When You Are Old
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.
(The Rose, 1893)
在你年老时*
在你年老,头花白,且睡意沉沉,
挨着火炉打盹时,就取下这书,
慢慢地诵读,梦忆从前你双眸
曾神色柔和,眼波中倒影深深;
许多人爱你欢快迷人的时光,
爱你的美貌出自假意或真情,
而唯有一人爱你灵魂的至诚,
爱你渐衰的脸上那缕缕忧伤;
然后弓下身子在熊熊炉火边,
喃喃,有些凄然,说爱神怎溜走,
跑到头顶上群山的高处漫游,
还把他的脸隐藏在繁星中间。
(《玫瑰》,1893)
此诗仿法国诗人彼埃尔·德·龙沙?(1524-85)的同名十四行诗。赠给茅德·冈。
我开始阅读叶芝的诗歌之际,正好在都柏林一所废弃了的维多利亚时期的房屋中进行探索。《在你年老时》这首诗让我想到了那栋建筑里的一个房间,大理石壁炉已经破败,壁纸都已剥落,一个老妇孤独地坐在这个冰冷空荡的房间里,回想往事和种种没有实现的心愿。这个房间的衰败描述出了诗中那个身体孱弱的老妇,她和那个房间一样,曾经明亮美丽,有很多人喜爱。
重读这首诗的时候,我意识到,叶芝写的是他昔日的恋人茅德·冈。他觉得她在回想往事时一定会后悔当初没有嫁给他。在诗中,叶芝想象她老迈年高,身体虚弱,坐在炉火边直打盹儿,看着他曾为她写的诗集,为曾经做出的选择后悔不已。