Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

Hello everyone, welcome to my podcast and today I'm just going to recite a poem. It's a christmas poem- very famous in England called: "t'was the night before Christmas"- and you may have heard it already.

Anyway, you can hear me saying this poem and you can read it on my blog. Also, I've put some of the more difficult words there for those of you who are learning English, with some explanations for you.

And so, as I said, it's a rather informal chat just now and then I will go and read the poem. So, thank you for those of you who have given me some feedback. It's always nice to receive it.I do enjoy reading your feedback, I'm glad you're enjoying, er, listening to my podcasts. So, here is the poem"t'was the night before Christmas" and I'll hopefully do another podcasts before Christmas- so you can listen to that when I've done it.

So, see you next time, bye.

T'was 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. (T'was = It was. St Nicholas = Santa Claus)

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. (nestled all snug= comfortable, 'kerchief=handkerchief, nap = sleep)

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. (clatter = noise, flew like a flash=quickly, tore open = opened quickly, sash = type of window slide opening)

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 reindeer. (breast (here) = on the top of, lustre = appearance of the light)

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! (coursers = (here) the reindeers)

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" (dash away = move away quickly)

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. (prancing and pawing = the movement of reindeers hooves on the roof, with a bound (here) = jumped quickly out of the chimney)

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 opening his pack. (peddler = old name for street trader, flung = swung onto with force)

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. (twinkled = sparkled/shone, droll = amusing)

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! (stump = short end of something,encircled = all around, wreath = circular garland, jelly = geletine dessert)

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. (chubby/plump = quite fat, jolly = happy, dread= fear)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled 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! (straight to = immediately, jerk = quick movement, finger aside of his nose (here)= a gesture with finger meaning that the other person should not speak, nod = tip head forward, rose= went up)

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!" (down= soft featherlike part of thistle, thistle =plant, 'ere =before)