'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
AND ALL THROUGH THE TOWN
ST. JOSEPH WAS SEARCHING,
WALKING UP ROADS AND DOWN.
OUR LADY WAS WAITING
SO MEEK AND SO MILD,
WHILE JOSEPH WAS SEEKING
A PLACE FOR THE CHILD.
THE CHILDREN WERE NESTLED,
EACH SNUG IN HIS BED;
AND THE GROWNUPS WOULDN'T BOTHER,
"THERE'S NO ROOM," THEY SAID.
WHEN EVEN THE INNKEEPER SENT THEM AWAY
AND JOSEPH WAS WONDERING WHERE THEY WOULD STAY,
HE THOUGHT OF THE CAVE IN THE SIDE OF THE HILL.
"LET'S GO THERE," SAID MARY, "IT'S SILENT AND STILL."
THE MOON ON THE BREAST
OF THE NEW FALLEN SNOW
MADE A PATHWAY OF LIGHT
FOR THEIR TIRED FEET TO GO.
AND IN THE CAVE
IN A CRADLE OF HAY
THE SAVIOR WAS BORN
ON THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS DAY!
THE FATHER WAS WATCHING
IN HEAVEN ABOVE,
AND SENT FOR HIS ANGELS,
HIS COURTIERS OF LOVE.
MORE RAPID THAN EAGLES,
GOD'S BRIGHT ANGELS CAME,
REJOICING AND EAGER,
AS EACH HEARD HIS NAME.
"COME POWERS, COME CHERUBS,
COME VIRTUES AND RAPHAEL;
COME THRONES AND DOMINIONS,
COME MICHAEL AND GABRIEL."
"NOW FLY TO THE EARTH
WHERE MY POOR PEOPLE LIVE,
ANNOUNCE THE GLAD TIDINGS
MY SON COMES TO GIVE!"
THE SHEPHERDS WERE WATCHING
THEIR FLOCKS ON THIS NIGHT;
AND SAW IN THE HEAVENS
AN UNEARTHLY LIGHT.
THE ANGELS ASSURED THEM
THEY'D NOTHING TO FEAR,
"IT'S CHRISTMAS," THEY SAID,
"THE SAVIOR IS HERE."
THEY HASTENED TO FIND HIM,
AND STOOD AT THE DOOR,
UNTIL MARY INVITED THEM IN
TO ADORE.
HE WAS SWADDLED IN BANDS
FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS FEET,
AND NEVER DID SHEPHERDS
SEE A BABY SO SWEET.
HE SPOKE NOT A WORD,
BUT THE SHEPHERDS ALL KNEW
HE WAS TELLING THEM SECRETS,
AND BLESSING THEM, TOO.
THEN SOFTLY THEY LEFT HIM,
THE BABE IN THE HAY,
AND REJOICED WITH GREAT JOY,
ON THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS DAY.
MARY HEARD THEM EXCLAIM
AS THEY WALKED UP THE HILL,
"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST;
PEACE TO MEN OF GOOD WILL."

Submitter comment: SISTER BANKERT SAID THAT IT WAS A CUSTOM FOR MANY YEARS,
FOR THE SISTERS TO MAKE UP PICTURE BOOKS OF THIS POEM FOR
NIECES AND NEWPHEWS. SISTER GAVE ME THIS COPY IN 1953.

Data entry tech comment: VARIATION OF "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS"

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): METER: ANAPESTIC ; PIOUS, THIRD PERSON NARRATIVE ; RELIGION CHRISTMAS NATIVITY ; RHYME: MASCULINE, ABCB

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O ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, THY SHINING FACE
THAT SPEAKS THY MIGHTY POWER
IN MY POCKET, FIND A RESTING PLACE,
FOR I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR.
AMEN.

