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Gort na Saileán - The Salley Gardens

man planting a tree

 

The words are a poem by William Butler Yeats which was published in Crossways in 1889.

A salley is a willow tree. It was once common to have gardens of willows for osiers (willow rods). These gardens were kept to have material for basket-making and for thatch roofing of cottages. The Gaelic for willow is saileach, which comes from the Latin, salix for willow tree.

by William Butler Yeats

It was down by the Salley Gardens,
     my love and I did meet.
She crossed the Salley 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.

It was down by the Salley Gardens,
     my love and I did meet... etc.

le Seán MacAindreasa, Béal Féirste

Is thíos i nGort na Saileán
    sea casadh dom mo rún
Ba luath a cos ar féar ann
    is ba luaineach a leagan siúil
Sé dúirt sí liom bheith suaimhneach
     mar a fhásann duilliúr is bláth
Ach bhí mise óg is uaibhreach
    is níor éist mé le guth mo ghrá.

Is thíos cois abhann go déaneamh
     sea sheas mé le mo ghrá
Gualainn ar ghualainn le chéile
     is leag sí orm lámh
Sé dúirt sí liom bheith suaimhneach
     mar a fhásann féar aníos
Ach bhí mise óg is uabhreach
     'stá na deoira anois mo chloí

Is thíos i nGort na Saileán
    sea casadh dom mo rún... srl.

 

One more use for willow is the bark, which contains salicylic acid from which aspirin is made. Use of willow bark as an analgesic was known since ancient times. ...Luke Anthony Burke, Rutgers Univ Camden NJ.