When you are old

--- William Butler Yeats

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.

当你老了

袁可嘉译

当你老了，头白了，睡意昏沉，

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，

回想它们昔日浓重的阴影；

多少人爱你青春欢畅的时辰，

爱慕你的美丽，假意或真心，

只有一个人爱你那朝圣者的灵魂，

爱你衰老了的脸上痛苦的皱纹；

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，

在头顶的山上它缓缓踱着步子，

在一群星星中间隐藏着脸庞。

当你老了

飞白译

当你老了，白发苍苍，睡意朦胧，

在炉前打盹，请取下这本诗篇，

慢慢吟诵，梦见你当年的双眼

那柔美的光芒与青幽的晕影；

多少人真情假意，爱过你的美丽，

爱过你欢乐而迷人的青春，

唯独一人爱你朝圣者的心，

爱你日益凋谢的脸上的衰戚；

当你佝偻着，在灼热的炉栅边，

你将轻轻诉说，带着一丝伤感：

逝去的爱，如今已步上高山，

在密密星群里埋藏它的赧颜。