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| "I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter..." |
GUEST BLOG—By
Clement Clarke Moore (1779 – 1863)
Illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith, 1912. Public Domain.
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 tinny 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,
on Donner 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!
History:
"Originally titled A Visit from St.
Nicholas, Clement Moore’s poem was first published in the New York Sentinel
newspaper on December 23, 1823 with the caveat that the author remain
anonymous. Written as a gift to his
children, the poem became popular over the years, but it wasn’t until 1844 that
Clement Moore claimed authorship when the Christmas poem was included in a book
of his poetry.
Moore was a scholar and was
best known at the time as creator of a Hebrew Dictionary. He was described as shy, but most likely the
poem was a labor of love and didn’t write it for money or fame.
Source: The poem and the illustration are in the
public domain.
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