The March of the Kings

Folk song from Provence

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French.  (May 2024) Click [show] for important translation instructions.

Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must follow the LLM translation guideline, revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 1,237 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:La Marche des rois]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|fr|La Marche des rois}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation. Leopold Kupelwieser, Le voyage des trois Rois, 1825, Diocèse de Rouen The March of the Kings or The March of the Wise Men (French: La Marche des rois or La marche des Rois mages; Provençal: La Marcha dei reis) is a popular Christmas carol of provençal origin celebrating the Epiphany and the Wise Men. Recognition of the theme spread outside Provence when Georges Bizet used it in his incidental music for Arlésienne.

[edit] Origin and attributions[edit] The precise origins of both the tune and the lyrics are uncertain and debated. The lyrics are regularly attributed to Joseph-François Domergue (1691 – 2 April 1728, died in Avignon), priest-dean of Aramon, in the Gard, from 1724 to 1728, whose name appears on the first manuscript copy of the lyrics, dated 1742 and preserved in the library of Avignon. The text was published in Paris in 1759 in the Recueil de cantiques spirituels provençaux et françois gravés par le Sieur Hue. Subsequently, the work was added to the various (expanded) editions of the Provençal Christmas collection by the poet and composer of the seventeenth century Nicolas Saboly (1614–1675) to which it has often and erroneously been attributed. According to the 1742 document, the text can be sung on the tune of a Marche de Turenne ('March of Turenne'). This mention corresponds to the established practice of christmasists, consisting of placing their texts on "known" French songs spread by the printing press. One hypothesis is that this Marche de Turenne would be a military march dating back to the 17th century, in honor of the victories of Marshal Turenne, Such a Marche de Turenne has however not been found. Some authors wanted to attribute it to Jean-Baptiste Lully, although no document corroborates this attribution. An Avignon tradition rather dates the Marche de Turenne back to the fifteenth century, at the time of King René (1409–1480), while some authors from the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th leaned towards a reference to Raymond VIII of Turenne (1352–1413), known as "The Scourge of Provence", grand-nephew of Pope Clement VI and nephew of Pope Gregory XI. In the 21st century, several American scholars have suggested that the March of the Kings has a medieval origin dating back to the 13th century. It could then be one of the oldest Christmas carols listed with Veni redemptor gentium and one of the first entirely composed in vernacular, and not in Latin. According to research carried out by the scholar Stéphen d'Arve (Edmond de Catelin) at the end of the nineteenth century, the only known score is that of Étienne-Paul Charbonnier (1793–1872), organist at the Aix Cathedral, who, perhaps taking it from the chain of its predecessors, had reconstructed it from memory by modifying its orchestration as new instruments were introduced. Henri Maréchal, an inspector of the Conservatoires de France having done research at the request of Frédéric Mistral, thought that La Marcha dei Rèis must have been composed by Abbé Domergue himself.

Epiphany celebration[edit] Every year, the Epiphany feast gives rise in certain towns and villages of Provence to popular parades, the "Marches des Rois", where citizens sumptuously dressed as Biblical Magi progress towards the local church to the sound of the March and other traditional music, accompanied by inhabitants dressed according to local folklore. Particularly at Aix-en-Provence, from the beginning of the nineteenth century, a sumptuous popular ceremony celebrates the visit of the kings: a traditional procession of characters dressed in Provençal costumes (shepherds, horsemen, drummers, trades, etc.) accompanies the Magi and their camels to Saint-Sauveur Cathedral where the organist, accompanied by drummers, performs the air of the "March of the Kings" at the arrival of the procession, passing from "pianissimo" to "fortissimo" to evoke the approach of the procession. A large star is then lit on the main altar, symbolizing the star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem. The ceremony ends as the tune plays descrescendo when the Kings leave. Joseph d'Ortigue wrote in 1837:

[edit] Abbot Domergue's original provençal text describes, at least in the first few stanzas, a sumptuous convoy accompanying three kings surrounded by bodyguards, from the perspective of a passerby who decides in the fourth stanza to join them. The rest of the song describe Casper and Melchior presenting their traditional gifts (gold and incense), and the seventh stanza is sung from the perspective of Balthazar, who presents the myrrh while prophecizing Christ's death on the cross. The eighth stanza refers to various biblical passages not related to the nativity.[citation needed] (Please note that the lyrics may be inaccurate and the song could use some further expansion)

French English

De bon ma-tin, J'ai, ren-con-tré le train Di trois grands rois qui al-laient En voy-a-ge

De bon ma-tin, J'ai, ren-con-tré le train De trois grands rois des-sus le Grand che-min

Tout char-gés d'or Les sui-vant d'a bord De grands guer-riers Et les gar-des du tré-sor,

Tout char-gés d'or Les sui-vant d'a bord De grands guer-riers a-vec leurs Boucliers.

