DarkAngel

Down By the Salley Garden - by W. B. Yeats

Friday, September 8, 2006 10:14:25 AM

Notes:

This well-known song “Down by the Salley Garden is selected from Emi Fujita (藤田惠美)’s Alubumn -”A Special Album To All My Friends (Camomile Plus). The originally one can be found in Sam Henry’s Song of the People. Later on it is recognized as a poem which was published by William Butler Yeats in 1889, who based this poem on an old ballad, You Rambling Boys of Pleasure. In terms of the origin of the title, according to some references, the Latin name for the weeping willow is salix, and willow is often called weeping sally. “Salley gardens” refer to willow grove which many farmers often prune the willow to grow ever more dense. Salley gardens were a favorite place for lovers to meet. It is noticed that many translated Salley garden to “Sally’s Graden” maybe due to misunderstanding the Latin reference.

However there do have some other references which support Salley (Sally) is a girl rather than a willow. The supporting source is another ballad called "Maids of Mourne Shore" whose tone is very similar to that used by Yeats in“Down by the Salley Garden”. I post here just for reference.

It was down in my Sally's garden, upon an ivy bush,
At morning and at twilight, there sings a sweet song thrush.
His notes come clearly ringing, and tidings to me tell,
And oh, I know already my Sally loves me well.

I kissed her milk-white features one silv'ry eve of May;
She whispered, 'Won't you wander until the close of day?
We wandered in her garden, the flowers were wet with dew,
I saw the love-light beaming in her fond eyes of blue.

It was down in my Sally's garden, where snowy hawthorns blow,
My heart became love-weary when I at last must go.
The bloom was on the hawthorn that night I said farewell;
I left my Sally weeping down by an ivied dell.
I left my Sally weeping that night I said farewell.