Pangur Bán Scholar and cat Old Irish poem CC1018 Postcard

Pangur Bán is a charming 9th century poem written by an Irish monk at or around Reichenau Abbey. In eight verses of four lines, the author compares the happy hunting of his cat with his own scholarly pursuits. Here you'll find the first four lines, as translated by Robin Flower: I and Pangur Bán, my cat | 'Tis a like task we are at | Hunting mice is his delight | Hunting words I sit all night The illustration of the poem is inspired by two different illuminated manuscripts. The expressive cat and the mouse drawing origins from the Northumberland Bestiary (England, about 1250–1260) and the colourful floral border from the Gualenghi-d'Este Hours (Italy, about 1469).