Where learned: SCHOOL ; DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): APOSTROPHE MONOLOGUE QUATRAIN ; INDIRECTION SATIRE MONEY ; METER: IAMBIC, ANAPESTIC ; MOCK-PIOUS ; RHYME: MASCULINE, IMPERFECT, ABAB

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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VERSE WITHOUT MUSIC

MATHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN,
BLESS THE BED THAT I LIE ON!
ALL FOUR CORNERS ROUND ABOUT,
WHEN I GET IN, WHEN I GET OUT.
FOUR CORNERS TO MY BED,
FOUR ANGELS ROUND MY HEAD;
ONE TO WATCH AND ONE TO PRAY,
AND TWO TO BEAR MY SOUL AWAY.

Submitter comment: HEARD IN SCHOOL.

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): DEATH PIOUS SLEEPING BIBLICAL ; PIOUS ; PRAYER ; RHYME: AABB

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AUTOGRAPH VERSE

WHEN THE GOLDEN SUN IS SETTING
AND THE EARTH NO MORE YOU TROD;
MAY YOUR NAME IN GOLD BE WRITTEN
IN THE AUTOGRAPH OF GOD.

Submitter comment: THIS ITEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF
COLETTE BY A SCHOOLMATE.

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): BLESSING ; CHARM ; PIOUS ; PREPARATION FOR DEATH ; RHYME ABCB

Date learned: 10-08-1967

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POLISH PRAYER

ZA TWE MAMO PRACE TROSKI BEDA PROSIE MATKI BOSKI BY CIE
OBDARZYLA ZDROWIEM JAK WOSNE VIECEJ POWIEM. TRANSLATION: FOR ALL
YOUR WORK AND WORRY, I BESEECH THE MOTHER OF GOD TO GIFT YOU
WITH HEALTH AND WHEN I GROW UP I'LL TELL YOU MORE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK

James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTIONAL SHIFT: GIFT AS VERB ; PIOUS GOOD WISHES

Date learned: 11-07-1974

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AUTOGRAPH VERSE

WHEN THE GOLDEN SUN IS SETTING
AND THE EARTH NO MORE YOU TROD;
MAY YOUR NAME IN GOLD BE WRITTEN
IN THE AUTOGRAPH OF GOD.

Submitter comment: THIS ITEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF
COLETTE BY A SCHOOLMATE.

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): BLESSING ; CHARM ; PIOUS ; PREPARATION FOR DEATH ; RHYME ABCB

Date learned: 10-08-1967

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MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN,
BLESS THE BED THAT I LIE ON.
ALL FOUR CORNERS ROUND ABOUT,
WHEN I GET IN, WHEN I GET OUT.
FOUR CORNERS TO MY BED,
FOUR ANGELS ROUND MY HEAD;
ONE TO WATCH AND ONE TO PRAY,
AND TWO TO BEAR MY SOUL AWAY.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT HEARD IN SCHOOL

Where learned: TOLEDO

Keyword(s): PIOUS DEATH ANGELS SLEEPING BIBLICIAL ; RHYME: AABB

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY YULE,
TAKE A FRIEND AND GO TO SHULE.

Submitter comment: YULE IS AT CHRISTMAS TIME, AND SHULE IS A JEWISH HOUSE
OF WORSHIP.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; OAK PARK

Keyword(s): HOLIDAYS ; MOCK EPIC ; PARODY OF SONG ; RELIGIOUS ; RELIGIOUS OR PIOUS MOCK

Date learned: 10-03-1971

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

WHEN YOUR DAYS ON EARTH ARE ENDED,
AND THE PATH MO MORE YOU TROD,
MAY YOUR NAME IN GOLD BE WRITTEN
IN THE AUTOGRAPH OF GOD.

Submitter comment: LEARNED AT ST. LUKES'S SCHOOL, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ASSONANCE ; DIVINE RECOGNITION ; HEAVENLY AFTERLIFE ; PIOUS ; QUATRAIN ; RELIGION ; SINCERITY ; WISH

James Callow Keyword(s): ANAPESTIC AND IAMBIC METER ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 09-19-1967

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