Sosirea Mosului Nicolae, de C. C. Moore – Poezie in engleza / romana

Va ofer astazi o poezie in engleza despre Mos Nicolae, insotita de o  modesta traducere de-a mea in limba romana. Avand in engleza titlul de "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (O vizita a Sfantului Nicolae), dar cunoscuta si sub numele de "The Night Before Christmas" (Noaptea dinaintea Craciunului) si  "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (Era noaptea de Ajunul Craciunului), aceasta poezie a fost publicata anonim in 1823, fiind atribuita lui Clement Clark Moore, care a recunoscut apoi ca a creat-o.

Poemul “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (pe care mi-am luat libertatea de a-l numi „Sosirea Mosului Nicolae” pentru a se armoniza cu traditiile de iarna ale poporului roman) este numit adeseori, in ciuda unor contestatii, drept cea mai buna poezie in engleza scrisa vreodata de un american. Oricum aceste versuri reflecta viziunea despre Mos Craciun de la mijlocul secolului al XIX-lea pana astazi. De fapt, acest poem a statornicit in cultura americana rolul Sfantului Nicolae sau al lui Santa Claus (Mos Craciun) in traditiile legate de sarbatorile de iarna.


 A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Clarke Moore

’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;
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,
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.
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,
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;      
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
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.
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 pedler just opening his pack.
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;      
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.
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;
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;
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.”

Sosirea Mosului Nicolae, poezie de Clement Clarke Moore

Era noaptea dinainte de Craciun, cand prin intreaga casa
Nu se misca nimeni, nici chiar un soarece sub masa;
Ciorapii erau atarnati de semineu cu grija mare
In speranta ca-n curand Mos Nicolae va apare;
Copiii stateau cuibariti, la caldura, in patuturile lor,
Si-n vis, prune cu zahar dansau in fiecare-al lor capsor;
Iar mama, cu boneta pe cap si cu a ei naframa,
Tocmai ne linistise mintea pentru un lung somn de iarna
Cand afara, in curte, se isca o harmalaie asa de mare
C-am si sarit jos din pat gandind "Vai, ce se-ntampla oare?"
Catre fereastra am zburat iute, fulgerator,
Am deschis jaluzelele si-am tras de-al geamului zavor.
Luna, pe sanul zapezii abia asternute culcata,
Dadea o lucire de-amiaza jos, peste lumea toata,
 Si-atunci, ochii mei mirati au zarit, crezi de vrei,
O sanie in miniatura si opt reni mititei
Tinuti in fraie de-un batran cu miscari atat de vioaie
Incat am stiut pe loc ca era Mos Nicolae.
Mai repezi decat vulturii zburau renii pe-a cerului carare
Iar el fluiera, striga si ii chema dupa nume pe fiecare;
"Hai, Topaitorule! Hai, Dansatorule! Hai, Vulpoiule, dii Saritor!
Hai, Cometa! Hai, Cupidon! Hai, Batause si tu, Fulgerator!
Peste poarta! Peste zid zburati degraba!
Furisati-va in graba, furisati-va in graba!
Cum frunzele uscate zboara inaintea salbaticului uragan
Si de-ntalnesc vreun obstacol se-nalta pan' la ceruri in avan,
Asa deasupra casei zburara renii,  hop s-asa,
Cu sania plina de jucarii, si Mosul Neculai in ea.
Si-ntr-o clipa, pe-acoperis s-au facut auzite
Calcatura si tropaitul fiecarei copite.
Asa cum banuiam si-apoi chiar s-a adeverit
Sfantul Nicolae pe horn c-un bufnet a venit.
Era imbracat tot in blana, din cap pan' la picioare,
De cenusa si fum ii erau straiele manjite, orisicare;
Pe umar purta un sac cu jucarii pentru fiecare,
Parea un negustor voind s-arate ce are de vanzare.
Ochii sai - cum sclipeau! Gropita din obraz asa poznasa!
Obrajii ii erau precum trandafirii, iar nasul ca o cireasa!
Gurita lui zambitoare in sus ca un arc se-ntindea
Iar barba-i era alba ca fulgii de nea.
Tinea strans in dinti o pipa scurta si  grasuna,
Si fumul ei ii inconjura capul ca o cununa;
Avea o fata lata si o burtica rotunda, care mereu
Tremura atunci cand radea, ca un jeleu.
Era dolofan, durduliu, un vesel si batran spiridus
Desi n-am vrut, am hohotit cand l-am zarit, ghidus.
Un semn cu ochiul si-un gest cu capul de sub alba-i chica
Curand mi-au spus ca n-am de ce sa-mi fie frica;
N-a scos o vorba, si s-a pus de-ndat pe treaba,
Ciorapii i-a umplut cu daruri si s-a-ntors spre mine-n graba,
Si-a dus un deget rotofei spre nasu-i borcanat,
A dat din cap si, tusti, prin horn in sus a si plecat;
S-a aruncat vioi in sanie, a fluierat spre reni, "Dii, die!'
Si au zburat usor cu totii asemeni pufului de papadie,
L-am auzit totusi strigand, pierzandu-l din vedere langa luna,
"Craciun fericit tuturor, si tuturora noapte buna."


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Articole din acelasi domeniu in blogul Dianei:

Sfantul Nicolae – Traditii si obiceiuri din Europa

Numele Nicolae - Origine si etimologie | Semnificatia numelui Nicolae

Batrane, vesele Mos Nicolae - Un cantec in engleza pentru copii