本文转自：文学文化研究
爱尔兰可以没有风笛，但绝不能没有叶芝。叶芝被称为爱尔兰的灵魂，他征服了一个时代，却未能获取最爱女人的芳心。或许，正是爱情的不幸，才造就了一位伟大的诗人。
叶芝写过很多表达爱情的诗歌，但最为人称道的便是《当你老了》。这是叶芝献给女友毛特·冈妮热烈而真挚的爱情诗篇。他告诉我们什么样的爱情才是真爱：不是美丽的时候才爱你，是你衰老之后依然爱你的灵魂。
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。
叶芝手稿
叶芝
《当你老了》
原文：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.
