Twas the day before Christmas, when all through your house,
MacDermott’s Argentina was busy at work, as hard as a mouse.
The cookies were stashed by the sink with care,
In hopes that its hungry employees soon would be there.
Mercedes, Hugh, Laura, and Ben were all nestled into their desks,
While visions of horses galloped through their heads.
And Mercedes in her cream chemise, and Hugh in his boina cap,
Had just settled their brains and began to admire the beautiful table map.
When out in the parking lot arose such a clatter,
We sprang from our chairs to see what was the matter.
Away to the balcony we flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains and unhooked the latch.
<—Image via Wikimedia
The summer sun burning bright with objects aglow
That mixed with Hugh’s Jasmines forming an oasis below.
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a band of horses and gauchos carrying ice cold beer!
With a wonderful driver, his bark as loud as his yell,
We knew in an instant it must be Papá Noel!
More rapid than Patagonian condors, his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called us my name!
“Vení, Hugh! Vení, Mercedes! Vení, Laura y Ben!
Vengan a celebrar con nosotros, que las fiestas comiencen!
I have been looking for all of you, by word-of-mouth,
Understanding that you can help me get from the north of Argentina to the very, very South!
So, as dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
We told him that when we meet with an obstacle, the limit is the sky.
So off of the balcony, we jumped and flew,
With gaucho pants on and Papá Noel, too.
He was dressed all in white and beige, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with the Pampa and soot.
A bundle of fiambres and quesos he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
We sat him down because he looked so weary,
and we had a chat about his trip and what he should carry.
His droll little mouth cracked with a smile drawing up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as rugged as they go.
With confidence and personalized attention,
Papá Noel was back on track, this time with a mission.
And off he went, exclaiming on the way,
“Feliz Navidad para todos y todas, diviertansé!”
