down by the salley gardens
my love and i did meet
she pass'd the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet
she did me take love easy ,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
but i being young and foolish
with her would not agree.
in a filed by the river
my love and i did stand ,
and on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snows-white hand.
she bid me take life easy ,
as the grass grows on the weirs ;
but i was young and foolish ,
and now am full of tears.
down by the salley gardens
my love and i did meet ;
she pass'd the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
she did me take love easy ,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
but i ,being young and foolish
with her would not agree.
歌曲的作曲者为威廉·巴特勒·叶芝 William Butler Yeats(1865年6月13日—1939年1月28日),他是爱尔兰著名的诗人、剧作家和神秘主义者。叶芝也是“爱尔兰文艺复兴运动”的领袖,艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一,他于1923年获得了诺贝尔文学奖。
此歌是根据叶芝的同名诗歌〈Down By the Salley Garden〉谱曲而成,最初翻译为《柳园里》,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。
首先,这首诗象民歌那样语言质朴,可咏性强。从整个诗来看,诗人使用的词全部都是单音节和双音节的常用词,只有“salley”也许不那么常见,但是,这个词却又对诗中感情的表达有着重要意义。柳树从原型意义来讲与悲伤的情绪有联系,字风雨中纤细的柳枝摇摆不定,这恰恰与人们在悲伤的风雨中无助的境况相似。另外。诗中使用重复的手法来烘托诗的主题:失落的爱。这种重复不仅是词语的重复(如 young and foolish),而且是句式的重复。第二节与第一节的句法大致相同。明显不同的地方,则出现在每节的结尾,以次来表现自己未能接受情人的劝告而悔恨万分。