A new year’s midrash of “I Am Eve”

Wowzers. This has been an extremely momentous holiday season for my household and myself. I’m very excited at successfully registering for my first quarter of classes for the PhD — both on-line and face-to-face classes, it looks like. I’ve not done on-line classes before; nifty! I’m being careful for the first quarter and not taking too much on, so it looks like I’ll be taking two archaeologically / anthropologically based classes, one literature based class, and one class exploring artistic interpretations of spirituality. Needless to say, I’m quite excited!

Further, one of my housemates is starting a wonderful new job they’re really looking forward to — something that really suits the housemate’s capabilities and training. Another seems to be on the verge of something else very cool as well. Reassuringly, my financial aid has helped alleviate my current financial stresses, and I’ve started seriously soliciting for editing and tutoring work as I’ve altered the focus of my business. Even nicer, my art feels like it’s starting to blossom! Finally, the family’s business is almost completely successfully handed off to another — whew!

Add the normal hullabaloo of the holiday season to all the above, and managing to end the year by getting quite sick, and there have been days where I felt much like the proverbial panicky chicken running around in circles. I realize this is not an excuse for my missing so many updates, but perhaps it will explain it. ;)

Interestingly, I’ve been hammering my head for quite some time on some of the issues and breakthroughs mentioned above. While there were times I flagged, I now feel I can pat myself on the back a little, and congratulate myself on not giving up; on continuing to fight to make things the way I needed and wanted them to be.

In that same vein, I find myself bemused at the silly furor over some so-called attack on the holiday of Christmas… so I’m going to do my small bit to make things more the way I wish them to be. First, I’m going to wish you all had the merriest of holidays, whichever you chose them to be — I don’t care what causes your joy so much as that you have the opportunity to experience and share it. Secondly, I’m offering a small midrash of a lovely song I heard recently: the Medieval Baebes’ “I Am Eve” on their Solstice / Christmas album Mistletoe & Wine.

This is a case of something that sounds lovely, but contains something really ugly within it. The song is from the 11th century, written in Middle Irish by what is believed to be an unknown Irish monk. I heard it, loved it, and went looking for the English translation.

Yeow! Talk about a song full of self-loathing, projected on an innocent bystander! This definitely needed a change of lyrics into something more spiritual and lovely, to match the music. I’ve included the translation of the original, but made the font white so those who don’t wish to read such bile do not have to. The beat is kind of tricky, but I think this works.

I AM EVE
(Midrash of translation of an 11th Century Irish song by anonymous)

Chorus
I am Eve, Adam’s savior,
I who was great Goddess of old;
Brought I Wisdom to my children,
Exalted should I rightfully be.

Queenly temple at my command;
Grievously jealous man dethroned me,
My daughters unjustly withered,
Stained his hands with innocent blood.

Chorus

I it was plucked the Wisdom fruit,
Loved my children and set them free.
For that, cold Man will not cease from folly
While he jealous of Woman remains.

There’d be no fertile flowers’ bloom,
There’d be no winter’s cold embrace,
No cycle of natural life;
There’d be no love, were it not for me.

Chorus x 8

(English translation of original below; highlight the text to read)

I am Eve, great Adam’s wife
It is I that outraged Jesus of old
It is I that stole Heaven from my children
By rights it is I that should have gone upon the tree

There would be no ice in any place
There would be no glistening windy winter
There would be no hell, there would be no sorrow
There would be no fear, were it not for me