Stonecircle - The Great Silkie Of Sule Skerry lyrics

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(Traditional Child Ballad)<br />

An earthly nourris sits and sings<br />

And aye she sings, "Ba lily wean!<br />

Little ken I of my bairn's father,<br />

Far less the land in where he be."<br />

Then one arose at her bedside,<br />

And a grim-faced man inded was he,<br />

Saying, "Here I am, thy bairn's father,<br />

Though I be not handsome unto thee."<br />

"I am a man upon the land,<br />

I am a silkie on the sea,<br />

And when I'm far and far frae land,<br />

I make my home in Sule Skerry."<br />

"It was nae weel," quoth the maiden fair,<br />

"It was nae weel, indeed," quoth she,<br />

"For the Great Silkie of Sule Skerry<br />

Should have come and gi'en a bairn to me."<br />

Now he has ta'en a purse of gold,<br />

And he has placed it on her knee,<br />

Saying, "Give to me my wee young son,<br />

And take this gold as thy nourris fee."<br />

"It shall come to pass, on a summer's day,<br />

When the sun shines hot on every stone,<br />

That I will take my wee young son<br />

And teach him for to swim the foam."<br />

"And thou shalt marry a proud gunner,<br />

And a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be,<br />

And the very first shot that e'er he shoots,<br />

He'll kill both my young son and me."