February 14th, 2008给“情人节”(不!爱的感恩节)的俗帖:叶芝的诗“当你老了”
Valentine,我不喜欢它的中文译名“情人节”,我喜欢称其为“爱的感恩节”。这个节比感恩节的外延更大。Thanksgiving,家人围坐一起吃火鸡。ST. Valentine,爱人亲朋好友间互送巧克力。愿世界充满爱。把这首叶芝的诗送给普天下充满爱的人们。
叶芝,W. B.】(William Butler Yeats 1865~1939)爱尔兰诗人和剧作家。1923年度的诺贝尔文学奖获得者。出生于都柏林画师家庭,政治上属贵族主义者。早期作品带有唯美主义倾向和浪漫主义色彩。
此诗歌的翻译一直在翻译界有争议,我选的是比较广为流传的袁可嘉的译本。
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 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.
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。
──1893