Lyrics
Down by the Salley Gardens,
Introduction to the setting, Salley Gardens.
my love and I did meet.
Meeting between the speaker and their love.
She passed the Salley Gardens
She passed by the Salley Gardens.
with little snow-white feet.
Descriptive imagery of her feet as snow-white.
She bid me take love easy,
Her advice to take love easy.
as the leaves grow on the tree,
Simile comparing love to leaves growing on a tree.
But I being young and foolish
Speaker disagrees due to youth and foolishness.
with her did not agree.
Disagreement with her perspective.
In a field by the river,
Change of setting to a field by the river.
my love and I did stand
Another meeting with the lover.
And on my leaning shoulder,
Physical closeness as she places her hand on the speaker's shoulder.
she placed her snow-white hand.
Descriptive imagery of her hand as snow-white.
She bid me take life easy,
Her advice to take life easy.
as the grass grows on the weirs
Simile comparing life to grass growing on the weirs.
But I was young and foolish,
Speaker acknowledges being young and foolish.
and now am full of tears.
Consequence of past actions, feeling regretful and tearful.
Down by the Salley Garden,
Another encounter in Salley Gardens, possibly reflecting on the past.
my love and I did meet.
Reiteration of the meeting with the lover in Salley Gardens.
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