[@DaniyalTariq-g4y]

[@DaniyalAkram-i6k]

Please how ?

[@DaniyalAkram-i6k]

Am a born Christian and sometimes I feel so down 😭 of myself because of low finance but I still believe God😞

[@DaniyalTariq-g4y]

It's Elizabeth Ann Hanson doing she's changed my life. A BROKER- like her is what you need.

[@DaniyalTariq-g4y]

$356K monthly is something you should feel differently about....

[@ZainabAdnan-y2f]

Lovely! I enjoyed it like I enjoy a $100k monthly around the turn!!!

[@AlessandroGagliardi-wr7kh]

Han kommer ifron Sverige men Han er nu ænglish

[@Zangetz]

Please do Herr Mannalig in Afrikaans 🙏🏻

[@jamestylertyler5926]

Woden listens intently. With a slightly raised eyebrow.

[@George-r9l8l]

Dishonourable

[@IanBurkePerry]

Any chance @faryafaraji could be persuaded to perform a version of this carol in a Persian language?