Heather Dale - Maiden and the selkie

Once a ^Amfair and handsome seal-lord lay his ^Cfoot upon the ^Gsand For to ^Amwoo the fisher’s daughter and to ^Cclaim her marriage ^Ghand I have ^Ccome in from the ^Gocean, I have ^Ccome in from the ^Gsea And I’ll ^Amnot go to the waves, love, lest ye ^Ccome a^Glong with ^Amme

Lord, ^Amlong have I loved you as a ^Cselkie on the ^Gfoam I would ^Amgladly go and wed ye and be ^Clady of your ^Ghome But I cannot ^Cgo in to ^Gocean, I cannot ^Cgo into the ^Gsea I would ^Amdrown beneath you waves love if I ^Cwent a^Glong with ^Amthee

Lady, ^Amlong have I loved you: I would ^Chave you from my ^Gwife I shall ^Amstay upon your shore land though it ^Crobs me of my ^Glife I’ll never ^Cgo back to the ^Gocean, never ^Cgo back to the ^Gsea I shall ^Amstay one night beside you though it ^Cbe the ^Gdeath of ^Amme

Lord I ^Amcannot go and wed thee all to ^Cwatch my lover ^Gdie Since I’ll ^Amnot be left a widow I have a ^Cplan for us to ^Gtry Let us ^Cspeak with my grand^Gmother who’s ever^C dwelt beside the ^Gsea She may ^Amknow some trick or treasure that I may ^Cwed my ^Gfair ^Amselkie

So they’ve ^Amgone to her grandmother’s little ^Ccottage by the ^Gsea To in^Amquire how the maiden could be ^Cwed to her ^Gselkie For the ^Cseal-lord’s watery ^Gkingdom’d surely ^Crob her of her ^Gbreath But to ^Amstay on land past midnight, that would ^Csurely ^Gbe his ^Amdeath

Lord I ^Amknow not how to aid you, you may ^Cnever live on ^Gshore For your ^Amkind to live past dawning has n^Cever been seen ^Gbefore But my ^Cmother had a ^Gseal coat that she ^Cburied ‘neath a ^Gtree For she ^Amtold me any wearer would be^Ccome a ^Gfair sel^Amkie

So they’ve ^Amjourneyed farther inland though the ^Cseal-lord’s getting ^Gweak And she’s ^Amshouldering a shovel to unearth that ^Cthing they ^Gseek And at the ^Crising of the ^Gfull moon, under^Cneath the elfin ^Goak She’s ^Amunearthed that very treasure of which her ^Cgrand^Gmother ^Amspoke

So just be^Amfore the stroke of midnight they have ^Cmade it back to ^Gsea And she’s ^Amdonned that magic seal-coat and be^Ccome a maid sel^Gkie Now they’ve ^Cgone into the o^Gcean, hand in ^Chand into the ^Gsea ^AmShe has gone along, a fair seal-^Cbride for ^Gher sel^Amkie