Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)

Subject: Lyr Add: SALLY GARDENS (W. B. Yeats)
From: Wotcha
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 04:30 PM

The database did not have the words to a nice Irish song I heard at a local sing. Thought this one might be added as a companion to the database's version of "Sally's Garedn" and You Reambling Boys of Pleasure -- the themes are similar; wonder who was plagiaring who.

SALLY GARDENS (Words: W. B. Yeats, 1889. Tune: Maids of the Mourne Shore, Trad.)

It was down by the Sally Gardens, my love and I did meet.
She crossed the Sally Gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree,
But I was young and foolish, and with her did not agree.


In a field down 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.


Down by the Sally Gardens, my love and I did meet.
She crossed the Sally Gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree,
But I was young and foolish, and with her did not agree.
^^^

Cheers,
Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 05:25 PM

In fact, it is on the DT,  here.  Possibly Yeats published two slightly differing versions; that in the Oxford Book of English Verse has "Salley" rather than "Sally", and, in verse 1, "pass'd" instead of "crossed" and "But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree".  In verse two line 1, "down" is omitted.  Yeats said at the time that his poem was based on an older song (not a question of plagiarism it was common practice to write verse based on older sources, not least so among Irish poets of his generation) and that is generally held to be You Rambling Boys of Pleasure.  A couple of earlier threads have some interesting discussion on the subject;  Sally Garden and  Song history/origin: Sally Gardens

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 07:49 PM

The words within the verse, "sally garden(s)" have no reason to be capitalized. It's not the girl's name, Sally. The word "sally" refers to the sally port, a fairly small gate from which a raiding or reconaissance party could "sally forth" without going to the bother (and danger) of opening the main gates of a fortified place. The sally gardens would be located hereabouts.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Margaret V
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 08:01 PM

Hmmm. I always thought the sally gardens referred to the place where one cut willow, or osier, for weaving baskets and such. Have I been misled? Margaret

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: MartinRyan
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 08:06 PM

Margaret

No, I don't think you have...

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: GUEST,micca at work
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 05:13 AM

Margaret and Martin, I am sure it comes from the species name for willow, Salix, when I grew up in Limerick they were always called Sallies. I think in this case thats the etymology

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Wotcha
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 05:36 AM

Thanks,
Ouch, my mistake (a pal forwarded the words .. and he must have found it on the DT, after my imperfect search) -- what a difference a plural makes on garden ... Thanks for the clarification and the background.
Tis a wonderful tune.
Duly humbled.
Cheers,
Brian

Subject: Lyr Add: DOWN IN MY SALLY'S GARDEN
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 11:33 AM

Here's a traditional song called Down In My Sally' Garden from Sam Henry's Songs of the People. The melody is somewhat similar to that used by Yeats. Could this have been his inspiration? I thought I had ABC'd the tune but I can't find it at the moment. I will post an ABC version as soon as I work it up.

Down in My Sally's Garden

George Graham (Cross Lane, Coleraine) from the late Willie M'Kay (Part St, Coleraine) who learned it in Toronto, Canada.

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

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

radriano

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 11:55 AM

I'm afraid that's already on the DT, too;  click here.  If you searched for Down in my Sally's Garden it won't have shown up, though if you had put the same phrase in brackets, you'd have found it!  It's good that you've named the source singer, though; a lot of people -including the person who put the text on the DT- don't bother, which can lead to confusion and diminishes the DT's value as a research tool, besides being a bit insulting to the people who kept the songs alive.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: GUEST,Mrrzy-at-work
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 12:22 PM

And don't forget Kurt Vonnegut's Sally in the garden / Sifting cinders / Lifted up her leg / And farted like a man / The bursting of her bloomers / Broke 16 windows / The cheeks of her ass went / (Clap, clap, clap).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 12:49 PM

Looks like I was all wet on the meaning of "sally garden(s)". Apologies to all.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 01:18 PM

The way I learned it (Yeats's song), the tears come in the last verse. Have I been wrong all these years??

