- Collections
Log in to make the most of Hymnary.org collections.
We three kings of Orient are
 | We three kings of Orient areAuthor: John H. Hopkins (1867)Tune: KINGS OF ORIENT Scripture Songs Published in 247 hymnals Printable scores: PDF, SibeliusAudio files: MIDI | |
Author: John H. Hopkins
John Henry Hopkins, Jr., American ecclesiologist, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 28, 1820, the eldest son of pioneer parents, the father from Dublin, and the mother from Hamburg. His father was successively ironmaster, school teacher, lawyer, priest, and second Episcopal bishop of Vermont, becoming presiding bishop in 1865. The son reflected the artistic talents of both parents in music, poetry, and art. After graduation from the University of Vermont in 1839, he worked as a reporter in New York City while studying law. From 1842 to 1844, he tutored the children of Bishop Elliott of Savannah, Georgia, returning to take his M.A. from Vermont in 1845. He graduated from General Theological Seminary in 1850 and was ordain… Go to person page >For Leaders
Text:
John Henry Hopkins wrote this Epiphany carol in 1857 and first published it in his own Carols, Hymns, and Songs in 1863. The first line of the song contains two historical inaccuracies. First, the visitors from the East were magi, not kings. Second, though Matthew 2:11 says there were three gifts, the Bible does not say that there were also three magi, one for each gift; that is a matter of tradition. It is a longstanding tradition, however, and the rest of the song focuses on the three gifts without mentioning their bearers.
There are five stanzas and a refrain. The first stanza describes the journey of the magi, following the star. The next three stanzas elaborate on the significance of each gift, and the final stanza summarizes the song. The only significant textual variation is the last line of the fifth stanza, which is given several renditions with the same basic meaning: the whole creation echoes the joy that Christ has come.
Tune:
Hopkins wrote the tune KINGS OF ORIENT for his text, with which it was first published. The tune can be sung in harmony on the first and last stanzas and every refrain, but in unison on the middle stanzas. In choosing a tempo and a mood, imagine the easy gait of a camel and the color of a Middle Eastern caravan.
When/Why/How:
This hymn is most appropriate for Epiphany, and may be one of the first songs to come to mind about the story of the magi in Matthew 2. The first published edition of this song was arranged for a trio of men, representing the three kings. They were given the names Gaspard (or Caspar, who sang the melody), Melchior, and Balthazar. The following instructions were given in a footnote: “Each of verses 2, 3, and 4, is sung as a solo to the music of Gaspard's part to the 1st and 5th verses, the accompaniment and chorus being the same throughout. Only verses 1 and 5 are sung as a trio.” A brief instrumental interlude followed the refrain. “Festive Hymn Settings, Set 2” contains an arrangement for congregational accompaniment on organ and tambourine that loosely follows Hopkins' suggestions.
Often, this hymn is sung as a song from a Western culture. Though it was written by an American of European descent, the tune also has the potential to be performed in a manner reminiscent of the Middle Eastern culture in which the Christmas and Epiphany stories actually took place. Two arrangements that can give ideas for this are the organ setting in “Christmas Joy,” and the setting for handbells, percussion, and keyboard or synthesizer, “We Three Kings.”
Tiffany Shomsky Hymnary.org
