Version by W.H. Auden:

Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are
Alone together, scholar and cat
Each has his own work to do daily;
For you it is hunting, for me study.
Your shining eye watches the wall;
My feeble eye is fixed on a book.
You rejoice, when your claws entrap a mouse;
I rejoice when my mind fathoms a problem.
Pleased with his own art, neither hinders the other;
Thus we live ever without tedium and envy.

The White Cat and the Monk is a wonderful retelling of the classic Old Irish poem “Pangur Bán” from which the above text was translated by W.H. Auden. The narration of Jo Ellen Bogart is simple and Sydney Smith’s classically inspired images are breathtaking. This is a contemplative and quiet picture book about enjoying the pleasure of animals, nature, art, and God. Highly recommended. ( )

I loved this poem book because it allowed me to look at my own life and remember the beauty in it. This story is great for children because it shows that we all have different paths, but no one is more noble than another.

Beautiful and contemplative. Makes me grateful for my own cat. ( )

The narrator of this poetic picture-book, a medieval monk and scholar who searches for meaning and answers in his precious books, observes his white cat, Pangur Ban, and compares his own quest with the mouse-hunting skills of his beloved feline...

The figure of Pangur Bán, a beautiful white cat whose talent for mousing was immortalized in a ninth-century poem, written in Old Irish by an anonymous Irish monk, has appeared in a number of children's books and films. British author Fay Sampson has written an entire fantasy series featuring this feline, beginning with Pangur Ban The White Cat, while the successful animated film, The Secret of Kells, includes a feline character of this name. This picture-book retelling of the poem pairs simple, descriptive language from author Jo Allen Bogart with lovely watercolor and ink artwork from illustrator Sydney Smith. I've been meaning to pick up The White Cat and the Monk since it was first published a few years ago, and by sheer coincidence, when I finally got to it today, I was sitting with my sister's young cats and watching their pouncing antics. This definitely improved my reading experience (kittens improve most things, I find), but even without it I would have enjoyed this one. Both text and artwork are lovely! Recommended to all young cat lovers, as well as to those seeking picture-books set in medieval Europe, or featuring an Irish cultural background. ( )

I borrowed this book from the library but intend to order a personal copy. It is a beautiful version of Pangur Bán, a poem written over a thousand years ago. The poem has been translated many times but this illustrated version perfectly captures the solitary contemplative monk and cat. An author's note details the origin. ( )