Maiden And The Selkie

verse 1 Once a fair and handsome seal-lord lay his foot upon the sand For to woo the fisher’s daughter and to claim her marriage hand I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea And I’ll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me verse 2 Lord, long have I loved you as a selkie on the foam I would gladly go and wed ye and be lady of your home But I cannot go in to ocean, I cannot go into the sea I would drown beneath you waves love if I went along with thee verse 3 Lady, long have I loved you: I would have you from my wife I shall stay upon your shore land though it robs me of my life I’ll never go back to the ocean, never go back to the sea I shall stay one night beside you though it be the death of me verse 4 Lord I cannot go and wed thee all to watch my lover die Since I’ll not be left a widow I have a plan for us to try Let us speak with my grandmother who’s ever dwelt beside the sea She may know some trick or treasure that I may wed my fair selkie Verse 5 So they’ve gone to her grandmother’s little cottage by the sea To inquire how the maiden could be wed to her selkie For the seal-lord’s watery kingdom’d surely rob her of her breath But to stay on land past midnight, that would surely be his death Verse 6 Lord I know not how to aid you, you may never live on shore For your kind to live past dawning has never been seen before But my mother had a seal coat that she buried ‘neath a tree For she told me any wearer would become a fair selkie Verse 7 So they’ve journeyed farther inland though the seal-lord’s getting weak And she’s shouldering a shovel to unearth that thing they seek And at the rising of the full moon, underneath the elfin oak She’s unearthed that very treasure of which her grandmother spoke Verse 8 So just before the stroke of midnight they have made it back to sea And she’s donned that magic seal-coat and become a maid selkie Now they’ve gone into the ocean, hand in hand into the sea She has gone along, a fair seal-bride for her selkie