When you are old

　　When you are old and gray and full of sleep,
　　And no dding by the fire, take down this book,
　　And slowly read , and dream of the soft look
　　Your eyes had once, and o f their shadows deep;

　　How many loved your moments of glad grace,
　　And love d your beauty with love false or true,
　　But one man love d the pilgrim soul in you,
　　And loved the sorrows of you r changing face;

　　And bending down beside the glowing bars,
　　Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
　　And paced upon the mountain s overhead
　　And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

　　William Butler Yeats

　　当你老了

　　当你老了，头白了，睡思昏沉，
　　炉火旁打盹，请取下这部诗歌，
　　慢慢读，回想你过去眼神的柔和，
　　回想它们过 去的浓重的阴影；

　　多少人爱你年青欢畅的时候，
　　爱幕你的美丽、假意或真心，
　　只有一个人爱你那朝圣者的灵魂，
　　爱你衰老了的脸 上的痛苦和皱纹；

　　垂下头来，在红光闪耀的炉子旁，
　　凄然地轻轻诉说那爱情的消逝，
　　在头顶的山上他缓缓踱着步子，
　　在一群星星 中间隐藏着脸庞。

　　威廉-勃特勒-叶芝(袁可嘉/译)