This is the story of a very mysterious creature who was found in the ancestry of the peoplewho live in the Hebrides Islands and Scotland, places in Norway. He's known as the Silkieand his mythical powers enable him to foretell the future, as he does in this song, whichis the story of his courtship.He's a father, for if land or sea, he's livin' in.Then there arose at her bed-feet, and a grumly guest, I'm sure it was he,saying, Here am I, thy child's father, although that I am not comely.I am a man upon the land, I am a Silkie in the sea,and when I am in my own country, my dwellin' isn't so scary.Then he hath taken a purse of gold, he hath put it upon her knee,saying, Give to me, my little wee son, and take thee up thy nurse's feet,and it shall come to pass on a summer day, when the sun shines hot on every stone,that I shall take my little wee son, and I'll teach him for to swim in the foam,and you shall marry a gunner good, and a proud good gunner, I'm sure he'll be,and he'll go out on a May morning, and he'll kill both my wee son and me.And lo, she did marry a gunner good, and a proud good gunner, surely it was he,and the very first shot that air he did shoot, he killed the sun and the great Silkie.In Norway, there sits a maid, I love my baby, she begins,Little know I my child's father, or if land or sea, he's livin' here.Thank you.