Before the Night Falls
V.O. Lyrics

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
It was the night before Christmas and everything inside the house was quiet

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
No one was moving, not even a tiny mouse

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
The stockings were carefully placed by the chimney in hopes of being filled with gifts

In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there
They were waiting for St. Nicholas to arrive soon and fill the stockings with presents

The children were nestled all snug in their beds
The children were sleeping soundly in the comfort of their beds

While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
The children were dreaming of sweet treats, like sugar plums

Mom in her kerchief and I in my cap
The parents were getting ready to go to sleep, with mom wearing a kerchief and the dad wearing a cap

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap
They had just gone to sleep for the night

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
They heard a loud noise coming from outside on the lawn

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter
The dad got out of bed quickly to check what was causing the noise

Away to the window I flew with a flash
The dad quickly went to the window to see what was happening

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash
He quickly opened the window to see what was going on outside

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
The moon illuminated the newly fallen snow outside

Gave a luster of mid-day to objects below
It made the objects outside look as if it was mid-day

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
Then, he saw something he couldn't quite believe

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer
It was a tiny sleigh with eight small reindeer pulling it

With a little old driver so lively and quick
Driving the sleigh was a small, energetic driver

Well I knew in a moment, it must be St. Nick
He immediately knew that the driver was none other than Saint Nicholas

More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came
The reindeer were moving incredibly fast, faster than an eagle would fly

And he whistled and he shouted and he called them by name
Saint Nick was making noise and calling the reindeer by their names

Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen
He called out each reindeer's name, starting with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen

On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen
He also called out the names of the remaining reindeers - Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall
He directed the reindeer to the top of the porch and the wall

Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!
He ordered the reindeer to dash away as fast as they could

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
The sound of the reindeer running away was like the sound of dry leaves flying in a hurricane

When they meet to an obstacle mount to the sky
When they encountered an obstacle, they just flew over it

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
The reindeer flew up to the rooftop of the house

With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too
The sleigh was filled with toys and Saint Nicholas was also present

And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The dad heard a sound on the roof

The prancing, the pawing of each little hoof
It was the sound of the reindeer prancing and pawing with their hooves

As I drew in my head and was turning around
As the dad was turning around to look, he drew his head back inside

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound
Saint Nicholas came down the chimney with a lot of energy and vigor

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot
Saint Nicholas was wearing a fur coat that covered his whole body

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot
His clothes were dirty and covered in ashes and soot from coming down the chimney

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back
He had a sack of toys that he flung on his back

And he looked like a peddler just op'ning his pack
He appeared to the dad like he was opening up his pack like a peddler

His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry
Saint Nicholas had twinkling eyes and a merry expression with dimples on his cheeks

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry
His cheeks had a rosy color, and his nose was as red as a cherry

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
Saint Nicholas had a mouth shaped like a bow, making him look comical

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow
He had a white beard on his chin, just like the snow outside

The stump of a pipe, he held tight in his teeth
He was holding a pipe in his teeth

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath
The smoke from the pipe was encircling his head, like a wreath

He had a broad face and a little round belly
Saint Nicholas had a wide face and a small, round belly

That shook when laughed like a bowl full of jelly
When he laughed, his belly jiggled like a bowl full of jelly

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf
He was a chubby, plump, and very happy old man

And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself
The dad laughed when he saw Saint Nicholas, even though he couldn't help it

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Saint Nicholas winked his eye and twisted his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread
This gesture made the dad realize that he had nothing to be afraid of

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work
Saint Nicholas didn't say anything but started working right away

And filled all the stockings and turned with a jerk
He quickly filled all the stockings and left with a sudden movement

And laying a finger to the side of his nose
Before leaving, he placed his finger to the side of nose

And giving a nod up the chimney he rose
He nodded his head and rose up through the chimney

He sprang to his sleigh, and to his team gave a whistle
Saint Nicholas quickly got onto his sleigh and whistled to his team of reindeer

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
The reindeer and Saint Nicholas left quickly and quietly, like the down of a thistle

But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
Despite them leaving, the dad could still hear Saint Nicholas' voice

Happy Christmas to all and to all a goodnight
Saint Nicholas wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a goodnight

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!
Saint Nicholas ends the tale by saying the famous Christmas phrase, 'Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!'

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!
Saint Nicholas repeats his Christmas greeting