Early this morning, I met the train Of three great kings who were going On a journey

Early this morning, I met the train Of three great kings on the highway

All laden with gold Following them on board were Great warriors And the guardians of the treasure,

All laden with gold Following them on board were Great warriors with their Shields.

[edit]

^ a b c d e f g h William D. Crump, The Christmas Encyclopedia, McFarland, 3d ed., 2001, p. 278, partly online.

^ Abbé Louis Valla, Histoire d'Aramon, Temps anciens-Administration-Temps modernes, Montpellier, Impr. de la Manufacture de la Charité, 1900, pp. 256, 697-703, online.

^ Abbé Louis Valla, Histoire d'Aramon, Temps anciens-Administration-Temps modernes, Montpellier, Impr. de la Manufacture de la Charité, 1900, pp. 256, 697-703, online.

^ Manuscript n°1256 called "recueil de Castellant" ("Castellant collection"), t. II, p. 126; see Joseph Clamon, "Bizet et le folklore provençal", in Revue de musicologie, t. 19, no. 68, November 1938, p.151, online. The "recueil de Castellant" (1742) is also present in the manuscript n°5741 at the same library.

^ The initial confusion probably comes from the edition dated 1790 by the Avignon publisher Antoine Offray, which gave the "March of the Kings" after Saboly's carols. See G. Clément-Simon, "Limousin", in Bulletin de la Société des lettres, sciences et arts de la Corrèze, publisher Musée A.-Mazeyrie, 1911, p. 168-172, online.

^ Joseph Clamon, "Bizet et le folklore provençal", in Revue de musicologie, t. 19, no 68, November 1938, p. 152, online.

^ a b Gustave Clément-Simon [fr], « Limousin », in Bulletin de la Société des lettres, sciences et arts de la Corrèze, publisher Musée A.-Mazeyrie, 1911, p. 168-172, online.

^ "The carol attributed to King René, and which was called in the County of Avignon the March of the Kings." (Félix Clément, "Arlésienne (L')", in Dictionnaire lyrique ou Histoire des opéras, ed. Pierre Larousse, 1881, p. 774, online.)

^ Joannès Plantadis, "Musiciens du Limousin", in Bulletin de la Société scientifique historique et archéologique de la Corrèze, Brive, 1897, p. 183-184, online.

^ William Studwell, Frank Hoffmann and B. Lee Cooper, The Christmas Carol Reader, Routledge, 2012, p. 2, /books?id=CIkD5rhdva0C online.

^ William Studwell, Frank Hoffmann and B. Lee Cooper, The Christmas Carol Reader, Routledge, 2012, p. c2, online

^ "'La Marche des rois', from Provence, may have been, in the thirteenth century, one of the first carols to omit Latin entirely, along with W Żłobie Leży in Poland." (Judith Flanders, Christmas, A History, Macmillan, 2018, online.

Even though "The March of the Kings" originates in the Provençal folk tradition, its haunting melody has slipped into countless Christmas compilations across the UK. The minor key and steady, marching rhythm evoke the solemn procession of the Magi, making it an atmospheric bridge between sacred narrative and secular festivity. Unlike the sparkling pop carols that dominate shop windows, this piece adds a touch of gravitas, reminding listeners that the holiday has deep historical layers. Its inclusion in modern playlists is less about chart success and more about providing a musical cue that the season is about both celebration and contemplation.

Play the track softly as background music when setting the tree, or let it lead the programme during a family Nativity reenactment. Its steady tempo works well for a slow, candle‑lit walk around the living room, giving guests a moment to pause and reflect. If you enjoy a multi‑room experience, set a low‑volume loop in the hallway where children can hear the distant march while opening gifts – the subtle presence keeps the atmosphere from slipping into pure commercialism. Pairing the tune with a simple arrangement of pine cones and a few twinkling fairy lights creates a rustic, Alpine feel that complements the Provençal roots of the song.

Many assume "The March of the Kings" is a Victorian carol or an original French Christmas hymn, but its lineage reaches back to regional folk songs of Provence, where it was sung by shepherds during winter festivals. The melody was later adapted for liturgical use, which is why you’ll hear it both in church services and secular Christmas concerts. Another myth is that the piece always includes lyrics about the Magi; in fact, instrumental versions are the most widespread, allowing the music itself to convey the story. Understanding its folk origins helps appreciate why the tune feels simultaneously familiar and intriguingly foreign during the festive season.