“多少人曾爱慕你年轻时的容颜,可是谁能承受岁月无情的变迁”,爱尔兰诗人威廉·巴特勒·叶芝创作的《当你老了》叩响了无数人的心扉。
这首诗的深情众所周知,所以今天我们并不是来赏析这首诗的,而是看看将这首外文诗翻译成中文,究竟有多美。
【英文原文】
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。
【唯美现代版】
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。