Silkie An earthly norris sits and sings And aye she sings ba lilly wean Little ken I my bairn's father Far less the land where he sleeps in Then up stepped he to her bedside And a grumly guest I'm sure is he Saying here I am thy bairn's father Although I be not comely I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far frae land My home it is in the Skule Skerry It wasna' well quoth the maiden fair It wasna' well indeed quoth she That the Great Silkie of Skule Skerry Should have come and brought a bairn to me Then he obtained a purse of gold And he had placed it on her knee Saying give to me my little young son And take thee off thy nursing fee And, it shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines hot on every stone That i'll come to fetch my little young son And teach him for to swim the foam And you shall marry a gunner good And a right fine gunner I'm sure you'll be And the very first shot that ere he shoots Will kill both my young son and me Alas, alas the maiden cried This weary fate's been laid for thee And then she said and then she cried I'll bury me in the Skule Skerry