DASG Blog

Pangur Bàn

"White Pangur" is a name of a cat, a cat that lived in Reichenau monastery where this ditty was written in Old Irish. This wouldn’t be so important or of note apart from that this is one of the oldest pieces of Gaelic poetry.
The ditty speaks of a monk and his cat, the monk is busy with writing and Pangus is busy with his own craft, hunting mice! Malcolm MacLeod, Lochgilphead, translated this ditty to modern-day Gaelic in the magazine “Deo-grèine, book 15, page 189. The “Deibhidhe” metre is kept and I have put the ditty of old with the new one here. You can learn more about it on the wonderful Wikipedia article, “Pangur Bán”.

Trad.
“Messe ocus Pangur Bán
Cechtar nathar fria saindan,
Bíth a menmasam fri seilgg
Mu menma céin im saincheirdd.
 
Caraimse fos ferr cach clú
Oc mu lebran leir ingnu,
Ni foirmtech frimm Pangur Bán
Caraid cesin a maccdán.
 
Orubiam scél cen scís,
Innar tegdais ar noendís,
Taithiunn dichrichide clius,
Ni fristarddam arnáthius.
 
Gnáth huaraib ar gressaib gal
Glenaid Inch ina línsan,
Os mé dufuit im Iín chéin
Dliged ndoraid cu ndronchéill.
 
Fuachaidsem fri frega fál,
A rosc anglése comlán,
Fuachimm chein fri fegi fis
Mu rosc reil cesu imdis.
 
Faelidsem cu ndene dul,
Hinglen luch inna gerchrub,
Hi tucu cheist ndoraid ndil,
Os me chene am faelid.
 
Cia beimmi amin nach ré,
Ni derbam cách a chele,
Maith la cechtar nár a dán,
Subaigthius a oénuran.
 
He fesin as coimsid dáu
In muid dungni each oenláu,
Du thabairt doraid du glé
For mu mud cein am messe.”
 
Ùr, le Calum MacLeòid, Ceann Loch Gilp
“Mise agus Pangur Bàn
Sinn ’nar gairm fa leth an sàs
Bithidh inntinn-san ri seilg
M’ inntinn fhèin ri m’ dhearbh-cheird.
 
’S toigh leam-sa fois—feàrr na cliù—
Le mo leabhran dian air foghluim;
Cha ’n fharmadach rium Pangar Bàn,
Is toigh leis-san cluich mar phàisd.
 
Oir bithidh sinn—sgeul gun sgìos—
’Nar tigheadais ’nar dithis;
Ta againn—cleas gun chrioch—
Aobhar cleachdaidh ar geur-chiall.
 
Gnath uairean tre euchdan treun
Leanaidh luch ’na lion-san,
’S tuitidh dhomh-sa ’nam lion fein,
Ceist dhoirbh le dorch-cheill.
 
Sùil aige-san ri fraigh an t-fhalain
Le rosg shoilleir fior-fhallain;
Mo shùil fhein, ri eòlas eagnaidh,
Le fradhrarc geur, ged is lag i.
 
Ni esan faoilt ’na dhian ruith
Is luch leis ’na gheur chruibhean ;
Is bidh faoilt orm-sa mi-fhìn
’S mi tuigsinn ceist dhorch-dhìleis.
 
Gu’m bidh sinn mar sin gach ré,
Gun dragh do chach a cheile;
Is maith leinn bhi ’nar gairm an sàs.
Dèanamh subhachas ’nar n-aonar.
 
Esan eirmseach a ghnàth,
Air ’n obair nithear leis gach là;
Mis’ eirmseach air m’ obair fhein,
Bhi tabhairt ni dorch gu leus.”
 
I hope that you enjoyed this trip through the history of Gaelic Poetry. Did you recognise the ditty above? Do you know of any other translations? Let us know on facebook, twitter and our website!