Скачать или смотреть Salley Gardens (Czech lyrics) - Barbarúna - The Souls of Samhain concert

The poem “Down by the Salley Gardens” was written by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats in 1889. Originally published under the title “An Old Song Re-Sung,” the poem is said to have been composed by Yeats based on fragments of an old song he remembered from an elderly village woman.

The main theme is the memory of lost love and regret over missed opportunities. The narrator recalls meeting a girl who advised him to take life and love in stride, “as lightly as grass grows on a weir.”

The narrator, then “young and foolish,” did not heed her advice, and now, years later, feels deep regret. His youthful impatience and desire to have everything at once led to the loss of the relationship.

The willows (sallow in English, saileach in Old Irish, salley in the poem) and the river where the meeting took place symbolize the natural and peaceful course of life. The girl is described as pure and connected to nature.

The tone of the poem is melancholic and nostalgic, which reflects the bittersweet feeling of looking back on the past.

We are very happy that the well-known lyricist and our friend Michal Bulíř has rewritten it for us.

This song was performed at the The Souls of Samhain concert, which took place on November 1, 2025 in the Chapel of the Engagement of the Virgin Mary in Slaný.

Kamil Šedovous Kaiser - nyckelharpa
Roman Hampacher - guitar, vocals ‪@romh‬
Michal Bulíř - author of the Czech lyrics

Studio Monast - camera and sound ‪@StudioMonast‬

#SalleyGardens #Barbaruna #IrishMusic