It's supposed to go:

"That's known to the artists who have known,
True gods of sound and stone, and words and tint
I did not stint, for I gave her poems to say"

Which works on the page, but falls apart when sung to that tune in 4/4 times because there's a three beat gap between Stone and And - which makes the next bit a new sentence whether you want it to or not.

Some pepole do sing it in 3/4 time, and it actually works much better. For example there's only a one beat gap there now.

This song operates a bit like many pop songs. People edit what they hear, and only allow the bits that they like and can grok into their perception of what it's about.

As a poem it had some merit, but I doubt many would have picked up on it.

When sung it makes little sense if you use Kavanagh's words correctly, and even less when people try to change the words to put some sense back into it, and fail!

I gave up singing it entirely once I discovered what the words really were. I decided I liked the poem as a poem and the tune as a tune - but I do use it in my songwriting workshops, because it illustrates loads of points about how words and tunes are supposed to work together, (or in this case; don't).

In my personal opinion Loreena McKennit's version scores top marks for passion and vocal skill (which is terrific), but rather lower in terms of the interpretation of a difficult song (she unkinks the tune in a couple of places, which rather lets the air out), and a bit below that for lyric changes. Just watch her expression as she delivers the line she's decided to use for that difficult phrase above, lol!

That said, people are obviously moved by this song wherever and however they hear it.

Which I hope supports my pet theory that the secret of a good song is a good tune and some powerful images. (The secret if a really great song is both of these, but great words too)!

Tom