(Traditional Child Ballad)
An earthly nourris sits and sings
And aye she sings, "Ba lily wean!
Little ken I of my bairn's father,
Far less the land in where he be. "
Then one arose at her bedside,
And a grim-faced man inded was he,
Saying, "Here I am, thy bairn's father,
Though I be not handsome unto thee. "
"I am a man upon the land,
I am a silkie on the sea,
And when I'm far and far frae land,
I make my home in Sule Skerry. "
"It was nae weel," quoth the maiden fair,
"It was nae weel, indeed," quoth she,
"For the Great Silkie of Sule Skerry
Should have come and gi'en a bairn to me. "
Now he has ta'en a purse of gold,
And he has placed it on her knee,
Saying, "Give to me my wee young son,
And take this gold as thy nourris fee. "
"It shall come to pass, on a summer's day,
When the sun shines hot on every stone,
That I will take my wee young son
And teach him for to swim the foam. "
"And thou shalt marry a proud gunner,
And a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be,
And the very first shot that e'er he shoots,
He'll kill both my young son and me. "
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