The tune is 'The Great Silkie'. It's been haunting me ever since I realised I could use it for this challenge.
The Silkie and The Fause Mermaid In Norroway there lived a maid At Lyse Fjord, beside the sea And though she was of human blood A mermaid she'd pretend to be In summer time, upon a rock She'd sit for hours beside the sea And smile and wave at boats that passed And so she sat for summers three The sun shone bright, the sea was calm She sat on show, her breasts were bare To north she'd look, then east and west And comb her long blonde silken hair So late one summer afternoon She sat alone, boats there were none A seal shuff'd up upon the rock And lay there, basking in the sun The seal, it spoke, and made her start Such things in legend she had heard But, here, on Lyse Fjord rock She sat entranced by every word 'List to me, maid, for thou art fair At first I thought thee silkie kind But though I see that thou art not I'll love thee still, as thou shalt find 'Come swim with me upon the sea Come live with me, and be my wife Leave this hard land, with all its toil Enjoy the sea, where there's no strife We'll swim far north to Arctic bliss We'll see where icebergs new are made Beneath the Northern Lights we'll kiss As nature's wonders are displayed We'll swim far south, to warmer seas There's food a-plenty, have no fear Then back to Ireland. Scotland, France And Norroway again, next year" Some say she slipped from off the rock Some say a freak wave dragged her in The two children she left behind Ne'er saw their mother ere again Now every year by Lyse Fjord Two children sit and look to sea And every year two seals are there The fause mermaid and grey Silkie
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