by Kevin Avery*
Halo semua, sampai juga kita di penghujung tahun dan...
Natal!!!!!! Pesta natal, pohon natal, lagu tentang Santa, rusa, dan hadiah natal pasti tengah mengisi hari-hari Anda. Belum lagi keceriaan dan kebahagiaan dalam merayakan hari penuh kasih tahun ini.
Dalam menyambut Natal, saya akan memberikan sebuah puisi kepada Anda. Puisi ini merupakan puisi klasik khas natal yang pertama kali dipublikasikan pada 23 Desember tahun 1923. Puisi ini bercerita tentang sosok Santa Klaus yang berkunjung ke sebuah rumah dengan memebawa hadiah natal. Berikut puisinya!
Twas the Night before Christmas Poem
Twas 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, Donner 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 peddler, 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!"
Di bawah ini, ada beberapa kosakata yang bisa membantu Anda memahami puisi di atas. Selamat berlibur!
Stirring=moving (bergerak)
Snug=comfortable (nyaman)
‘Kerchief=head scarf (syal untuk kepala)
Sugar plums= sweet plums, sweets for children made from fruit (manisan dari buah)
Clatter= loud noises (suara yang nyaring)
Sash= a curtain on the window ( tirai jendela sorong)
Lustre= a glowing light from the moon (cahaya dari bulan)
Coursers= the animals pulling the sleigh, the reindeer ( sejenis rusa kutub)
Mount to the sky= fly towards the sky (terbang ke langit)
Dash away= run (berlari)
Prancing= jumping (melompat)
With a bound= suddenly, in a hurry (tiba-tiba, terburu-buru)
Tarnished= covered, often with dirt (Tertutupi noda)
Flung= threw (past tense of throw) ( Lempar)
Peddler= a street seller, some one who has a bag and sells shoes, watches, drinks etc…(pedagang kaki lima/pedagang asongan)
Dimples= little folds on the face that appear when someone smiles (lesung pipit)
Droll= funny or entertaining (lucu)
Encircled= moving around something in a circle (melingkari)
Plump= round and fat (montok)
In spite of myself= even though I shouldn’t do something I did it ( meskipun seharusnya saya tak melakukan hal tersebut)
Jerk= a sudden movement ( gerakan tiba-tiba)
Down of a thistle= seeds from a plan that float in the sky (benih dari sebuah tanaman yang mengapung di udara)
Exclaim= say something loudly (mengatakan sesuatu dengan suara yang keras)
*Kevin Avery adalah guru myClass Jakarta