“Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” (Lament of the Three Marys) by Áine

Credit: YouTube

Even if you don’t understand a word of “Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” by Áine, you kind of get it. The music and singing is thick with sadness, grief and in this version of the song, hope. It’s a peculiar mix, but the end result is undeniably moving.

“Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” Captures Ireland’s Beating Heart

“Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” is quintessential to the Irish music canon. Translated from Gaelic to English as the “Lament of the Three Marys,” it is believed to date back to the Middle Ages. Like many traditional laments in Ireland, it likely evolved over centuries, passed down orally through generations. Its origins lie in the ancient Irish tradition of “caoineadh,” or keening, which involved women singing lamentations at wakes and funerals. They would lead mourners in emotional outpourings, often wailing, crying and singing in a highly expressive and sometimes improvised manner.

This particular keen is a lament for Jesus, focusing on the heart-wrenching grief of the three Marys at the foot of the cross. In the lyrics, they express their pain and sorrow at seeing Jesus suffer and die. The song conveys the raw emotion of a mother losing her child, with the Virgin Mary’s grief being particularly poignant.

The lyrics from the second half of the keen translate as:

Is that my child
who I weened in my arms and nourished?
Alas and alack
Listen, little mother,
do not be sorrowful
Alas and alack

My love, big is your burden,
let your mother help you carry it
Alas and alack
Little mother, we each must
carry our own cross
Alas and alack

Áine Adds a Modern Touch to a Classic

Many recorded versions of “Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” are sung acapella, or without the accompaniment of music, and it can be incredibly powerful. Áine made a different choice. Flanked by multi-instrumentalist Layv, Áine’s voice floats beautifully over the top of mandolins, cellos and bass guitars. The choice in instrumentation brings a folksy, almost hopeful rush to the tragic story.

And while Áine’s vocals hit somber notes, she gracefully steers her sound toward the other side of grief: love. Trained as a classical opera singer, her chops are on full display with mesmerizing notes that stir the deepest parts of the heart. Áine successfully captures the  beautiful human ache for which Irish artists seem to have a particular knack. Combine that with the bold instrumentation and heavenly vocals, and we have a delightful update on an timeless gem.