We Three Kings

The lyrics and music for the song “We Three Kings” was written by Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857 to celebrate the Epiphany.  Epiphany is a Christian festival which starts on January 6. Also known as Three Kings’ Day, Epiphany is when people celebrate how a star led the Magi or the Wise Men to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born. 

Before becoming a clergyman, Hopkins had worked as a journalist, a lawyer and a music teacher.  He wrote “We Three Kings” for a Christmas pageant held at the General Theological Seminary, in New York City where he taught music.

Hopkins’ original composition consisted of five verses.  The three kings were to sing the first verse and the last verse together. The other three verses were written as a solo for each king to tell about their gift they were bringing to the newborn King.  The melody of this song was adapted from an old 13th-century French carol, “Les Rois Mages”.

The lyrics tell the story of the Magi’s journey to Bethlehem to visit the newborn baby Jesus.  The wise men, or Magi, were guided by a star as they travelled from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  The carol ends with the Wise Men praising the newborn King of Kings. 

Here are the lyrics to this carol.

We three kings of Orient are 

Bearing gifts we traverse afar 

Field and fountain, moor and mountain 

Following yonder star 

Chorus: 

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's 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 on high

Chorus

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom,

Sorrowing ,signing, bleeding, dying,

Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Chorus

Glorious now behold him arise;

King and God and sacrifice:

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Sounds through the earth and skies.

Chorus

Hopkins published the carol in 1862 in his songbook Carols, Hymns, and Songs.  “We Three Kings” was the first Christmas carol that originated in the United States to achieve widespread popularity. Today the song is a popular Christmas carol, sung around the world. 

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