Twas The Night Before Christmas

twoz H nFt bifP /krismas

- or-

A Visit From St. Nicholas

a vizit from /sEnt /nikalas

by Clement C. Moore [1779-1863]

 

1. twoz H nFt bifP /krismas, hwen Yl TrM H hQs

2. not a krIcD woz stxiN, not Ivan a mQs,

3. H stokiNz wx huN bF H cimnI wiT kX,

4. in hOps HAt /sEnt /nikalas sMn wUd bI HX.

5. H cildran wx nesald Yl snug in HX bedz,

6. hwEl viZanz v SUgD-plumz dAnst in HX hedz,

7. n /myma in hx 'kxcif, n F in mF kAp,

8. hAd Just setald QD brEnz fP a lYN wintDz nAp;

9. hwen Qt on H lYn HX arOz suc a klAtD,

10. F sprEN from H bed t sI hwot woz H mAtD.

11. awE t H windO F flM lFk a flAS,

12. tP Opan H SutDz n TrM up H sAS.

13. H mMn on H brest v H njM- fYlan snO

14. gEv H lustD v mid-dE t obJekts belO,

15. hwen, hwot t mF wundDiN sFt SUd apC,

16. but a minIacD slE, n Et tFnI rEn-dC,

17. wiT a lital Old drFvD, sO lFvlI n kwik,

18. F nV in a mOmant it must bI /sEnt /nik.

19. mP rApid HAn Igalz hiz kPsDz HE kEm,

20. n hI hwisald, n SQtad, n kYld Hem bF nEm:

21. "nQ, /dASD! nQ, /dAnsD! nQ, /prAnsD n /viksan!

22. on, /komit! on, /kVpid! on, /dondD n /blitsan!

23. t H top v H pPc! t H top v H wYl!

24. nQ dAS awE! dAS awE! dAS awE Yl!"

25. Az drF lIvz HAt bifP H wFld hxikEn flF,

26. hwen HE mIt wiT an obstakal, mQnt t H skF,

27. sO up t H hQs-top H kPsxz HE flM,

28. wiT H slE fUl v tqz, n /sEnt /nikalas tM.

29. n Hen, in a twiNkliN, E hxd on H rMf

30. H prAnsiN n pYiN v Ic lital hMf.

31. Az F drM in mF hed, n woz txniN arQnd,

32. dQn H cimnI /sEnt /nikalas kEm wiT a bQnd.

33. hI woz drest Yl in fx, from hiz hed t hiz fUt,

34. n hiz klOHz wx Yl tRniSt wiT ASaz n sUt.

35. a bundal v tqz hI hAd fluN on hiz bAk,

36. n hI lUkt lFk a pedlD Just OpaniN hiz pAk.

37. hiz Fz--hQ HE twiNkald! hiz dimpalz hQ merI!

38. hiz cIks wx lFk rOzaz, hiz nOz lFk a cerI!

39. hiz drOl lital mQT woz drYn up lFk a bO,

40. n a bCd v hiz cin woz az hwFt az H snO.

41. H stump v a pFp hI held tFt in hiz tIT,

42. n H smOk it ensxkald hiz hed lFk a rIT.

43. hI hAd a brYd fEs n a lital rQnd belI

44. HAt SUk, hwen hI lAft, lFk a bOl fUl v JelI.

45. hI woz cubI n plump, a rFt JYlI Old elf,

46. n F lAft hwen F sY him, in spFt v mFself.

47. a wiNk v hiz F n a twist v hiz hed

48. sMn gEv mI t nO F hAd nuTiN t dred.

49. hI spOk not a wxd, but went strEt t hiz wxk,

50. n fild Yl H stokiNz; Hen txnd wiT a Jxk,

51. n lEiN hiz fiNgD asFd v hiz nOz,

52. n giviN a nod, up H cimnI hI rOz.

53. hI sprEN t hiz slE, t hiz tIm gEv a hwisal,

54. n awE HE Yl flM lFk H dQn v a Tisal.

55. but F hxd him iksklEm, X hI drOv Qt v sFt,

56. "hApI /krismas t Yl, n t Yl a gUd nFt."

Poem by Clement C. Moore

Transliteration by Neil Stewart

nOts:

lFn 7: 'kxcif - a skRf wPn Az a hed kuvDiN.

lFn 19: kPsD - a swift Animal, nPmalI rifxz t a swift hPs.

lFn 22: /dondD - in lEtD vxZanz it bikEm " /donD".

lFn 55: X - bifP