“多少人曾爱慕你年轻时的容颜,可是谁能承受岁月无情的变迁”。
爱尔兰诗人威廉·巴特勒·叶芝创作的《当你老了》叩响了无数人的心扉。
这首诗的深情众所周知,所以今天我们并不是来赏析这首诗的,而是看看将这首外文诗翻译成中文,究竟有多美。
英文原文
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。
当你老了,头发白了,睡意昏沉,
多少人爱你青春欢畅的时辰,
垂下头来,在红光闪耀的炉子旁,
诗经版
美人迟暮,鬓髪霜白;
暮色染霜鬓,炉边欲眠寐,
七言版
美人迟暮云鬓白,盹寐炉畔孤难耐;
《八声甘州·汝老时》
惜红颜渐老少精神,白发继青丝。
不知道这世界上是否还有第二种语言能像汉语这样,拥有如此美的韵律。
不是自夸,放眼望去,还有哪种语言可以做到。
一首诗,五种形式,款款动人。
汉语,随随便便就能给人一种惊心动魄的美,它是积淀了五千年的中华民族的骄傲。