Siren songs

There is a song the fish girl is singing
 [ ... ]

Listen: the treacherous voices of the night. 
The Sirens sang like that. They weren't trying to seduce: 
they knew that they had claws and were sterile, 
and they lamented this aloud. 
They couldn't help it if their laments sounded so beautiful.

Of course what called me to you was lovely
 [ ... ]

Oh stay, O pride of Greece! Ulysses, stay!
Oh cease thy course, and listen to our lay!
Blest is the man ordain'd our voice to hear,
The song instructs the soul, and charms the ear.
Approach! thy soul shall into raptures rise!
Approach! and learn new wisdom from the wise!
We know whate'er the kings of mighty name
Achieved at Ilion in the field of fame;
Whate'er beneath the sun's bright journey lies.
Oh stay, and learn new wisdom from the wise!'

Now also I will not omit to relate something of a 
strange Creature that I first saw there in the yeere 1610, 
in a morning early as I was standing by the water side, in 
the Harbour of Saint Johns, which I espied verie swiftly 
to come swimming towards me, looking cheerefully, as 
it had beene a woman, by the Face, Eyes, Nose, Mouth, 
Chin, eares, Necke and Forehead: It seemed to be so 
beautifull, and in those parts so well proportioned, 
having round about upon the head, all blew strakes, 
resembling haire, downe to the Necke (but certainly it 
was haire) for I beheld it long, and another of my 
companie also, yet living, that was not then farre from 
me; and seeing the same comming so swiftly towards 
mee, I stepped backe, for it was come within the length 
of a long Pike. Which when this strange Creature saw 
that I went from it, it presently thereupon dived a little 
under water, and did swim to the place where before I 
landed...  ...  the same came shortly
after unto a Boat, wherein one William Hawkridge, then my servant, 
was,  ...  the same Creature did 
put both  ...  hands upon the side of the Boate, 
and did strive to come in to him and others then 
in the said Boate; whereat they were afraid; and one of them 
strooke it a full blow on the head; whereat it fell off from them: 
and afterwards it came to two other Boates in the Harbour; 
the men in them, for feare fled to land: This (I suppose) 
was a Mermaide.

In the hour before dawn, 
when what remains of the warmth of the day 
is at last overcome by the cold of the moon.... 
there came to me in a dream a woman, stammering, 
with eyes asquint, twisted, with crooked feet, 
with maimed hands, with sickly skin. 
I stared at her; and, as the sun soothes and revives
cold limbs stiff with sleep. 
so my gaze readied her tongue, 
and then in just a little while 
I made her tall and straight, 
rosy-checked, sensuous, desirable. 
Once her tongue was loosened. she began to sing, 
so sweetly I could not turn away. She sang 
I am, I am sweet, I am sweet siren, 
I sing sailors astray on the sea, 
I am so full of pleasure, so pleasing to hear. 
I turned Ulysses from his path- 
sang to him whoever stays with me 
I satisfy in full, I sing, I bring him joy.