It was 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.”
翻译
在圣诞节前夜，
整间屋里没有一人在吵，
就连老鼠也不闹；
长袜已被小心地挂到烟囱上，
我希望圣尼古拉很快就来到；
孩子们都被舒适地安顿到他们的床上，
虽然他们脑子里还跳动着小糖球的幻影；
妈妈裹起头巾，我戴上帽，
我们刚定下神来要睡个冬天的长觉，
这时外面的草地上有了得得的声响，
我从床上跳起来去看个究竟，
像一道闪光，我扑向窗户，快得像一道闪光
扯开百页窗拉起窗框。
只见月光洒在新雪的胸膛上，
给月下的万物披上晌午的光芒；
这时竟出现了使我目瞪口呆的景象，
那是一辆小雪橇和八只小小的驯鹿，
上面坐着一个小小的老车夫，
他是这样生气勃勃，动作敏捷，
我马上知道这一定是圣尼古拉。
他的骏鹿跑得比鹰还快，
他吹哨，吆喝，还能叫它们的名字：
“嘿，达舍！嘿，丹瑟！
嘿，普兰舍和维克星！
前进，科米特!前进，朱庇特！
前进，唐德和布利琛！
嘿，冲呀，冲呀，一起给我冲，
冲到门廊顶，冲向围墙的顶！”
它们决得就像枯叶随着疯狂的飓风，
遇到障碍就升向天空，
拉着装满玩具的雪橇，还有圣尼古拉，
驯鹿飞到了屋顶，
转眼之间我就听到屋顶
有小蹄子腾跃踢踏的响声，
当我缩进头来转过身，
就看见圣尼古拉从烟囱上一跳而下，
他全身上下都穿皮裘，
他的衣服因盖满烟灰而失去光华，
他背上背着一包玩具，
他看起来就像是小贩正在开包，
他的眼睛闪闪发光！他的酒涡充满欢乐！
他的两颊红得像玫瑰，他的鼻子像是樱桃；
他那滑稽的小嘴就像画的一把弓，
他下颌的胡子像雪一样白，
他的牙齿紧咬着一个烟斗。
白烟就像花圈绕着他的头，
他有一副宽宽的脸和小小的圆肚，
当他笑的时候，
那小肚震得就像一个碗装满果冻。
他的个子圆圆胖胖，
真假是一个快活的老顽童；
我看到他时情不自禁地笑了，
他转过头向我眨了眨眼睛，
让我知道什么也不用怕，
他一句话没说就去干活，
他把每一只长袜都装满后就急忙转身，
他把手指放在鼻子边上，
点点头又跳上烟囱，
他跃上雪橇，向他的鹿队吹声哨，
他们就像蓟花的冠毛一样又飞走
在他驶开之前，我听到他大喊，
“大家圣诞快乐，诸位晚安！”
