這首聞名遐邇的歌曲，是根據(jù)詩(shī)人葉芝的同名詩(shī)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(shī)作。他的早年詩(shī)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(ài)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(shuō)愿我愛(ài)得簡(jiǎn)單，就像樹(shù)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(duì)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(ài)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(shuō)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(shī)貌似簡(jiǎn)單，但卻向人們揭示了生活的哲理：
對(duì)待愛(ài)情和生活，人們應(yīng)當(dāng)順其自然，就像“綠葉長(zhǎng)在樹(shù)枝上”，“青草長(zhǎng)在河堰上”。
不然，會(huì)因?yàn)橐粫r(shí)的“愚蠢”而遺恨終生。