bodymind
A Visit from Saint Nicholas (Clement Clarke Moore)
It was the night before Christmas, when throughout the house
Not a creature moved, not even a mouse.
Socks hung carefully on the fireplace,
hoping that Saint Nicholas would soon be there.
The children snuggled comfortably in their beds,
While visions of frosted plums dance in their heads;
And mom with her shawl, and I with my hat,
We were preparing for a long winter nap,
When such a commotion arose in the meadow
So I jumped out of bed to see what was happening.
Far to the window I flew like lightning,
I opened the shutters and raised the blinds.
The moon in the middle of the freshly fallen snow
it gave the midday glow to the objects below.
And what did my wondering eyes see appear?
A miniature sleigh, and eight little reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and fast,
I knew immediately that it must be Saint Nicholas.
Faster than eagles his steeds came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
«Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!»
Come on, Comet! Come on, Cupid! Go Donder and Blitzen!
Over the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now, run! Run away! Everyone run away!»
Like dry leaves that fly before the wild hurricane,
that when they encounter an obstacle, they rise to heaven;
Thus up to the roof of the house, the steeds flew,
with the sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas too.
And then in an instant I heard on the ceiling
capers and steps of each little hoof.
As I pointed out while my head was spinning,
through the chimney below Saint Nicholas came with a jump.
He was dressed all in fur, from head to toe,
and all his clothes stained with ash and soot.
He had a bag of toys on his back,
and he looked like a peddler when he opened his purse.
His eyes, how they shone! His dimples, how happy!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!
A greeting was drawn in his happy little mouth.
and the beard on his chin was as white as snow.
A pipe stem held between his teeth,
and the smoke surrounded his head like a garland.
He had a wide face and a small round belly,
which he shook when he laughed, like a bowl of jelly.
He was plump and plump, perhaps a jolly old elf,
and I laughed involuntarily when I saw it,
A wink of his eye and a nod of his head,
He soon let me know that I had nothing to fear.
He didn’t say a word, but he went straight to his work!
and filled all the socks and then suddenly turned around
and putting his finger to the side of his nose,
and, at a nod, up the chimney, he ascended!
He jumped on his sleigh, gave his team a whistle,
and they all flew away like the pappuses of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight:
«Merry Christmas everyone, and a good night to everyone.»
This poem by the American writer Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) describes the arrival of Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) to homes and is very famous for having popularized the figure of this character and the magic of Christmas Eve in the United States.