Another holiday classic… (Twas The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore)
From English to French, and back:
’ Twas the night before Christmas, when all by the house
not a creature stirred up, not to equalize a mouse.
Bottoms were hung by the chimney with the care,
in the hopes which the street Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nested all douillettement in their beds,
whereas the visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
And Mama in its ’ kerchief, and I in my hat,
had just arranged our brains for length the small nap winter.
When outside on the roof there such a rattling emerged,
I spouted out my bed to see what was the matter.
Far with the window I flew like a flash,
tore opened the obturator,
and threw it to the top of the sash.
The moon on the centre of new-fallen snow
gave the glare of midday to the objects below,
when, which in my eyes to wonder should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and a reindeer eight tiny.
With conducting little old woman,
if animated and fast,
I knew in one moment when it must be notch of street.
Faster than from the eagles,
its courses they came,
and it whistled and shouted and called them name:
“Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, To give and Blitzen!
Jusqu with the top of the porch!
Jusqu with the top of the wall! Now left indent! Indent far! Indent far all!”
While dryness leaves that before the wild fly of hurricane,
when they meet an obstacle,
frame with the sky thus to the house-top the courses which they controlled,
with the sleigh full with the toys, and the street Nicholas too.
And then, in a flutter,
I heard on the roof prancing and pawing of each small shoe.
While I drew in my head and turned around,
bellow of the street of Nicholas chimney came with a limit.
It was equipped all in fur, of its head to its foot,
and its clothing all was tarnished with ashes and soot.
A package of toys which it had thrown on his behind,
and it resembled an opening right of travelling merchant his package.
Its eyes – how they scintillated!
Its small cavities, how merry!
Its cheeks were like the pinks, its nose like a cherry!
Its small funny mouth was elaborate like an arc,
and beard it on its chin was as white as snow.
The section of a pipe which it was strongly held in its teeth,
and smoke it encircled its head like a garland.
It had a broad face and a small round belly,
that shook when it laughed, like a basin completely of frost.
It was potelé and dodu, an old good merry Elf,
and me laughed when I saw it, in spite of me.
Blink eye of its eye and a torsion of its head
gave me soon to know that I did not have anything to fear.
It spoke not a word, but went directly to its work,
and filled all bottoms, then turned with a jolt.
And extending its finger on side of its nose,
and giving a sign of approval,
to the top of the chimney it rose.
It spouted out with its sleigh, its team gave whistle,
and far they all flew like the dune of a thistle.
But I heard it howl, ’ before it led out of the sight,
“happy Christmas with all, and the whole a good night!”
But I decided to see what would happen if I took the translations a little further…
From English to French to German to English:
’ Twas the night before Christmas,
when by the house a creature did not
induce completely to make no mouse equal.
The soils were hung by the chimney with the care
in hopes that the Rue Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were genistet everyone douillettement in their beds,
while the conceptions of the sugar plums in of that their heads danced.
And mummy in its ’ kerchief and I in my hat
just our scientists had for long one furnished small to request winters.
If outside on the roof such rattling emerged there,
I out-poured from my bed, in order to see, what the material was.
To the window I am far as short messages to have flown,
openly have the verschlussvorrichtung have torn up,
and it upward of sash to have thrown.
The moon on new-fall center of the snow
to the following articles the scandal of the at noon gave,
if, what would have to ask itself in my eyes appear,
but a Miniatursleigh and a tiny the annuitant eight.
With a small old driver animated and fast
I knew in such a way in one time, where it must be road cut.
Faster than eagles its courses came it,
and it whistled and cried from names called and it:
“now the ago! Now dancers! Now Prancer and Vixen!
On Comète! On Cupid! On give and lightnings!
Jusqu over the portal! Jusqu over the wall!
Hyphen left now! Hyphen far! Hyphen far everything!”
While dryness leaves before the wild gale fly,
if they encounter an obstacle,
built in the sky in such a way up to house surface the courses,
it with of the toy the full sleigh and of the Rue Nicholas steered also.
And then in sparkling I heard on the roof prancing and pawing each small shoe.
While I drew in my head and turned over,
down of the chimney route Nicholas with a border came.
All were equipped in fur from its head to its foot,
and its clothes all were made matte with ash and the soot.
A package toy, which it had backwards thrown on its,
and it just resembled an opening flying dealer its package.
Its eyes, how they sparkled! Its gruebchen, how merrily!
Its cheeks were as the roses, its nose as a cherry!
Its small strange mouth was prepared than an elbow,
and the beard on its chin was also white like the snow.
The section of a whistle, which it kept itself strong in of that its teeth,
and which smoke encerclé it their head as a girlande.
It had a broad face and a small round belly,
those shook, if it completely laughed as a dish the Frosts.
It potelé and dodu an old bon merry eleven,
and me laughed, if I saw it despite I.
It flashes from the eye of his eye and a torsion of its head
gave me soon to fear in order to know that I did not have anything.
He spoke a word, but went directly to its work
and has all soils filled then turned with a vibration.
And and gives an indication of the agreement, upward the chimney,
expands its finger of the side of its nose it waived itself.
It is its sleigh out-poured on, its team gave whistles,
and far all as the dune thistle flew it.
But I have to cry it belonged, ’ before he outside of the view
“lucky Christmas at all and after whole good night led!”
