The Great Silkie

Lyrics

[Verse 1] An earthly nourris sits and sings And aye she sings, "My lilly wean Little ken I thy bairn's father Far less the land in where he be" [Verse 2] "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 Sule Skerry" [Verse 3] "It is my will", quote the maiden fair "It is my will indeed", quote she "That the great silkie of Sule Skerry Should come and ought a bairn on me" [Verse 4] "It shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sunshine's hot on every stone That I shall take my little young son And teach him for to swim the foam [Verse 5] And you shall marry a proud gunner And a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be And the very first shot that e'er he shoot He'll kill both my young son and me" [Refrain] An earthly nourris sits and sings And aye she sings, "My lilly wean Little ken I thy bairn's father Far less the land in where he be"