‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse The stockings were hung by the chimney with care In the hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there The children were nestled all snug in their beds While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads Mom in her ‘kerchief and I in my cap Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap
When out on the lawn there rose 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 a new-fallen snow Gave a lustre of midday 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 Well, I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came And he whistled and shouted and he called them by name
“On, Dasher, on, Dancer On, Prancer, on, Vixen On, Comet, on, Cupid On, Donner and Blitzen To the top of the porch Top of the wall Now dash away, dash away Dash away all”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly When they meet to an obstacle mount to the sky So up to the rooftop of the courses they flew With a sleigh full of toys and saint Nicholas too
Then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing, the pawing of each little hoof As I drew in my head and was turning around Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound
He was dressed in all furs from his head to his foot And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot 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 His droll little mouth was drawn up in a bow And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow
The stump of his pipe he held tight in his teeth And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath 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 he filled all the stockings and then turned with a jerk And laying a finger to the side of his nose And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose He sprang to his sleigh and to his team gave a whistle And away they flew like the down of a thistle But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight “Merry Christmas to all, and to all, good night” Good night