威廉·巴特勒·叶芝
(William Butler Yeats,1865~1939)
是爱尔兰诗人、剧作家,著名的神秘主义者。
叶芝是“爱尔兰文艺复兴运动”的领袖,也是艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一。其诗吸收浪漫主义、唯美主义、神秘主义、象征主义和玄学诗的精华,几经变革,最终熔炼出独特的风格。其艺术被视为英语诗从传统到现代过渡的缩影。艾略特曾誉之为“二十世纪最伟大的英语诗人”。
《当你年老时》,是叶芝早期名诗,发表于 1893年,献给比他小一岁多的爱尔兰著名民族主义者毛德·岗(Maud Gonne,1866 - 1953) 。全诗共十二行,是叶芝对于茅德·冈一见钟情后所作,该诗文字浅显,叙述直白,意境优美,深受读者的喜爱,也被众多国内学者从不同角度进行解读。其艺术被视为英语诗从传统到现代过渡的缩影。艾略特曾赞誉叶芝为“二十世纪最伟大的英语诗人”。
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.
— William Butler Yeats
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