《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
袁可嘉版:
當你老了,頭白了,睡意昏沉,
爐火旁打盹,請取下這部詩歌,
慢慢讀,回想你過去眼神的柔和,
回想它們昔日濃重的陰影;
多少人愛你青春歡暢的時辰,
愛慕你的美麗,假意或真心,
只有一個人愛你那朝圣者的靈魂,
愛你衰老了的臉上痛苦的皺紋;
垂下頭來,在紅光閃耀的爐子旁,
凄然地輕輕訴說那愛情的消逝,
在頭頂的山上它緩緩踱著步子,
在一群星星中間隱藏著臉龐。
冰心版:
當你老了,頭發花白,睡意沉沉,
倦坐在爐邊,取下這本書來,
慢慢讀著,追夢當年的眼神,
那柔美的神采與深幽的暈影。
多少人愛過你青春的片影,
愛過你的美貌,以虛偽或是真情,
惟獨一人愛你那朝圣者的心,
愛你哀戚的臉上歲月的留痕。
在爐柵邊,你彎下了腰,
低語著,帶著淺淺的傷感,
愛情是怎樣逝去,又怎樣步上群山,
怎樣在繁星之間藏住了臉。