When You are Old

李健演唱的流行歌曲《当你老了》大家都很熟悉，但你可知道这首歌的歌词并不是由中国人创作，而是取自爱尔兰著名诗人叶芝的同名诗歌，叶芝是诺贝尔文学奖得主，他一生痴恋爱尔兰民族独立领袖女神茅德·冈，却始终得不到回应，这首诗是他苦恋的杰作。真爱是爱一个人纯洁的灵魂，而不仅仅是美丽的皮囊。

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。

When You Are Old
        ---- By W. B. Yeats
When you are old and gray 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.