Turning Darkness Into Light

Greetings from Roaringwater Journal to all our dear readers. As 2023 draws to an end and we look forward to some post-solstice brightening every day, we celebrate and wish you joy with our favourite poem, illustrated by our favourite artist.

The poem is Pangur Bán (pronounced Panger Bawn) and it was written by an Irish monk in a German monastery in the 9th century. It’s one of the oldest poems known in any language. The translation is by the distinguished scholar Robin Flower and the images are from our own stained glass window by George Walsh.

I and Pangur Bán, my cat,

‘Tis a like task we are at;

Hunting mice is his delight,

Hunting words I sit all night.

 Better far than praise of men

 ’Tis to sit with book and pen;

 Pangur bears me no ill-will,

 He too plies his simple skill.

‘Tis a merry thing to see

At our tasks how glad are we,

When at home we sit and find

Entertainment to our mind.

 Oftentimes a mouse will stray

 In the hero Pangur’s way;

 Oftentimes my keen thought set

 Takes a meaning in its net.

‘Gainst the wall he sets his eye

Full and fierce and sharp and sly;

‘Gainst the wall of knowledge I

All my little wisdom try.

 When a mouse darts from its den,

 O how glad is Pangur then!

 O what gladness do I prove

 When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our tasks we ply,

Pangur Ban, my cat, and I;

In our arts we find our bliss,

I have mine and he has his.

 Practice every day has made

 Pangur perfect in his trade;

 I get wisdom day and night

 Turning darkness into light.

For the curious – here is a recording of how the original medieval Irish would have been pronounced, followed by a translation by Seamus Heaney. And here is the original poem in that medieval manuscript (lower left), followed by a transcription.

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 luch inna línsam

  os mé dufuit im lín 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 derban cách a chele

  maith la cechtar nár a dán,

  subaigthius a óenurán.

He fesin as choimsid dáu

  in muid dungní cach oenláu

  du thabairt doraid du glé

  for mu mud cein am messe.

That’s our joint post for Christmas, folks! We’ll be back next Sunday with our annual roundup of our favourite posts from 2023.