'Down By The Sally Gardens'  Its one of the most recorded songs in Ireland.  Written as a poem by William Butler Yeats and published in his collection, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems’.   Originally titled An Old Song Re-sung  because in a note about the poem he said he was trying to reconstruct an old song he had heard being sung by a woman in the village of Ballisodare in Sligo, Ireland.  Yeats changed it to Sally Gardens when the poem was published again in 1895 in his collection, Poems.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=027ZJX5XVjs

Down by the Sally Gardens   W. B. Yeats


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 life easy, as the leaves grow on the tree,
But I being young and foolish, 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
love easy , as the grass grows on the weirs
But I was young and foolish, and now I'm 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.

(These lyrics may or may not be copyrighted)

Although Down by the Sally Gardens is very simple, the original song is much more complex.   Still, you can hear where Sally Gardens tune came from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbha1s6PTZI&list=RDMbha1s6PTZI


 

You Rambling Boys Of Pleasure

 

You rambling boys of pleasure, give ear unto these lines I write,
I own I’m 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 into my arms
and unto her gave kisses sweet 

She bade me to take love easy, as the leaves fall from the wier.

But I being young and foolish, with my own true love could not agree.

And the second time I met my love, I thought 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's the lad and lass to part, thought their hearts like mine be e're so true.

And I wish I were 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.

But there’s one thing more that grieves me sore is to be called a runaway
And to leave the land I was born in, oh Cupid cannot set me free,
And to leave that darling girl I love, oh alas, what will I do?
Will I become a rover, sleep with the girl I never knew?

 

Sources:  https://www.youtube.com/

                  http://www.bartleby.com/246/1143.html

                  http://www.irishmusicdaily.com/down-by-the-salley-gardens

                  https://www.poemhunter.com/william-butler-yeats/