
This is a translation I did in 2016, but I thought it would be fun to share here today. Its a well known 9th century Irish poem about a scholar and his cat called. The following original Irish is from Stokes' 1903 Thesaurus Paleohibernicus; the English is my own.
Messe ocus Pangur bán,cechtar nathar fria saindán;bíth a menma-sam fri seilgg,mu menma céin im saincheirdd
(Myself and Fair Pangurboth of us with our tasks;for his mind is on hunting,my mind on each separate art)
Caraim-se fós, ferr cach clú,oc mu lebrán léir ingnu;ní foirmtech frimm Pangur bán,caraid cesin a maccdán.
(I love the quiet, better than fame,and my book zealously I studyno envy against me has Fair Pangurhe loves his own youthful skill)
Ó ru-biam scél cén scis innar tegdias ar n-oéndis,táithiunn dichríchide clius ní fris 'tarddam ar n-áthius.
(Where we are adventuring without rest here in our house, the single pairwe have unlimited featsof acuteness to apply against something)
Gnáth-huaraib ar greassaib galglenaid luch ina lín-sam;os me, du-fuit im lín chéindliged ndoraid cu n-dronchéill.
(Usually his furious attackcatches a mouse up in his net: my eye, my own net, reachesa difficult concept that is well hidden)
Fúachaid-sem fri freaga fála rosc a nglése comlán;fúachimm chéin fri fégi fismu rosc réil, cesu imdis.
(He sharpens his skill against thesehis eye is the perfect tool for thisI direct my clear eye, though very weaktowards sharpening knowledge)
Fáelid-sem cu n-déne dul,hi nglen luch ina gérchrub;hi-tucu cheist n-doraid n-dil,os mé chene am fáelid.
(He rejoices with his swift snaringCleaving a mouse in his sharp clawsI grasp a question, difficult, dear,and my mind in that time is happy)
Cia beimini amin nach réní derban cách a chéle;mait le cechtar nár a dánsubaigthiud a óenurán.
(Even if we work thus every timeneither hinders the other one;good we each are at our skillrejoicing when alone)
Hé fesin as choimsid dáuin muid du-n-gní cach óenláu;do thabairt doraid du gléfor mumud céin am messe.
(He himself is capable of the purposeat the work he does every single day;to bring a dark thing to lightat my own work, am I)