THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, LATIN STYLE

The following poem was read on NPR today by Claudio Sanchez. They said the author was "as of yet unauthenticated." Copied from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5068774 and reformatted by me. (You can also listen on that page.)


'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa
Not a creature was stirring...hijole, que pasa?
Los ninos, they were all tucked away in their camas,
Some in long calzones, some in pajamas.

While Mama worked late in her big oficina,
El Viejo, he was shopping at the corner cantina,
Buying some milk and a little cerveza,
For Santa to find on the dining room mesa.

While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all the ninos, both buenos y malos,
A nice bunch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard, there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out, afuera.
And who in the world do you think that it era?

St. Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero.
He came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh, instead of venados,
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre,
"Ey Poncho, ey Pepe, ey Cuca, ey Veto,
Y Chato, ey Chopo, Maruka, ey Nieto."
Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo.

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea.
Then huffing and puffing at last to our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the ninos had been very malos.

Then, chuckling aloud, seeming muy contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim, and this is verdad,
'Merry Christmas to all! Feliz Navidad.'