Epiphany Carol: We Three Kings of Orient Are

If you were asked, “What’s your favorite Christmas carol?”, I bet you could easily name at least a half-dozen songs that are meaningful to you. But what if you were asked, “What’s your favorite Epiphany hymn?” Perhaps you’d have to pause and give it some thought.

The familiar “We Three Kings of Orient Are” is probably the most well-known Epiphany hymn. (Admittedly, though, many folks consider it a Christmas carol.) We sing it most every year around The Day of Epiphany on January 6. The Companion Volume to the Glory to God hymnal explains some of the historical significance of the hymn:

The images behind this 1857 text have long colored the way Christians read the account of the coming of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12). The biblical account says only that they were “from the East,” a vague term that could include Arabia, Mesopotamia, or regions beyond. They are also said to have studied the stars, a detail that combines with the distance they have traveled to characterize them as Gentiles rather than as dispersed Jews. Their inferred royalty may have been connected with their respectful treatment at the court of Herod, but it may also have resulted from an effort to make these visitors fulfill the prophecies that Gentile kings would pay homage to God’s Anointed One. Already by the time of Justin (c. 100-c. 165), Christians were referring to these sages as “kings,” and their number was fixed at three because of their three gifts. This number was assumed in Western Christianity at least by the era of Origen (c. 185-c. 254), though the Syrian Church thought there might have been as many as twelve! By the early Middle Ages, names were assigned to each of these three characters, who not only appeared in the general mystery plays but also had their own subgenre of “three kings plays.” After Frederick Barbarossa transferred their supposed relics to Cologne in 1162, the cult of the Three Kings continued to thrive, finding expression in folk customs and beliefs. Even the Reformation was unable to dislodge much of the religious affection for them.

In a performance note from 1863, the hymn’s author and composer – John Henry Hopkins, Jr. – specifies that the three inner stanzas are to be sung by three male soloists, each representing one of the three Kings: Gaspard, Melchior, and Balthazar. They are to sing the first and last stanza together, and the congregation is to sing the refrain. Well, 158 years later in 2021, we are only partially obeying Mr. Hopkins’ wishes in our inclusion of this hymn in today’s Christmas 2/Epiphany service. The three inner verses are indeed sung by soloists, though they are not all males. And, the congregation from their living rooms, cars, or wherever (!) is invited to join in on as much or as little as they’d like. A brass trio also adds harmony to the refrains, with each of the trio’s members taking on a solo quality of the inner verses as well. (Hopefully John Henry Hopkins, Jr. won't mind too much.) Happy Epiphany!