Over on the All Things Linguistic blog, an Old English rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is perhaps one of the greatest discoveries of this holiday season. Check out the gorgeous meter below!

Here is it, written by Philip Craig Chapman-Bell:

Incipit gestis Rudolphi rangifer tarandus Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor –

Næfde þæt nieten unsciende næsðyrlas!

Glitenode and gladode godlice nosgrisele.

Ða hofberendas mid huscwordum hine gehefigodon;

Nolden þa geneatas Hrodulf næftig

To gomene hraniscum geador ætsomne.

Þa in Cristesmæsseæfne stormigum clommum,

Halga Claus þæt gemunde to him maðelode:

“Neahfreond nihteage nosubeorhtende!

Min hroden hrædwæn gelæd ðu, Hrodulf!”

Ða gelufodon hira laddeor þa lyftflogan –

Wæs glædnes and gliwdream; hornede sum gegieddode

“Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor,

Brad springð þin blæd: breme eart þu!

Not gonna lie, this warms my erstwhile Medieval-Lit-studying heart. Gotta love a properly placed Hwæt!

And to make it even better (or help you out if pronouncing Old English isn’t really your thing), here is the modern English version:

Here begins the deeds of Rudolph, Tundra-Wanderer Lo, Hrodulf the red-nosed reindeer –

That beast didn’t have unshiny nostrils!

The goodly nose-cartilage glittered and glowed.

The hoof-bearers taunted him with proud words;

The comrades wouldn’t allow wretched Hrodulf

To join the reindeer games.

Then, on Christmas Eve bound in storms

Santa Claus remembered that, spoke formally to him:

“Dear night-sighted friend, nose-bright one!

You, Hrodulf, shall lead my adorned rapid-wagon!”

Then the sky-flyers praised their lead-deer –

There was gladness and music; one of the horned ones sang

“Lo, Hrodulf the red-nosed reindeer,

Your fame spreads broadly, you are renowned!”

*wipes tears from eyes* Yeah, that’s gonna become a holiday tradition at my house every year. Someone break out a lyre and let’s sing songs to Hrodulf, tundra-wanderer.