Simone
这首闻名遐迩的歌曲，是根据诗人威廉·巴特勒·叶芝的同名诗歌〈Down By the Salley Garden〉谱曲而成，讲述的是爱尔兰西部斯莱戈一条河边的柳树园。最初翻译为《柳园里》。为广大歌手所翻唱。
评价
”Down by the salley gardens“，是叶芝早年的诗作。他的早年诗歌韵律优美，感情细腻，辞藻华丽，象征意味浓郁，明显受到英国浪漫主义和法国象征主义诗歌的影响。 这首诗象民歌那样语言质朴，可咏性强。其次，这首诗在时态的运用上也有独特之处。全诗除了最后半行用现在时以外都是用过去时态。这说明过去对人们的现在具有十分重要的意义。在诗的最后，诗人用一般现在时是意味深长的。虽然对现在情况的描述只有五个词便戛然而止，但是，由于诗人把这几个词放在全诗最突出的位置，所以给人以意犹未尽的感觉，读者可以通过这几个词来感受“我”的广阔的心灵世界
这首歌的意境不必用文字来描述，也不应该用文字来描述。只有当你静下心来亲耳听一遍，才能感受那沁人心脾的旋律，找到最初的自我。
歌词
Down by the salley gardens
My love and I did meet
She passed the salley gardens
With little snow-white feet
She bid me take love easy
As the leaves grow on the tree
But I being young and foolish
With her would not agree
In a field by the river
My love and I did stand
And on my leaning shoulder
She laid her snow-white hand
She bid me take life easy
As the grass grows on the weirs
But I was young and foolish
And now I'm full of tears
Down by the salley gardens
My love and I did meet
She passed the salley gardens
With little snow-white feet
She bid me take love easy
As the leaves grow on the tree
But I being young and foolish
With her would not agree
中文翻译
翻译一：
Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
在莎莉花园深处，吾爱与我曾经相遇。
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-whitefeet.
她雪花般的纤足，向着花园尽头走去。
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on thetree;
她嘱我爱得简单，如枝上萌发的新绿。
But I, being young and foolish,with her did not agree.
但当年年少无知，不愿接受她的心语。
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
在远方河畔旷野，吾爱与我并肩伫立。
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
在我微倾的肩上，她搭起纯白的手臂。
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on theweirs;
她嘱我活得淡然，像青草滋长于岸堤。
But I was young and foolish, and now I am full of tears.
但当年年少无知，如今早已泪满衣裳 。
翻译二：
Down by the Salley Gardens my love and I did meet
我曾和我的挚爱相遇在莎园中
She passed the Salley Gardens with little snow-white feet
她踏著雪白的纤纤玉足，轻轻走过莎园
She bid me take love easy as the leaves grow on the tree
她要我简单的追求真爱，就像大树长出树叶一般自然
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree
但我是那么的年轻愚笨，从来没有听从过她的心声
In a field by the river my love and I did stand
我曾和我的挚爱并肩伫立在河畔的旷野上
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand
她把她嫩白的小手，搭在我那微微倾斜的肩膀上
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs
她要我简单的去生活，就像那生长在河畔的韧草一般
But I was young and foolish and now am full of tears
但我是那么的年轻愚笨， 现在唯有泪水涟涟，感怀满襟
翻译三：
Down by the Salley Gardens my love and I did meet
在那莎莉公园深处，吾与吾爱曾经相遇
She passed the Salley Gardens with little snow-white feet
她的步伐轻盈胜雪，飘飘然于园中穿越
She bid me take love easy as the leaves grow on the tree
她说愿我爱得简单，就像树枝发出新叶
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree
当年的我如此稚嫩，对她心愿不以为然
In a field by the river my love and I did stand
还有那河畔的田野，吾与吾爱也曾驻足
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand
在我斜肩上搭着的，是她那纤纤的素手
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs
她说愿我活得自在，就像河堤青草盎然
But I was young and foolish and now am full of tears
那时的我如此稚嫩，以至今日泪水涟涟
创作背景
叶芝的手稿中记录了这首歌的创作背景。叶芝在爱尔兰西部的斯莱戈郊外的村庄里，听见了一位年迈的农民在哼唱一首民谣，名叫The Rambling Boys of Pleasure，歌词里就提到了Sally Gardens ("It was down by Sally’s Garden one evening late I took my way")。叶芝觉得很好听，就过去想听完整版。然而这位年迈的农民已经不记得完整的歌词了。于是，叶芝就自己为这首民谣填上了词，并命名为An Old Song Re-Sung。这首歌传唱开后，名称就被定为歌词的第一句——Down by the Sally Gardens。 1909年，爱尔兰音乐家Herbert Hughes将曲调重新改编。
歌词中的这个Sally Gardens是位于斯莱戈的一条小河岸边。河岸边的居民砍下柳树枝来建造屋顶，而这些柳树在当地被称为Sallow（同英文中的Willow）。因此，这个地方就被人称作Sally Gardens，意思是柳树园。柳树园也是一些年轻恋人之间约会的地方。
