Snakes / Mná na hÉireann Snakes by Susan McKeown Mná na hÉireann by Peadar Ó Doirnín (1704? - 1769) & Seán Ó Riada (1931-1971) There's trains in the night that don't stop at my station There's places you can go where you don't need no transportation There's a fire in my heart that you never saw It's been smouldering there 'til set free my soul And all of this pain o mercy sweet all of this pain I'll stamp it out beneath my feet all of this pain o mercy sweet all of this pain I'll stamp it out beneath my feet Now a man is a hunter who stalks and kills in the wild And a woman is a savage but he thinks he can make her meek and mild There's crosses and stars in the night overhead You can turn in my arms into a bird and fly there There's those who say what's normal and what's strange There's those who take it for granted that some things never change Our lady's in waiting there's blood on the tracks She's gone where the goblins go she's not coming back It's these snakes wrapping round my ankles These snakes playing with my desires These snakes threatening my inhibitions I'll have them banished to those damned eternal fires Tá bean in Éirinn a phronfadh séad damh is mo sháith le n-ól Is tá bean in Éirinn is ba bhinne léithe mo ráfla ceoil Nó seinm théad; atá bean in Éirinn is níorbh fhearr leí beo Mise ag léimnigh nó leagtha i gcré is mo tharr faoi fhód The Women Of Ireland (extract) There's a woman in Erin who'd give me shelter and my fill of ale There's a woman in Erin who'd prefer my strains to strings being played There's a woman in Erin and nothing would please her more Than to see me burning or in a grave lying cold English version by Michael Davitt