Maín ar mug...

Maín ar mug, rún do mnaí,
mairg do-gní cechtar n-aí.

(wealth * upon * a slave * secret * to * a woman / alas * (who) does * either * one)

Wealth to a slave, a secret to a woman,
woe to whomever gives either.

A traditional proverb found in various versions, including similar advice attributed to Crimthann Nia Náir in “Scéla Muicce Meic Da Thó”. The beleaguered Cú Roí exclaims “ní rún mnáib, ní maín mogaib” at the end of “Adaig Con Roí” (ZCP 9 (1913)), after his wife has betrayed the secret location of his soul: inside an apple inside a salmon that comes to a sacred well once every seven years.

Topics: Maxims & Wise Counsel