MNhE - the LYRICS

[Wieland Willker <willker@chemie.uni-bremen.de>]

Note news about orchestral arr. at the bottom!

With special thanks to Carolyn Andre <candre@mcs.net> !


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Mna na hEireann    (Peadar O/ Dorinin (?1704-1769))
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Ta bean in Eirinn a phronnfadh sead damh is mo shaith le n-ol
Is ta bean in Eireann is ba bhinne leithe mo rafla ceoil
No seinm thead; ata bean in Eirinn is niorbh fhearr lei beo
Mise ag leimnigh no leagtha i gcre is mo tharr faoi fhod

Ta bean in Eirinn a bheadh ag ead liom mur bhfaighfinn ach pog
O/ bhean ar aonach, nach ait an sceala, is mo dhaimh fein leo;
Ta bean ab fhearr liom no cath is cead dhiobh nach bhfagham go deo
Is ta cailin speiriuil ag fear gan Bhearla, dubhghranna croin.

Ta bean a dearfadh da siulann leithe go bhfaighinn an t-or,
Is ta bean 'na leine is is fearr a mein no na tainte bo
Le bean a bhuairfeadh Baile an Mhaoir is clar Thir Eoghain,
Is ni fhaicim leigheas ar mo ghalar fein ach scaird a dh'ol

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The Women of Ireland  (Michael Davitt)
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There's a woman in Erin who'd give me shelter and my fill of ale;
There's a woman in Ireland who'd prefer my strains to strings being played;
There's a woman in Eirinn and nothing would please her more
Than to see me burning or in a grave lying cold.

There's a woman in Eirinn who'd be mad with envy if I was kissed
By another on fair-day, they have strange ways, but I love them all;
There are women I'll always adore, battalions of women and more
And there's this sensuous beauty and she shackled to an ugly boar.

There's a woman who promised if I'd wander with her I'd find some gold
A woman in night dress with a loveliness worth more than the woman
Who vexed Ballymoyer and the plain of Tyrone;
And the only cure for my pain I'm sure is the ale-house down the road.


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Recordings (others please fill out/complete this list):
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The Chieftains, 196-?, Soundtrack for Barry Lyndon

The Wolfe Tones, Woman of Ireland, 198-?

Susan McKeown & the chanting house, Snakes/Mna na hE/ireann(first verse), on
the album Bones, Sheila-na-Gig Music, 1995.  Distributed in Ireland by Gael
Linn.

Sinead O'Connor, Mna na hE/ireann, 1995

Kate Bush, Mna na hEireann, orchestral arrangement by Fiachra Trench, on the
album Common Ground, produced by Donal Lunny, EMI, 1996.

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