This Christmas carol dates from 13th century France during the time of the crusades. My own translation of the text is loosely based on the original French. I undertook this endeavor because though I LOVE the tune, I’ve never found a translation that really matched its rhythm and meter well.

More on the history of this great song can be found in Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Songbook (1981): “The Crusades … created an enormous interest in both faith and fighting in the Middle Ages. French peasants from Provence in the 13th century, when the tune for this “March of the Kings” was being sung and danced to, must have endowed the Three Kings of the Christmas story with all the virtues and appearance of their own folk heroes nearer at hand. These were the French dukes, clad in gleaming armor, carrying brilliant banners and bejeweled shields, who fought for the Pope far more willingly than they would have for the lives of their own serfs. Hence the martial references in this text, sung to a tune that is perhaps even older than the verses. Georges Bizet, composer of the opera Carmen, used the same tune as a farandole, or stately dance, in his incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s play L’Arlesienne (The Woman from Aries).

• Get CHRISTMAS ON 34th STREET, the ukulele 3-4 Chord Christmas book at https://amzn.to/33mhuxX …
• Support future videos at https://www.patreon.com/uke …
• The Enya Ukulele Ryan is playing: https://amzn.to/3mcQGaR …
• Learn about Ryan’s audio/video setup on his blog at http://ukuleleplay.com/recording-or-streaming-video-setup/
• Visit Ryan’s YouTube channel for additional Ukulele tutorials, performances, reviews and more at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHQZSi67P2MrqW4i5NOSAQ
• Find more ukulele songs, materials, tutorials, reviews and tabs at http://ukuleleplay.com

---

• A Course in Carols Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpNIlFSHn0c&list=PLa626nR993OwC_HQngbftP8P3ztokhxsd

Post filed under All UkulelePlay! Blog Posts.