'Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a
mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney
with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in
their beds,
While visions of sugar plums
danced in their heads;
And Mamma in her kerchief, and I in my
cap,
Had just settled down for a long
winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a
clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter,
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up
the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the
new-fallen snow,
Gave a luster of mid-day to objects
below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should
appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny
reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and
quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers
they came,
And he whistled, and shouted,
and called them by name:
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer!
now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and
Blitzen!
To the top of the porch, to the top of
the wall!
New, dash away, dash away, dash away,
all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild
hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount
to the sky,
So, up to the house-top the coursers
they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys -- and St.
Nicholas, too.
And then in a twinkling I heard on the
roof
The prancing and pawing of each little
hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning
around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with
a bound.
He was dressed all in fur from his head
to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished
with ashes and soot;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin
was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his
back,
And he looked like a peddler just
opening his pack.
His eyes how they twinkled!
His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose
like a cherry;
He had a broad face and a little round
belly
That shook when he laughed,
like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump -- a right jolly old elf;
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite
of myself.
A wink of his eye, and a twist of his
head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to
dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight
to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then
turned with a jerk
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he
rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team
gave a whistle
And away they all flew like the down of
a thistle;
But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a
goodnight!"
by Clement Clarke Moore
