当你老了——为你读诗

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.

1893年爱尔兰浪漫唯美主义诗人威廉·巴特勒·叶芝给自己爱而不得的友人写下深情诗作《当你老了》。

当你老了，头发白了，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，回想他们昔日浓重的阴影。

多少人爱你青春欢畅的时辰，爱慕你的美丽 ，假意或真心。只有一个人爱你虔诚的灵魂，爱你苍老脸上的皱纹。

垂下头来，在红光闪耀的炉子旁轻轻地诉说那爱情的消逝。在头顶的山上它缓缓踱着步子，在一群星星中间隐藏着脸旁。

当你老了，当我老了，我们是否还是我们？我们是否还能如年轻时满怀热情？当你走不动了，当我走不动了，我们是否还能执手残生？

当我们老去，是否需要从记忆里寻找美好的痕迹？当我们老去，生活是否不再有崭新的乐趣？

我怕我老了，你已不在。我更怕我老了，你依旧年轻。

凑一首：

白发梦中绕青青，浑浊深处最澄明。

青春美艳情尤真，灵魂不惧皱纹生。

纵有别处春色好，任他心绪意难平。

垂头轻诉真心逝，炉里红光天上星。