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.
原文翻译：
当你老了，头发发白，睡意沉沉，
在炉火旁打盹，取下这本书，
慢慢地读，梦见那温柔的眼神
你的眼睛曾经有过，它们的影子很深;
多少人爱过你青春欢畅的时刻，
爱你的美丽，假意或真心，
只有一个人爱你朝圣者的灵魂，
爱你衰老的脸上的忧伤;
弯下腰，在发光的铁栏旁，
有点悲伤地低语，爱是如何消逝的
在头顶的山上踱步
把他的脸藏在一群星星中。
《当你老了》是威廉·巴特勒·叶芝献给女友毛特·冈妮的真挚爱情诗篇。叶芝是20世纪现代主义诗坛上最著名的诗人，他对毛特·冈妮一见钟情，虽多次求婚被拒但仍对她爱慕终生。
