Christmas Lyn
We Three Kings of Orient Are is one of the first American Christmas carols and one of the most famous hymns worldwide.
Initially written for a children’s play, this carol has become an all-time Christmas staple performed in schools, churches, and Christian homes.
Although the song’s lyrics are widely known, few are familiar with its origin and meaning. This seemingly simple song has a lot to unravel.
To understand the meaning of We Three Kings of Orient Are, we should learn who the Magi are, why they came to worship Jesus and the symbolism behind their gifts.
We Three Kings of Orient Are carol teaches us about the prophecies foretelling Christ’s birth and faith and the importance of his sacrifice.
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Lyrics
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’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King for ever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising
All men raising
Worship Him, God most high
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Myrrh is mine
It’s bitter perfume breathes
A life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone cold tomb
Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia
Heaven to earth replies
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Origins
We Three Kings of Orient Are, initially known as The Quest of the Magi or Three Kings of Orient, is an old carol from 1857.
The author of We Three Kings of Orient Are is John Henry Hopkins Jr., born in 1820. At the time of carol’s creation, he worked as a clergyman and hymnodist in the Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
That year, Hopkins’ niece and nephew were participating in a nativity play in New York City and needed a song to perform, so he wrote We Three Kings of Orient Are for the pageant.
Interestingly, Hopkins’ nephew, for whom he created the song, inherited his uncle’s talent and was later credited as the composer of another famous song, I Sing a Song of the Saints of God, first published in the 1920s.
Although Hopkins’ nephews performed the carol in New York City in 1857, it only appeared in print in Hopkins’ collection Carols, Hymns, and Songs in 1863.
John Henry Hopkins Jr. was creative with the carol’s structure – the verses were meant to be sung by three male voices to depict the three kings.
Only the first and the last verse and the chorus should be sung by all three male singers at once. Unfortunately, contemporary performances of We Three kings of Orient Are rarely observe this structure.
Another fascinating fact about the carol is that Hopkins composed both the lyrics and the melody, which is uncommon – most Christmas carols are a result of the cooperation of several people.
We Three Kings of Orient Are is the first widely popular American carol, written two decades earlier than another famous American Christmas song, Away in a Manger.
The song became popular abroad because of European immigrants who brought the lyrics home and the 1928 publication in the Oxford Book of Carols. The book praised it as the most successful of modern Christmas carols.
The Quest of the Magi narrates the story of the Three Wise Men who traveled from afar to worship Jesus, guided by a miraculous star of Bethlehem, and brought gifts.
The Three Wise Men also called the Magi or the Three Kings, likely weren’t kings. Details about the Magi country of origin and métier are obscure, so scholars still introduce theories regarding their figures.
We know that the Magi arrived from the East. According to classical writers, “magi” referred to people who practiced magical arts or those who studied the universe’s mysteries through astronomy, astrology, and natural sciences.
The latter definition of magi makes more sense in the nativity story context because the Three Wise Men were guided by stars, and only truly educated men could find Christ’s location based on the night sky.
Matthew’s account never mentions the number of the Wise Men, but we know that only three of them brought gifts. We don’t know how long their journey took either.
Although people are used to believing that the Magi came to Bethlehem 12 days after Jesus was born because of Epiphany celebrated on January 6, some scholars suggest their journey could have taken up to two years.
This theory makes sense because King Herod ordered his men to kill all baby boys under two years old in Bethlehem. Later tellings of the nativity story helped scholars identify the Magi’s names and lands of origin.
Melchior was from Persia, Gaspar from India, and Balthazar from Arabia. Since the Magi brought valuable gifts – gold, myrrh, and frankincense, we can conclude that they were wealthy people.
But how did Magi know about Jesus? The Bible does not explain how the Three Wise Men understood the Messiah was born, but scholars have found some answers in the scriptures.
A prophecy in numbers 24:17 states: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” The scepter is a term used for royals, so the prophecy indicates a star will be a sign of the king’s coming to Israel.
When the Magi saw a new star rising in the direction of Israel, they understood the Messiah was born. Another prophecy foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.
Meaning
The history of the Magi is ambiguous, so we have a lot to unpack in We Three Kings of Orient Are. The meaning of the carol lies in the Magi gifts symbolism.
The first verse, sung by all the Wise Men, narrates their journey from afar, through fields and mountains, following a yonder star. This verse refers to the star of Bethlehem that indicated Christ’s birth and his location.
That’s just a brief introduction to the story. The second verse is sung by Melchior, a wise man from Persia who brought Jesus gold.
From ancient times, even in the pre-Christian era, gold has been associated with royalty because it was rare and expensive. Because of gold’s endurance, people also linked it with immortality. By presenting Jesus with gold, the Magi acknowledged him as a King of all Kings.
Moreover, gold symbolizes that earthly powers cannot destroy Jesus’ kingdom. The second Magi, Gaspar from India, brought to Jesus frankincense. Frankincense is also known as olibanum, a resin-like substance derived from an Indian plant used for incense and in medical treatments.
Frankincense is not native to Israel but was used in temples by the elders in religious rituals. By presenting Jesus with frankincense, Gaspar acknowledges him as the priest of all priests.
The third verse of the carol goes, “Prayer and praising, all men raising, worship him, God most high,” indicating Jesus’ role in Christianity and referring to how Magi and shepherds worshipped him.
The last gift, myrrh, was used to embalm bodies, so people perceived it as a symbol of pain, death, and the afterlife. At that time, myrrh was even more valuable than gold and was obtained from southern Arabian trees.
By presenting Jesus with myrrh, Balthazar foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus was offered myrrh to soothe his pain during his crucifixion because it has analgesic properties.
Interestingly, some scholars suggest gifts had no symbolic meaning because all three were commonly presented to kings. Gold was used in jewelry; myrrh was used as anointing oil; and frankincense as a perfume.
However, the theory of Magi gift symbolism makes perfect sense considering Christ’s life story, even if Magi didn’t foretell Jesus’ fate deliberately, so this version is widely accepted.
The fourth verse of We Three Kings of Orient Are emphasizes the symbolism of Magi gifts. It states that myrrh signifies a life of gathering gloom, Jesus’ sorrow, and death.
In the last verse sung by all the Wise Men, we see the lines, “Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice,” referring to Jesus’ crucifixion for our sins and resurrection.
The song’s chorus refers to the star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi. The second line, “Star with royal beauty bright,” draws links with the prophecy foretelling that a king will arise in Israel when a new star appears in the sky.
Over the centuries, scientists have presented numerous theories regarding the star’s origin. Some believe that the star was made up, while others suggest it was a real comet or planetary conjunction.
The star is “Westward leading,” indicating that the Magi came from the East, and it guided them to the “perfect light.” In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”
Theologists interpret this phrase differently. Perhaps, Jesus meant that he speaks from God, and without God, humankind would live in darkness. People have a limited capacity to see who they are and what’s right or wrong.
Through Jesus and his teachings, God provided us with knowledge and purpose in life, thus bringing us light. So, We Three Kings of Orient Are identifies Jesus as the King of all Kings, a God, and the Savior of all humankind.
All nations and their kings shall fall down before him. He serves as a guide for humankind, connecting us with God and teaching us how to live to be granted eternal life. Moreover, he’s our only chance for eternal life.
People, being descendants of Adam, are born sinful, and redemption is only possible through the shedding of blood, which Christ did for us to give us hope for salvation.
