NOTE FROM RAY: Please don't try to read this in front of your church. But you can read it to yourself and roll on the floor laughing in private. The first version translated the Ojibwa words into English, but the original version leaves all the Ojibwa words in. [Ojibwa is known by some as Chippewa and some say Anishinabe.] I think your kids might really like the second version better. So relax for a few minutes and enjoy this gift of laughter...your Jesus-brother, ray
===================English Version=================
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not an wild creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The moccasins were hung by the smoke hole with care, In hopes that Giveaway-red-really-big-man soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of maple sugar danced in their heads;
And mother in her handkerchief, and I in my black hair, Had just settled down for a long winter nap,
When outside the house there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like lightening, Tore open the shutters and threw up the window shade.
The moon on the breast of the crust on the snow Gave a shine like duct tape to objects dense under brush,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, . But a miniature toboggan, and eight tiny deer,
With a little old driver, so lively and fast, I knew in a moment it must be Giveaway-red-really-big-man.
More rapid than bald eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted out, and called in a certain way by name;
"Now, Run-along! now, Dancer! now, Dance-along and Unmarried-woman! On, Star! on Love! on, Thundered and Lightening! To the top of the porch! to the top of the house!
Now Fly along! Fly to a certain place! Fly upwards!" .
As dry leaves that before the winter cannibal monster fly, When they meet with BIA, mount to the sky, So up to the roofing the coursers they flew,
With the toboggan full of toys, and Giveaway-red-really-big-man.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roofing The prancing and pawing of each little foot.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney Giveaway-red-really-big-man came with a bound. .
He was dressed all in furs, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he mangiwane on his back, And he looked like a trader just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his cheeks how merry! His red cheeks were like roses, his nose like a choke-cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as a long knife man; .
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a roach headdress;
He was full up on fry bread with little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a birch bark dish of jelly.
He was chubby and fat, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed secretly when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his big head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to fear; .
He spoke Ojibwa not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the moccasins;
then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And nodded his head, up the smoke hole he rose;
He sprang to his toboggan, to his deer gave a whistle,
And away they all ran from the place in flight like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him shout out, ere he drove out of sight, .
"Happy Christmas to all, And to all later."
=====================OJIBWE VERSION =====================
'Twas the night before Niibaa-anama�egiizhigad, when all through the wiigiwaam
Not an awakaan was stirring, not even a waawaabiganoojiinh;
The moccasins were hung by the smoke hole with care, In hopes that Miigiwe Miskwaa Gichi Inini soon would be there;
The abinoojiinhyag were nestled all snug in their nibaaganan,
While visions of ziinzibaakwad danced in their nishttigwaan;
And nimaama in her moshwens, and I in my makadewindibe,
Had just settled down for a long biiboon zhiibaangwashi, .
When outside the wiigiwaam there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the nibaagan to see what was the matter.
Away to the waasechigan I flew like inaabiwin, Tore open the shutters and threw up the gibiiga�iganiigin.
The dibik-giizis on the breast of onaaband Gave a shine like duct tape to objects zazagaamagad,
When, what to my wondering nishkiizhigoon should appear, .
But a miniature toboggan, and eight tiny waawaaskeshi,
With a little old driver, so lively and wajepii, I knew in a moment it must be Miigiwe Miskwaa Gichi Inini.
More rapid than migiziwag his coursers they came, And he whistled, and biibaagi, and izhi-wiinde by name;
"Now, Bimibatoo! now, Niimi! now, Babaamishimo and Moozhikwe!
On, Anang! on Zaagi! on, Animikii and Wawaasese! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wiigiwaam! Now Bimibide! Ipide! Ombibidemagad!" .
As dry leaves that before the wiindigoo fly, When they meet with BIA, mount to the sky,
So up to the apakwaan the coursers they flew, With the toboggan full of toys, and Miigiwe Miskwaa Gichi Inini too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the apakwaan The prancing and pawing of each little inzid.
As I drew in my iniji, and was turning around, Down the chimney Miigiwe Miskwaa Gichi Inini came with a bound. .
He was dressed all in gipagawe, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with bingwiand and soot;
A bundle of toys he mangiwane on his back, And he looked like a adaawewinini just opening his pack.
His ishkiinzigoon -- how they twinkled! his inowan how merry!
His miskwanowan were like roses, his nose like a choke-cherry!
His droll little indoon was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as gichimookamaan; .
The stump of a opwaagan he held tight in his wiibidaakaajiganan ,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a miskwaanzigan;
He was full up on fry bread with little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a wiigwaasinaagan of jelly.
He was chubby and wiinin, a right jolly old elf, And I giimoodaapi when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his ishkiinzigoon and a twist of his mangindibe, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to gotaaji; .
He ojibwemo not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the moccasins; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his ibinaakwaanininj aside of his nose, And wewebikweni, up the smoke hole he rose;
He sprang to his toboggan, to his waawaaskeshi gave a whistle, And away they all onjinizhimo like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him biibaagi, ere he drove out of sight, .
"Happy Niibaa-anama�egiizhigad to all, And to all baamaapii."
