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。

Down By the Salley Garden 《走過柳園》- 葉芝

Down by the Salley Gardens my love and I did meet
我曾和我的摯愛相遇在莎園中
She passed the Salley Gardens with little snow-white feet
她踏著雪白的纖纖玉足，輕輕走過莎園
She bid me take love easy as the leaves grow on the tree
她要我簡(jiǎn)單的追求真愛，就像大樹長(zhǎng)出樹葉一般自然
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree
但我是那么的年輕愚笨，從來(lái)沒有聽從過她的心聲

In a field by the river my love and I did stand
我曾和我的摯愛并肩佇立在河畔的曠野上
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand
她把她嫩白的小手，搭在我那微微傾斜的肩膀上
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs
她要我簡(jiǎn)單的去生活，就像那生長(zhǎng)在河畔的韌草一般
But I was young and foolish and now am full of tears
但我是那么的年輕愚笨， 現(xiàn)在唯有淚水漣漣，感懷滿襟

這首詩(shī)貌似簡(jiǎn)單，但卻向人們揭示了生活的哲理：
對(duì)待愛情和生活，人們應(yīng)當(dāng)順其自然，就像“綠葉長(zhǎng)在樹枝上”，“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。