12/03/2022
Christmas Eve story
A visit from Saint Nicholas:
Po-Rusyns’kýj adapted by Jerry Jumba (December 2, 2022)
Twas the night before Rozhdestvo {Christmas}
And all through the house
The Rusnaks all gathered
To eat sauerkraut.
The kolach was nestled
All snug in its dish
While bobalky were cooking
And so was some fish.
Women in their babushkas
And men in their caps
Had all settled down
With food in their laps.
When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter
We all left our meal
To see what was the matter.
Away to the window, Teta flew like a flash (aunt)
Screaming, "Lock all the doors
And hide all the cash."
And what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a pagach-shaped sleigh (pagach is Rusin sauerkraut pizza)
And eight tiny reindeer.
More rapid than orelý (eagles)
Flyng strong in their line,
Their harness of výšivka,
Embroidered so fine.
There, a jolly old Rusnak so lively and quick
We knew in a moment,
It must be Saint Nick!
And he whistled, and shouted,
And called them by name:
The reindeer heard him and
Forward they came.
As he shouted, "On Stefan,"
And each reindeer's name.
"On Stefan, on Petro
On Janko and Heorhij
On Vasil, on Andrij
On Pavel and Dimitrij."
Then out to the smokehouse
The reindeer all flew
With a sleigh full of kolbas
And Saint Nicholas, too.
Down the smoke vent he came
With a leap and a bound
Dancing čardaš and polka,
And twirling around.
Then did a kolomyjka,
While humming the tune.
He was so bright,
like a shining full moon.
A bundle of daruniki were flung on his back, (gifts)
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
His cheeks, jak červena ruža, (like red 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 his pipku (pipe) he held tight in his zubi (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 bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old saint,
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, and then pulled from his sack,
His gifts for us, we were taken aback!
He gave us pirohi, haluški and čaj,
orichovnik, aprikotnik makovnik oh my! (nut roll, apricot roll, poppyseed roll.}
Then the beautiful chustka (babushka)
with strong warm fabrik,
And a stylish šapka for the men, (hat)
And they love very much to wear it!
We gave him our special kvasna kapusta, (sauerkraut)
And a hand woven vest, from D’ido and Baba,
A child stepped forward with an apple to give,
Another gave a wooden flute piščalka,
So shepherd music will live!
Every face had a smile so bright,
Saint Nicholas made the night into broad day light.
Everyone stood on their toes,
We all sang "Divnaja Novina," (Wondrous news to all the Earth)
And oh! He knows how it goes!
Then laying his finger aside of his nose
He gave a nod, and up the chimney he rose.
He jumped on his sleigh,
Gave a whistle to his team,
As they flew out of sight,
It was like a big dream.
But his warm voice exclaimed,
As he flew through cold weather,
"Veselyj Svjat to all” {Happy Christmas to all}
“And to all, Dobryj Večur!
