Yeats,的诗歌《When You Are Old》,该诗有多种中文版本,几种译法都有不同的意境,令人感叹岁月流逝后的无奈。在冬天,坐在屋里,沏一壶香茶,看雪花无声地在窗外飘落,然后静静地读几首叶芝的诗。就在一生遥遥无爱的爱情中吟唱着这样一首坚定、寂寞的爱情诗歌。闲适、平和、带一点幽默或是淡淡的感伤,这样的一种状态下,我觉得人活起来是很轻松闲适的。
不幸的是,叶芝为了真爱,在痛苦的诗歌里,准备了一生,守望了一生。但愿我无如斯。
花了一些时间,收罗了目前较好的九种《When You Are Old》的中文翻译版本,以飨幽幽我心。如下:
★原文:
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.