In Norway land, there lived a maid
And hushed, slowly she did sing
"O little know I my babe's father
Or the land that he dwells in"
O it happened upon a Saturday
This maid fell fast asleep
And in there came a grey selkie
And sat at her bed feet
"Awake, awake, my pretty fair maid
How soundly you do sleep
For here am I, thy babe's father
Who sits at your bed feet"
For I'm a man upon the land
And a selkie in the sea
And when I'm far and far from land
My home's in Sule Skerry"
But my dear, I'll wed thee with a ring
With a ring I shall wed thee"
"O you may wed with whom you will
I'm sure you'll not wed me"
So she has nursed her little young son
And sat him upon her knee
And at the end of seven long years
He's returned with a nursing fee
And he has taken a purse of gold
And placed it upon her knee
"O give to me my little young son
I'll teach him to swim in the sea
And I'll put a chain around his neck
And a gold chain it will be
And if he ever comes to Norway land
You'll know which seal he'll be
And you shall marry a gunner good
And a right fine gunner he'll be
And he'll go out one May morning
And shoot our son and me"
So she has married a gunner good
And a right fine gunner was he
And he went out one May morning
And he shot two seals from the sea
The son and the grey selkie
"Alas, o alas, this woeful fate
This world has laid on me"
And as she sighed, and as she sat
Her heart did break in three