'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the boat
Not a creature was stirring, not even a goat;
The sailbags were hung by the mast with great care,
In hopes that the yacht-chandler soon would be there;

The ladies were nestled all snug in their bunks,
With visions of oilskins filled with great hunks;
The boys were settling down to a whiskey,
Just hoping the wind would not get too frisky;

When out on the deck there arose such a sound,
I sprang from the bunk to see what was around.
Away to the porthole I flew like a wish,
To be hit in the face by a big flying fish.

The moon on the white of the mainsail aglow
Gave the lustre of noon to the cockpit below,
When, what should I see but a bloody great whale
And bikini clad mermaids all sat on his tail.

With a barnacled helmsman, so lively and quick,
With a great big white beard, he looked like St. Nick.
With a squadron of dolphins he surfed through the main
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Wavey! now, Seaweed! now, Flopper and Flipper!
On, Starfish! on Crayfish! on, Conger and Kipper!
To the top of the mast! to the end of the bow!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away now!"

As sea spray that before the wild hurricane flies,
When it meets with an obstacle, mounts to the skies,
So up to the mast-top the dolphins they flew,
With a net-full of gadgets, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard by the sail
A whoosh – ‘twas the spout of the bloody great whale.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the fore-mast St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed in Bermudas, and a tropical shirt,
So bright were his clothes that he made my eyes hurt;
With shackles and navaids all strung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes – they were bloodshot from too much spiced rum
An indulgence in lobsters was seen on his tum,
He wobbled to starboard and staggered to port
As he delved in his sack for the presents he’d brought.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the sailbags; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the foremast he rose;

With a call to his dolphins he leapt on his whale
And each of the mermaidens flipped up her tail
With a dip of his ensign he sailed out of sight:
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!