‘Twas la noche before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?
Los niños were durmiendo en sus camas,
Some in long bragas, some in pijamas,
Habían colgado the stockings with mucho cuidado
Esperando que Santa would feel obligado
To bring all children, both buenos y malos,
Una bolsa of dulces and other regalos.
Out on la terraza there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
Corrí a la ventana and looked out afuera,
And quien in the mundo do you think that it era?
Saint Nick in a trineo and a big sombrero rojo
Came corriendo like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados
Were ocho burros pequeños approaching volados.
Miré as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was gritando y silbando and calling by nombre:
“Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Macuco, y Nieto!”
Then standing a pie with his manos on his pecho
Volió to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little panza like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea,
Then huffing and puffing por fin in our sala,
With ceniza all over his red suit de gala,
He filled los calcetines with regalos maravillosos –
For none of the niños had been very malos.
Then riendo tanto, seeming very 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, and Feliz Navidad!
