Three kings were led by God's own hand

Author: Richard Frederick Littledale

Littledale, Richard Frederick, LL.D., D.C.L., son of John Richard Littledale, merchant, was born at Dublin on the 14th of Sept, 1833, and was educated at Bective House Seminary, and Trinity College, Dublin. His University course was distinguished. In 1852 he became a University Scholar; in 1854 he was first class in Classics and gold medallist; in 1856 he won the Berkeley gold medal (for Greek), and other honours. He graduated B.A., 1855, M.A., 1858, LL.D., 1862, and D.C.L. at Oxford, 1862. Taking Holy Orders in 1856, he was Curate of St. Matthew's, in Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich, from 1856 to 1857, and of St. Mary the Virgin, Soho, London, from 1857 to 1861. Through ill-health he retired from parochial work in 1861, and devoted himself to liter… Go to person page >

Drei König führt die göttlich Hand. [Epiphany.] Appeared in the Alte Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng, Cologne, 1621, in 9 stanzas of 6 lines, and thence, omitting stanza ii. in F. Hommel's Geistliche Volkslieder, 1871, No. 51; and in full, but altered, in Trier Gesang-Buch (R. C), 1846, p. 34. Nearly the same text, but beginning, "Es führt drei König Gottes Hand,” from the Catholische Kirchen Getsäng, Cologne, 1625, is included, omitting stanzas ii., ix. in Wackernagel, v. p. 1251, and in H. Bone's Cantate, 1846 (edition 1879, No. 82). Translated as:—
Three kings were led by God's own hand, a good translation from the Trier text, omitting stanzas ii., iv, vii., by Dr. R. F. Littledale, as No. 54 in the People's Hymnal, 1867, signed “A. L. P." [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)