Down by the Salley Gardens - Clannad/You rambling boys of pleasure - Planxty

Down by the Salley Gardens (Irish: Gort na Saileán) was a poem by celebrated author W B Yeats first published in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems in 1889. Yeats said it was "an attempt to reconstruct an old song from three lines imperfectly remembered by an old peasant woman in the village of Ballisodare, Sligo, who often sings them to herself." The song no doubt was the ballad Ye Rambling Boys of Pleasure which includes the verse "Down by yon flowery garden my love and I we first did meet. I took her in my arms and to her I gave kisses sweet. She bade me take life easy just as the leaves fall from the tree. But I being young and foolish, with my darling did not agree." The rest of the song, however, is quite different. Yeats' original title, An Old Song Re-Sung reflecting his debt to Rambling Boys gave way to the present title when reprinted in Poems. The power of the song is in the ability of its author to look back on his youth with palpable regret. Rambling boys rather blames money for the problems encountered. (It should be noted that the Bible does not say that gold is the root of all evil but that the love of it is the root of all kinds of evil). The "Salley Gardens" were on the banks of the river at Ballysodare where trees were cultivated for roof thatching. Sally is Standard English for "sallow" ie a tree of the genus Salix and close in sound to Irish saileach, willow. In 1909 the verses were set to music by Herbert Hughes to the traditional air The Maids of Mourne Shore. (Other tunes were written by Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979) in the 1920s and John Ireland (1879–1962) in 1929–31. A vocal setting by poet and composer Ivor Gurney was published in 1938. In 1943 Britten set it using the tune Hughes collected. In 1988, American composer John Corigliano published his own setting.) Clannad recorded it live in 1979 and are just one of a host of artists to record it - from Kathleen Ferrier through Dolores Keen to actress Emma Thompson.

The lyrics

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet. She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet. She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree, but I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.

In a field by the river my love and I did stand and on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-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.

*

You rambling boys of pleasure, give ear unto these lines I write. Although I am a rover, in rambling I take great delight. I cast my mind on a handsome girl and often times she does me slight. My mind is never easy, except when my true love is in my sight.

Down by yon flowery gardens, where me and my true love do meet, I took her in my arms and unto her gave kisses sweet. She bade me take love easy, just as the leaves fall from the tree, but I being young and foolish, with my own true love I did not agree.

And the second time I met my love, I thought that her heart was surely mine but as the season changes, my darling girl has changed her mind. Gold is the root of evil, although it bears a glistening hue, causes many the lad and lass to part, though their hearts like mine be e'er so true.

And I wish I was in Belfast town and my true love along with me and money in my pocket, to keep us in good company; liquor to be plenty, a flowing glass on every side - hard fortune would ne'er daunt me, for I am young and the world is wide.