Die heil'gen drei Kön'ge aus Morgenland

Die heil'gen drei Kön'ge aus Morgenland,
Sie frugen in jedem Städtchen:
"Wo geht der Weg nach Bethlehem,
ihr lieben Buben und Mädchen?"

Die Jungen und Alten, sie [wußten es]1 nicht, 
Die Könige zogen weiter;
Sie folgten einem goldenen Stern,
Der leuchtete lieblich und heiter.

Der Stern blieb stehn über Josephs Haus,
Da sind sie hineingegangen;
Das Öchslein brüllte, das Kindlein schrie, 
Die heiligen drei Könige sangen.

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Strauss: "wußten's"

Authorship

by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , title unknown, from Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 37

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Wilhelm Baumgartner (1820-1867) , "Die heil'gen drei Kön'ge", op. 13 (Zwölf Jugendlieder, 3 und 4 stimmig, für Sopran und Alt) no. 10 (1848). [sopranos and altos]
by Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, Baron Berners (1883-1950) , "Weihnachtslied", 1913-8, published 1920, from Three Songs in the German Manner, no. 3.
by Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", 1935, from Zwei Lieder, no. 2.
by Christian Bruhn (1934-) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige" [voice and orchestra], from Heine-Lieder, no. 17.
by Gerard Bunk (1888-1958) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 13 (Zehn Lieder nach Texten von Heinrich Heine) no. 8.
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) , "Der goldene Stern", 1929 [soprano and orchestra], from Drei Heine-Lieder, no. 1.
by (Karl) Friedrich Curschmann (1805-1841) , "Weihnachtslied", op. 19. [vocal octet for 2 sopranos, 2 altos, 2 tenors, 2 basses and piano]
by Heinrich (Ludwig Egmont) Dorn (1804-1892) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 9 (Sechs deutsche Lieder) no. 6.
by Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (1875-1956) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 58 (Lieder) no. 5, published <<1914.
by Hermann Große-Schware (1931-) , "Die heiligen drei Kön'ge", 2004.
by Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (1805-1900) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige", op. 35 (Sechs deutsche Gesänge) no. 6, published 1842, note: Metzner gives 1839
by Ludwig Hess (1877-1944) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 31 (Lieder) no. 4.
by C. Kaufung , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 4 (Lieder) no. 3.
by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927-) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", 1994-5, published c1998 [tenor and piano], from Ein Liederbuch nach Gedichten von Heinrich Heine, Abteilung IV, no. 5.
by Carl Kloberg , "Die heil'gen drei Könige", op. 2 (Vier Quartette für Männerstimmen) no. 4, published 1879 [vocal quartet for male voices a cappella], Leipzig, Leuckart
by Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller (1850-1926) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", op. 27 (Sechs ernste Lieder) no. 5.
by Tilo Medek (1940-) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland" [medium voice and piano or guitar], from Heinrich-Heine-Lieder (1968/89) : zwölf Lieder
by Erkki Gustaf Melartin (1875-1937) , "Die heilgen drei Könige", op. 32 no. 2. [voice and orchestra]
by Roland Moser (1943-) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige", published 1985 [soprano and actor with piano], from Heinelieder, no. 1.
by Christian Sinding (1856-1941) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", published 1926.
by Johan August Söderman (1832-1876) , "Ballade", published 1859, from Heidenröslein : Liederzyklus nach Heine, no. 3.
by George Stern (1867-19??) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", op. 1 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 10, published 1905.
by Richard Georg Strauss (1864-1949) , "Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 56 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6 (1906), published 1908.
by Richard Trunk (1879-1968) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", op. 61 no. 5, published c1930 [voice, piano], from Weihnachtslieder, no. 5.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Die heiligen drei Könige", op. 38 (Humoristica aus Heine's Gedichten) no. 1, published 1851.
by Johann Vesque von Püttlingen (1803-1883) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige", published 1851, from Die Heimkehr : 88 Gedichte aus H. Heine's Reisebildern, no. 37.
by Georg Vierling (1820-1901) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige aus Morgenland", op. 27 (Sechs Gedichte für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1875 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Leuckart
by Hans Richard (Hannes Ruch) Weinhöppel (1867-1928) , "Die heil'gen drei Könige", published 19-?
by Julius Weismann (1879-1950) , "Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland", 1921, published 1921 [voice and piano], from 9 Lieder, no. 4.

by Bernard van Dieren (1887-1936) , "Quaint Old Song for Christmas Time, with curious maudallations and queer melody", 1926.

by Werner (Erich) Josten (1885-1963) , "The three holy kings: Christmas song", published 1921.

by Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (1875-1956) , "Tri svetlykh carja iz vostochnoj strany", op. 58 (Lieder) no. 5 (1912), published 1913.
by Arthur Vincent Lourié (1891-1966) , "Try svetlykh carja", 1915, published 1919.

by Johan Thor (1882-1989) , "De vise männen från Österland", from Sånger I, no. 3.

ENG English (Sarah Hoffman) , "The three holy kings from the eastern land", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , title unknown, from Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, published 1881
FRE French (Pierre Mathé) , "Les trois rois mages de l'Orient", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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