Lyr ADD Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)

Subject: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: michaelr
Date: 03 Nov 21 - 07:09 PM

I came across an announcement for a new CD today. "Two versions of Mná na hÉireann are included, described in the notes as the most politically incorrect song of its time. Often sung by female singers, two verses are normally omitted because of their blatantly misogynistic attitude. As a courtesy to delicate ears these verses are omitted in the opening track on the CD; the full version is given in the final track."

Mudcatter Philippa added 12 verses of lyrics on this thread, but provides translation for only three, with the comment "The beautiful air belies the message."

Of course I'm intrigued. Can anyone provide a complete translation, please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: GUEST,Brien Hoye
Date: 04 Nov 21 - 10:03 AM

I think a fuller version is in An Duanaire 1600 - 1900: Poems of the Dispossessed if you can find a copy. I'll dig around in my library when I get home.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Nov 21 - 10:08 AM

'An Duanaire 1600 - 1900: Poems of the Dispossessed if you can find a copy'


The anthology isn't too rare, it's €15 @ Charlie Byrne in Galway, for example. Amazon has copies too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: Thompson
Date: 06 Nov 21 - 11:38 AM

I had look in An Duanaire but can't see Mná na hÉireann there.

Subject: ADD: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: Thompson
Date: 06 Nov 21 - 11:48 AM

Dunno about politically incorrect; most of what the poet was saying, as quoted on Wikipedia anyway, was what most men still say - eg "a woman in her shift is better than wealth of cattle"…

Mná na hÉireann

Tá bean in Éirinn a phronnfadh séad domh is mo sháith le n-ól
Is tá bean in Éirinn is ba bhinne léithe mo ráfla ceoil
Ná seinm théad; atá bean in éirinn is níorbh fhearr léi beo
Mise ag léimnigh nó leagtha i gcré is mo thárr faoi fhód

Tá bean in Éirinn a bheadh ag éad liom mur' bhfaighfinn ach póg
Ó bhean ar aonach, nach ait an scéala, is mo dháimh féin leo;
Tá bean ab fhearr liom nó cath is céad dhíobh nach bhfagham go deo
Is tá cailín spéiriúil ag fear gan Bhéarla, dubhghránna cróin.

Tá bean i Laighnibh is nios mhiste léithe bheith límh liom ar bord,
Is tá bean i bhFearnmhaigh a ghéabhadh bhéarsai is is sárbhinne glór,
Bhí bean ar thaobh cnoic i gCarraig Éamoinn a níodh gáire ag ól
Is tráth bhí ina maighdin ní mise d'éignigh dá chois ó chomhar.

Tá bean a leafgfadh, nífead is d'fhuaifeadh cáimric is sról,
Is tá bean a dhéanfadh de dh'olainn gréas is thairnfeadh an bhró
Tá bean is b'fhearr leí ag cruinniú déirce nó cráite re cró
Is tá bean 'na ndéidh uile a luífeadh lé fear is a máthair faoi fhód

Tá bean a déarnadh an iomad tréanais is grá Dia mór,
Is tá bean nach mbéarfadh a mionna ar aon mhodh is nach n-ardódh glór;
Ach thaisbeáuin saorbhean a ghlacfadh lé fear go cráifeach cóir
Nach mairfeadh a ghléas is nach mbainfeadh léithe i gcás ar domhan.

Tá bean a déarfadh dá siulfainn léi go bhfaighinn an t-ór,
Is tá bean 'na léine is fearr a méin ná táinte bó
Le bean a bhuairfeadh Baile an Mhaoir is clár Thír Eoghain,
Is ní fheicim leigheas ar mo ghalar féin ach scaird a dh'ól

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: michaelr
Date: 06 Nov 21 - 11:53 AM

I was hoping for an English translation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: Thompson
Date: 06 Nov 21 - 01:03 PM

Duanaire is parallel tex… oh, see what you mean. I'll take a run at it; no guarantees. Someone more fluent can make corrections.

There's a woman in Ireland who'd grant me silk, and my fill to drink
And there's a woman in Ireland to whom rumours of my music would be sweet
Don't play on the strings, but there's no woman alive in Ireland who's better than her
Myself leaping or stretched in the clay and the best of me beneath sods.

There's a woman in Ireland who'd be jealous of me if we got nothing bu a kiss.
O, woman alone [among all women], is it not strange the story, my own affection is theirs (?)
There's a woman I'd prefer than a battle or a hundred battles, that I would never leave
And there'a heavenly girl belonging to a man without English, black-avised, swarthy.

There's a woman in Leinster who doesn't care if I leap on board
And there's a woman in Farney who'd get verses and the sweetest sounds
There was a woman in Carrigedmond who would wash laughing drinking (? eh what?)
And the time she was a virgin it is not I who would ravish [not sure of dá chois ó chomhar]

There is a woman who would lay out, wash and full cambric and silk
And there is a woman who would make ornamented woollens and turn a millstone
A better woman than her would be alternately collecting alms or torments
And a woman behind both of them who'd lie with a man though her mother was under the soil.

There's a women who did too much abstinence and love of great God
And there's a woman who wouldn't bear witness in any way and who wouldn't raise a tune
But show me the finest woman who would accept a man devoutly and correctly
That his means would not survive (?), that he would not win her before the world (?)

There's a woman who would say that we would go that we would get gold
And a woman in her shift, her mien is better than herds of cattle
With a woman who would disturb Ballymyre and all of Tyrone
And I see no cure for my disease but gushes of drink.

(This is with the help of five dictionaries and school Irish. I hope there's some kindly person who can put more sense on it!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: michaelr
Date: 06 Nov 21 - 05:59 PM

Wow, thank you Thompson! I'll have to study that text to suss what's misogynistic about it. Appreciate the effort!

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: Thompson
Date: 07 Nov 21 - 05:32 AM

I suppose it's judgey.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: Felipa
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 05:01 PM

discussion on Irish TV programme Aistear an Amhráin (thanks to Peter Laban for the heads up)
https://www.rte.ie/player/series/aistear-an-amhr%C3%A1in/10001572-00-0000?epguid=IH10001571-23-00

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD Mná na Éireann (The Women of Ireland)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 09:53 AM

For some reason that link goes to a 'can't find that page' notice, eventhough I can't see anything wrong with it.


This will work:

Aistear an Amhrán, episode 3