A Bilingual Christmas

> > 'Twas the night before Chrismas and all through the domus > Not a creature was stirring, not even a mus. > Liberi were tucked away in their lecta, > Some in their pallia and some in tunica. > While mater worked late in her little culina > Pater was down at the corner taberna. > The stockings were hung magna cum cura > In hope that St. Nicholas would feel obligatus > To bring all the children, bonique malique, > A nice batch of dulcia and other nice nugae. > Then out in the yard there arose such tumultus That I jumped to my feet like a frightened legatus. > I ran to the window and looked extra, foris > And who in the world do you think quis erat? > St. Nicholas in a sleigh and a big red petasus > Came dashing along like a crazy pirata. > And pulling his sleigh instead of renones > Were eight cute asini flying like aves. > I watched as they came and this quaint little senis > Shouted and whistled and called nominatim: > "Come Cursor, Come Sultator, Exsultor Vulpesque > On Cometes, Cupido, Tonitrus Fulmenque!" > Then standing erect with hand on stomachum > He flew to the top of our very own tectum. > His round little belly shook like a bowl of gelatum As he stuggled to squeeze down our old compluvium > Then huffing and puffing at last in our atrium > With soot smeared all over his bright red toga > He filled all the stockings with lovely ornata > For none of the liberi had been very pessimi. > Then chuckling out loud, seeming very contentus, > He turned like a flash and was gone like the ventus. > And I heard him exclaim as he drove through the caelum "Felix Natalis Christi to all and to all Bona Nox!"