While Mama worked late in her little cocina,
El viejo was down at the corner cantina
Living it up with amigos.  Carracho!
Muy contento and poco borracho!

While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all the niños, both buenos and malos,
A nice bunch of dulces and other regalos,

Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?

Saint Nick on a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh, instead of venados,
Were eight little burros, approaching volados.

I watched as they came, and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:
"Ay, Pancho!  Ay, Pepe!  Ay, Cuca!  Ay, Beto!
Ay, Chato!  Ay, Chopo!  Maruca y Nieto!"

Then, standing erect with his hand on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then, huffing and puffing, at last to our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of los niños had been very malos.

Then chuckling along, seeming mucho contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim -- and this is verdad --
"Merry Christmas to all! y Feliz Navidad!"