Three Kings from Out the Orient

Three kings from out the Or­ient

For Ju­dah’s land were fair­ly bent

To find the Lord of grace;

And as they jour­neyed plea­sant­lie

A star kept shin­ing in the sky

To guide them to the place.

O Star

they cried

by all con­fest

Withouten dreed the love­li­est!

The first was Mel­chi­or to see

The em­per­or hight of Ar­abye

An ag­èd man

I trow;

He set up­on a roun­cy bold

Had tak­en of the red

red gold

The Babe for to en­dow.

The next was Gas­par

young and gay

That held the realm of far Ca­thay—

Our Je­sus drew him thence—

Yclad in silks from head to heel

He rode up­on a high ca­meel

And bar the frank­in­cense.

The last was du­sky Bal­tha­sar

That rode up­on a dro­me­dar—

His coat was of the fur;

Dark-browed he came from Sam­ar­kand

The Christ to seek

and in his hand

Upheld the bleed­ing myrrh.