Lyr Add: A Visit from St. Nicholas (Clement Moore)

Subject: Lyr Add: A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS (Clement Moore)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 03:03 PM

Oddly, it seems this has never been posted at Mudcat before, although several parodies have been.

This version seems authoritative. Accordingly, I have copied the whole thing, including the front and back matter, because I hope it will settle the question of what is the correct title. I'd say it's A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS because that's what's on the title page (and Google Books seems to agree), but, as you can see, there are other contenders. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is not one of them!

From A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS by Clement C. Moore (New York: Spalding & Shepard, 1849):

[Front cover]
SAINT NICHOLAS.

[Page 1]
SANTA CLAUS.

[2]
SANTA CLAUS'S VISIT.

[3]
A
VISIT FROM
ST. NICHOLAS,
BY
CLEMENT C. MOORE, LL.D.
With Original Cuts,
DESIGNED AND ENGRAVED BY BOYD.
----
New-York:
SPALDING & SHEPARD,
189½ Broadway.
1849

[4]
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by Wm. H. Onderdone, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New-York.

[5]
A PRESENT
FOR
GOOD
LITTLE BOYS
AND
GIRLS.

[7]
VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS.

'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 rein-deer,
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 pedlar 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 bowlfull 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 fill'd 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."

[Back cover:]
This is a
HAPPY re-creation
Of the
1849
ILLUSTRATED EDITION
of which only two copies
are known to exist.
that from which this facsimile
was reproduced is in the
Rare Book Division of
The New York Public Library.
PRINTED IN USA.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE NITE AFTER CHRISTMAS (Homer & Jethro)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Sep 09 - 03:13 PM

And here's one of many parodies:

[This has a tune which I don't recognize. It might be original. There is a video at YouTube.]


THE NITE AFTER CHRISTMAS
Homer & Jethro

The baggy Christmas stockin's were lyin' on the floor.
The empty Christmas wrappings looked like there'd been a war.
The children weren't nestled or snuggled in their beds.
They went a-belly-whoppin' down the stairs on their sleds.
Then Ma tried on her Christmas hat an' felt just like a queen
Till Pa found out how much it cost and turned all red an' green.
The Christmas tree was lit up and so was uncle Si.
He thought he was a reindeer and insisted he could fly.
He hollered out, "Hey Blitzen, why don't you wait for me?"
Then landed right smack in the middle of the Christmas tree.

Uncle Harry was paradin' up an' down the hall
A-breakin' in new slippers a half a size too small.
My sister an' her boyfriend were fightin' toe to toe.
She caught him a-kissin' someone else beneath the mistletoe.
Then Pa got out his squirrel gun, the one he got from Ma.
Now he was only cleanin' it, but blasted down the wall.
The baby started cryin' an' Ma said, "Can't you see?
Christmas comes but once a year an' that's enough for me."

And then from in the fireplace there rose up such a clatter.
We ran into the parlor to see what was the matter.
The chimney was a-shakin'. The soot fell all about.
A voice within was bellerin', "Won't someone let me out?"
We looked up on the rooftop, an' much to our surprise,
We saw eight little reindeer but no one there to drive.
Then Pa poked up the chimney. He used a great big stick,
An' all at once came tumblin' down a feller called Saint Nick,
All covered up with ashes from his head right to his foot,
An' when he spoke, from out his beard fell twenty pounds o' soot.

"Since Christmas Eve I've been in there. I'd like to make it clear:
If you don't get your chimney fixed, I won't be back next year."
An' then as quick as lightnin', he sprang up to his sleigh.
He gave a little whistle an' soon was on his way.
But I could hear him holler as he drove out o' sight:
"A merry Christmas to you all, and to you all—goo-oo-ood night!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Visit from St. Nicholas (Clement Moore)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 07:16 PM

Here are the parodies I have been able to find at Mudcat:

A MICROSOFT CHRISTMAS, anonymous.

TWAS THE NIGHT ETC., by Harvey Ehrlich.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AT M' HOME ON THE RANGE by "Cowboy King" of Arden Hills, MN

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (IN TEXAS, THAT IS) performed by Gene Autry.


There are also these threads, which contain lyrics created in round-robin fashion by several Mudcatters:

BS: Twas the Night Before a Mudcat Christmas, 1999.

Mudcat night before xmas2000

Twas the night AFTER mudcat Xmas...., 2000.

BS: The Night Before Mudcat Christmas 03, 2002.

Song: Twas t' night before Mudcat Christmas 03

Folklore: Twas t' night before Mudcat Christmas 04

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Visit from St. Nicholas (Clement Moore)
From: clueless don
Date: 23 Sep 09 - 08:32 AM

My wife told me about this parody. Recommended (by me, at any rate.)

Don

Subject: Lyr Add: THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, LATIN STYLE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 05:59 PM

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.'

Subject: Lyr Add: A Visit from St. Nicholas (Clement Moore)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Dec 20 - 08:06 PM

I thought I'd post Jim's text again, in more printable fashion.

A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS
(Clement Moore, 1823)

'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 rein-deer.

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 pedlar 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 fill'd 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."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Visit from St. Nicholas (Clement Moore)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Dec 24 - 05:47 PM

Erik Darling, formerly of the Rooftop Singers, sang this to the tune of "Sweet Betsey from Pike." It works very well, I think.