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 02:01 PM

Nope.  The repeated verse seems to have been added, along with what I take to be mistakes in the transcription on the DT, by people who wanted to sing it and didn't think it was long enough.  In doing so, they quite spoil the development in the poem.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 03:09 PM

Micca

Yes, I'm sure that etymology is correct.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Midchuck
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 03:14 PM

And then there's "Down By the Willow Garden," a/k/a "Rose Connelly," which is obviously the same song originally, but develops in a much more American way. (That song's right on the surface now, because I just got Tim O'Brien's "The Crossing," which rates a listen if you're into either bluegrass or celtic music, and is a "don't miss" if you're into both.)

Our group does "Long Black Veil," but we always explain that although it's thought of as being a bluegrass song, it isn't really, because the chick survives.

Peter

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: GUEST,Mrrzy-at-work
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 03:19 PM

Peter, since the guy dies, can't it still be bluegrass? ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: W.B. Yeats' 'Sally Gardens'
From: Midchuck
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 03:46 PM

Oh, no. There's all kinds of songs where the guy dies! That doesn't do it at all!

P.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: GUEST,theinquisitiveone
Date: 27 Jan 11 - 11:02 PM

I am curious if anyone knows whether this song is in the public domain? Can I play it in any form of media and not run into legal issues?
Thanks for your time,

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: GUEST,Doug Saum
Date: 28 Jan 11 - 09:04 AM

This song is in the Public Domain in the USA (and I suspect in Europe). I know I was not required to pay royalties when I recorded my version of the song about eight years ago (free listen at CDbaby).
Doug Saum

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Salley Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jan 11 - 05:33 PM

Mentioned with corrected words by Malcolm Douglas, but the original as written by Yeats not posted.

Down by the Salley Gardens
W. B. Yeats

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.

Ed. A. Methuen, 1921, An Anthology of Modern Verse, Methuen & Co.

Louis Untermeyer, 1920, Modern British Poetry, Harcourt, Brace and Howe, or Harcourt, Brace & Co.

W. B. Yeats, 1889, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, Kegan Paul & Co.
Contains Down by the Salley Gardens and 16 other poems, including "The Song of the Happy Shepherd," "The Ballad of Moll Magee," "The Indian to His Love," "The Meditation of the Old Fisherman," "The Ballad of the Foxhunter," "The Stolen Child."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: shipcmo
Date: 29 Jan 11 - 01:25 PM

You better believe it was/is SallEY, cos' that's my last name!
Cheers,

Geo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 11 - 09:24 PM

Clannad's version

Down by the sally gardens my love and I did meet
She passed the sally gardens with little snow-white feet
She bid me to take love easy as the leaves grow on the trees
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 her leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand
She bid me to take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs
But I was young and foolish and now I am full of tears

Down by the sally gardens my love and I did meet
She passed the sally gardens with little snow-white feet
She bid me to take love easy as the leaves grow on the trees
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sally Gardens (W.B. Yeats)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jan 11 - 02:45 PM

Some notes from Wikipedia:

"Yeats original title, "An Old Song Re-sung", reflected his debt to The Rambling Boys of Pleasure. It first appeared under its present name when it was reprinted in *Poems in 1895. The verse was subsequently set to music by Herbert Hughes to the air The Maids of the Mourne Shore in 1909. In the 1920s composer Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) set the text to music. There is also a vocal setting by the poet and composer Ivor Gurney, which was published in 1938; and another by Benjamin Britten published in 1943. The composer John Ireland earlier set the words to an original melody in his cycle "Songs Sacred and Profane", written in 1934."
*An abstract with poem titles in the 1889 printing used the current name. I have not seen the 1889 book.

"Salley" or "sally" is a form of the Standard English word "sallow", i. e., a tree of the genus Salix. It is close in sound to the Irish word saileach, meaning willow."

"The lyrics to The Rambling Boys of Pleasure contain the following verse:
It was down by Sally's Garden one evening late I took my way.
'Twas there I spied this pretty girl, and those words to me sure she did say
She advised me to take love easy, as the leaves grew on the tree.
But I was young and foolish, with my darling could not agree."

This may have been the song that Yeats remembered an old woman singing.

I have not checked the Wiki article; comments and corrections welcome.