| Three Kings of Orient | |
|---|---|
 TheAdoration of the Magi byBartolomé Esteban Murillo, about 1655–1660.Toledo Museum of Art,Toledo, Ohio. | |
| Genre | Christmas carol |
| Written | 1857 |
| Text | John Henry Hopkins Jr. |
| Based on | Matthew 2:1 |
| Meter | 8.8.4.4.6 with refrain |
| Melody | "Three Kings of Orient" by John Henry Hopkins Jr. |
| Published | 1863 |
"We Three Kings", original title "Three Kings of Orient", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is aChristmas carol that was written byJohn Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. At the time of composing the carol, Hopkins served as the rector ofChrist Episcopal Church inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania, and he wrote the carol for aChristmas pageant inNew York City. It became the first widely popular Christmas carol written in America.[1]
All | WeThree Kings ofOrient are, |
Refrain | O Star of Wonder, Star of Night, |
Frankincense to offer have I, | |
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume | |
All | Glorious now behold Him arise, |
John Henry Hopkins Jr. organized the carol in such a way that three male voices would each sing asolo verse in order to correspond with the three kings.[3] The first and last verses of the carol are sung together by all three as "verses of praise", while the intermediate verses are sung individually with each king describing the gift he was bringing.[4] Therefrain proceeds to praise the beauty of theStar of Bethlehem.[5] The Magi's solos are typically not observed during contemporary performances of the carol.[3]
The carol's melody has been described as "sad" and "shifting" in nature.[6] Because of this, it highly resembles a song from theMiddle Ages andMiddle Eastern music, both of which it has been frequently compared to.[6]
The carol centres around theBiblical Magi, who visitedJesus as a child in a manger (Matthew 2:1) sometime afterhis Nativity and gave him gifts ofgold,frankincense andmyrrh whilepaying homage to him. Though the event is recounted in theGospel of Matthew, there are no further details given in the New Testament with regards to their names, the number of Magi that were present or whether they were even royal.[7][8] There are, however, verses in the Old Testament that foretell of the visitors: Isaiah 60:6: "The wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you. The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news of the praises of the Lord." (New American Standard Bible), and two selections from the Psalms – Psalm 72:10: "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts" and Psalm 72:15: "...and may there be given to him gold from Arabia" (New American Standard Bible). Hence, the names of the Magi—Melchior,Caspar andBalthazar—and their status as kings from theOrient are legendary and based on tradition.[5][8] The number three stems from the fact that there were three separate gifts that were given.[9] The solo verses and final verse make explicit a tradition according to which the three gifts symbolize three aspects of Jesus, as "King" (gold, representing wealth and power) and "God" (incense, representing worship) and "sacrifice" (myrrh, used to embalm the dead).[8]
At the time he was writing "We Three Kings" in 1857,John Henry Hopkins Jr. was serving as the rector ofChrist Episcopal Church inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania.[5][10] Although he originally worked as ajournalist for a New York newspaper and studied to become alawyer,[6][11] he chose to join theclergy upon graduating from theUniversity of Vermont.[12] Hopkins studied at theGeneral Theological Seminary in New York City and after graduating and being ordained adeacon in 1850, he became its first music teacher five years later, holding the post until 1857 alongside his ministry in the Episcopal Church.[9][12]
During his final year of teaching at the seminary,[12] Hopkins wrote "We Three Kings" for aChristmas pageant held at the college.[13] It was noteworthy that Hopkins composed both the lyrics and music; contemporary carol composers usually wrote either the lyrics or music but not both.[10][14] Originally titled "Three Kings of Orient", it was sung within his circle of family and friends. Because of the popularity it achieved among them, Hopkins decided to publish the carol in 1863 in his bookCarols, Hymns, and Songs.[15] It became the first Christmas carol originating from the United States to achieve widespread popularity,[1] as well as the first to be featured inChristmas Carols Old and New,[clarification needed] a collection of carols that was published in the United Kingdom.[14] In 1916, the carol was printed in thehymnal for the Episcopal Church; that year's edition was the first to have a separate section for Christmas songs.[6] "We Three Kings" was also included inThe Oxford Book of Carols published in 1928, which praised the song as "one of the most successful of modern composed carols".[8]
Jazz, rock, and reggae musicians recorded "We Three Kings".
In the televised cartoonA Claymation Christmas Celebration (1987), the Three Kings sing the verses in traditional choral style, while their camels perform the chorus as adoo-wop song. Credits for the singers are not available.
Since the 1950s, the carol has been frequently parodied by children. The subject of the lyrics vary widely depending upon the region, with references to smoking explosive rubber cigars, selling counterfeit lingerie, or travelling to anIrish bar by taxi, car, and scooter.[21][22][23]
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