叶芝：当你老了

当你老了

当你老了，头发花白，睡意沉沉，

倦坐在炉边，取下这本书来，

慢慢读着，追梦当年的眼神

你那柔美的神采与深幽的晕影。

多少人爱过你昙花一现的身影，

爱过你的美貌，以虚伪或真情，

惟独一人曾爱你那朝圣者的心，

爱你哀戚的脸上岁月的留痕。

在炉罩边低眉弯腰，

忧戚沉思，喃喃而语，

爱情是怎样逝去，又怎样步上群山，

怎样在繁星之间藏住了脸。

                                                           ——1893

原版：

When you are old       

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire，take down this book,

And slowly read,and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once,and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur,a little sadly,how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

                                                             ——1893