113
THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY
THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY
[_]
Proceedings of The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,
I, 86, 1852. Communicated by the late Captain
F. W. L. Thomas, R. N.; written down by him
from the dictation of a venerable lady of Snarra Voe,
Shetland.
1
An eartly nourris sits and sings,
And aye she sings, Ba, lily wean!
Little ken I my bairnis father,
Far less the land that he staps in.
2
Then ane arose at her bed-fit,
An a grumly guest I'm sure was he:
‘Here am I, thy bairnis father,
Although that I be not comelie.
3
‘I am a man, upo the lan,
An I am a silkie in the sea;
And when I'm far and far frae lan,
My dwelling is in Sule Skerrie.’
4
‘It was na weel,’ quo the maiden fair,
‘It was na weel, indeed,’ quo she,
‘That the Great Silkie of Sule Skerrie
Suld hae come and aught a bairn to me.’
5
Now he has taen a purse of goud,
And he has pat it upo her knee,
Sayin, Gie to me my little young son,
An tak thee up thy nourris-fee.
6
An it sall come to pass on a simmer's day,
When the sin shines het on evera stane,
That I will tak my little young son,
An teach him for to swim the faem.
7
An thu sall marry a proud gunner,
An a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be,
An the very first schot that ere he schoots,
He'll schoot baith my young son and me.
