"The Night Before Christmas" Cajun Style
I found this Cajun version of "The Night Before Christmas" online in an interview between Tab Benoit and Steve Curwood from December 2005.
This rendition was written by Clement Moore ~ Thanks for sharing this great Christmas story from the bayou Tab.
ENJOY! MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL!
Twas the night before Christmas,
And all t'ru the house
There don't a t'ing pass,
Not even a mouse.
The chirren be nezzle
Goodsnug on the flo'
An' Mamm passed the pepper
T'ru de crack on de do'.
Then mama in de fireplace
Done roas' up de ham
Stir up de gumbo
And bake de yam.
Then up through the bayou
Dey got such a clatter
Make soun' like old Boudreau
Done fall off his ladder.
I run like a rabbit
To go to de do'
Trip over the dorg
And fall on the flo'
As I look out the do'
Into the light o' de moon,
I t'ink, "man, you crazy,
Or I got ol' too soon."
Cuz dere on de bayou,
when I stretch ma' neck stiff
Dere's eight alligator
and they pullin' de skiff
An' little fat drover
Wit' a long poling stick
I know r'at away
Got to be ol' St. Nick.
Mo' fas'er and fas'er
De gator dey came
He whistle an' he holla,
An' he called dem by name.
Ha Gaston! Ha Tiboy!
Ha Pierre, an'Alcee'
Gee Ninette! Gee Suzette!
Celeste and Renee!
To de top o' the porch
To de top o' the wall,
Make crawl alligator,
And be sho' you don' fall.
Like Tante Flo's cat,
T'ru de treetop he fly.
When a big ol' houn' dorg
Come a run hisse'f by.
Like dat up de porch
Them ol' alligators climb!
Wit' de skiff full o' toy
And St. Nicholas behin'.
Then on the top de porch roof
A soun' like de hail
When all dem big alligator
done sot down
dey tail.
Den down de chimney,
I yell with a bam!
And St. Nicholas fall
An' he sit on de yam!
"Sacre," he exclaim
"My pant got a hole!
I done sot ma'se'f
on dem red-hot coal!"
He got on his foots
And he jump like a card
Out to de flo'
Where he lan' wit' a splat.
He was dressed in muskrat
from his head to his foot
an' his clothes was all dirty
wit' ashes and soot.
A sack full of playting
He t'row on his back
He looked like a burglar
An' dass fo' a fact.
His eyes how day shine!
His dimple how merry!
Well maybe he drink de wine
From de blackberry.
His cheek was like a rose
His nose like a cherry
On second t'ought,
Maybe he lap up de sherry!
Wit' snow-white chin whisker
An' quiverin' belly
He shook w'en he laugh
Like dem stromberry jelly
With a wink in his eye
An' a shook o' his head
Make my confidence dat
I Don' got to be scared.
He don' do no talkin',
He go straight to his work
He put playt'ing in a sock
An' he turn wit' a jerk
He put bot' his han'
Dere on top o' his head
Cas' an eye on de chimney
An' den he done said:
"Wit' all o' dat fire
An' dem burnin' hot flame
Me I ain' goin' back
By de way dat I came."
So he run out de do'
An' he clim' to de roof
He ain' no fool, him
For to make one more goof.
He jump in his skiff
An' crack his big whip.
De 'gator move down
An' don' make one slip.
An' I hear him shout loud
As a splashin' he go
"Merry Christmas to all
'Til I saw you some mo'!"
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a happy end of the year 2006. I hope you are all surrounded by great friends and loving family during this wonderful time of year.
And all t'ru the house
There don't a t'ing pass,
Not even a mouse.
The chirren be nezzle
Goodsnug on the flo'
An' Mamm passed the pepper
T'ru de crack on de do'.
Then mama in de fireplace
Done roas' up de ham
Stir up de gumbo
And bake de yam.
Then up through the bayou
Dey got such a clatter
Make soun' like old Boudreau
Done fall off his ladder.
I run like a rabbit
To go to de do'
Trip over the dorg
And fall on the flo'
As I look out the do'
Into the light o' de moon,
I t'ink, "man, you crazy,
Or I got ol' too soon."
Cuz dere on de bayou,
when I stretch ma' neck stiff
Dere's eight alligator
and they pullin' de skiff
An' little fat drover
Wit' a long poling stick
I know r'at away
Got to be ol' St. Nick.
Mo' fas'er and fas'er
De gator dey came
He whistle an' he holla,
An' he called dem by name.
Ha Gaston! Ha Tiboy!
Ha Pierre, an'Alcee'
Gee Ninette! Gee Suzette!
Celeste and Renee!
To de top o' the porch
To de top o' the wall,
Make crawl alligator,
And be sho' you don' fall.
Like Tante Flo's cat,
T'ru de treetop he fly.
When a big ol' houn' dorg
Come a run hisse'f by.
Like dat up de porch
Them ol' alligators climb!
Wit' de skiff full o' toy
And St. Nicholas behin'.
Then on the top de porch roof
A soun' like de hail
When all dem big alligator
done sot down
dey tail.
Den down de chimney,
I yell with a bam!
And St. Nicholas fall
An' he sit on de yam!
"Sacre," he exclaim
"My pant got a hole!
I done sot ma'se'f
on dem red-hot coal!"
He got on his foots
And he jump like a card
Out to de flo'
Where he lan' wit' a splat.
He was dressed in muskrat
from his head to his foot
an' his clothes was all dirty
wit' ashes and soot.
A sack full of playting
He t'row on his back
He looked like a burglar
An' dass fo' a fact.
His eyes how day shine!
His dimple how merry!
Well maybe he drink de wine
From de blackberry.
His cheek was like a rose
His nose like a cherry
On second t'ought,
Maybe he lap up de sherry!
Wit' snow-white chin whisker
An' quiverin' belly
He shook w'en he laugh
Like dem stromberry jelly
With a wink in his eye
An' a shook o' his head
Make my confidence dat
I Don' got to be scared.
He don' do no talkin',
He go straight to his work
He put playt'ing in a sock
An' he turn wit' a jerk
He put bot' his han'
Dere on top o' his head
Cas' an eye on de chimney
An' den he done said:
"Wit' all o' dat fire
An' dem burnin' hot flame
Me I ain' goin' back
By de way dat I came."
So he run out de do'
An' he clim' to de roof
He ain' no fool, him
For to make one more goof.
He jump in his skiff
An' crack his big whip.
De 'gator move down
An' don' make one slip.
An' I hear him shout loud
As a splashin' he go
"Merry Christmas to all
'Til I saw you some mo'!"
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a happy end of the year 2006. I hope you are all surrounded by great friends and loving family during this wonderful time of year.
Share the Health,
Karen Herrmann-Doolan,
NSP District Manager
An Independent Distributor of Nature's Sunshine Products
An Independent Distributor of Nature's Sunshine Products
Natural Health Educator
www.mynsp.com/herbsplus
Learn about the Body Systems
Learn about the Body Systems
posted by Karen Herrmann-DeSantis, Herb Specialist, Natural Health Educator | 7:13 PM
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