The Night Before Christmas
by Clement Moore
1822
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
our brains for a
long winter’s
nap,
When out
on the lawn
there arose such
a clatter,
I sprang from
the 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 the lustre
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,
Donder
and
Blitzen!
To the top of
the porch! to
the top of the
wall!
Now 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 the 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;
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 like a
bow,
And the beard of 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;
He had a broad face and a little round
belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful
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,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to
all a good-night.”
