WHEN YOU ARE OLD

WHEN YOU ARE OLD AND GREY AND FULL OF SEELP
AND NOODING BY THE FIRE，TAKE DOWN THIS BOOK
AND SLOWLY READ，AND DREAM KF THE SOFT LOOK
YOUR EYES HAD ONCE， AND OF THEIR SHADOWS DEEP；

HOW MANY LOVED YOUR MONMENTS 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 BEDING DOWN BESIDE THE GLOWING BARS，
MURMUR，A LITTLE SADLY，HOW LOVE FIED
AND PACED UPON THE MOUNTAINS OVERHEAD
AND HID HIS FACE AMID A CROWD OF STARS。

当你老了
　　
——叶芝，1893。

　　
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。