這首聞名遐邇的歌曲，是根據(jù)詩人葉芝的同名詩歌〈Down By the Salley Garden〉譜曲而成，最初翻譯為《柳園里》，是葉芝早年的詩作。他的早年詩歌韻律優(yōu)美，感情細(xì)膩，辭藻華麗，象征意味濃郁。

The Salley Gardens - 莎莉花園
Down by the Salley Gardens my love and I did meet
在那莎莉花園深處，吾與吾愛曾經(jīng)相遇
She passed the Salley Gardens with little snow-white feet
她的步伐輕盈勝雪，飄飄然于園中穿越
She bid me take love easy as the leaves grow on the tree
她說愿我愛得簡單，就像樹枝發(fā)出新葉
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree
當(dāng)年的我如此稚嫩，對她心愿不以為然
In a field by the river my love and I did stand
還有那河畔的田野，吾與吾愛也曾駐足
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand
在我斜肩上搭著的，是她那纖纖的素手
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs
她說愿我活得自在，就像河堤青草盎然
But I was young and foolish and now am full of tears
那時(shí)的我如此稚嫩，以至今日淚水漣漣

這首詩貌似簡單，但卻向人們揭示了生活的哲理：
對待愛情和生活，人們應(yīng)當(dāng)順其自然，就像“綠葉長在樹枝上”，“青草長在河堰上”。
不然，會(huì)因?yàn)橐粫r(shí)的“愚蠢”而遺恨終生。