The children were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
Mom in her kerchief and I in my cap
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew with a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Gave a luster 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
Well I knew in a moment, it must be St. Nick
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came
And he whistled and he shouted and he called them by name
“On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen
On Comet, on Cupid, 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 to an obstacle mount to the sky
So up to the rooftop the coursers they flew
With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing, the 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 op’ning 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 in a bow
And the beard on 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 laughed (ho, ho, ho, ho) like a bowl full of jelly
(ho, ho, ho, ho)
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 and turned with a jerk
And laying a finger to the side of his nose
And giving a nod up the chimney he rose
He sprang to his sleigh, and to his team gave a whistle
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
“Merry Christmas to all and to all..goodnight
A mouse lived in a windmill in old amsterdam
a windmill with a mouse in and he wasn’t grousin’
he sang every morning, “how lucky i am,
living in a windmill in old amsterdam!”
chorus:
i saw a mouse!
where?
there on the stair!
where on the stair?
right there!
a little mouse with clogs on
well i declare!
going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
oh yeah
This mouse he got lonesome, he took him a wife
a windmill with mice in, it’s hardly surprisin’
she sang every morning, “how lucky i am,
living in a windmill in old amsterdam!”
Chorus
First they had triplets and then they had quins
a windmill with quins in, and triplets and twins in
they sang every morning, “how lucky we are
living in a windmill in amsterdam, ya!”
Chorus
The daughters got married and so did the sons
the windmill had christ’nin’s when no one was list’nin’
they all sang in chorus, “how lucky we am
living in a windmill in old amsterdam!”
Chorus
A mouse lived in a windmill, so snug and so nice
there’s nobody there now but a whole lot of mice.
The translations went well. We’ve used several different Spanish Mass settings over the years, so for each piece, I picked out the arrangement that would best take the English words.
“Visit From St. Nicholas” is full of vocabulary that would flummox many modern readers. “Threw up the sash,” for example ;-).