1865年6月13日在爱尔兰首都都柏林, 降生了一个后来成为诺贝尔文学奖得主的大诗人威廉·巴特勒·叶芝。叶芝的父亲是一个非常有名的爱尔兰画家，后来叶芝被父亲带到了伦敦，并在那里长大。15岁时他回到了都柏林，旨在完成自己的学业，同时继续像父亲一样研究学习绘画技能，希望自己有朝一日成为一个画家。但他很快发现自己深深喜欢上了诗歌创作。叶芝的家庭属于安格鲁-爱尔兰地主阶层，他深深地卷入了凯尔特人复兴运动之中。该运动直接将矛头指向英国在维多利亚时期的爱尔兰的文化影响力。该运动目的旨在推动爱尔兰民族继承精神。

 



叶芝在中国zui广为传诵的诗歌是《当你老了》。这次我们一并出版，并在此附加上汉译，以飨读者。

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;
 
   当你老了，头发花白，睡意沉沉，
   倦坐在炉边，取下这本书来，
   慢慢读着，追梦当年的眼神
   你那柔美的神采与深幽的晕影。

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;
   多少人爱过你昙花一现的身影，
   爱过你的美貌，以虚伪或真情，
   惟独一人曾爱你那朝圣者的心，
   爱你哀戚的脸上岁月的留痕。

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.
在炉罩边低眉弯腰，
   忧戚沉思，喃喃而语，
   爱情是怎样逝去，又怎样步上群山，
   怎样在繁星之间藏住了脸。

CONTENTS



THE COUNTESS CATHLEEN


SCENE I / 3 SCENE II / 17 SCENE III / 25 SCENE IV / 35 SCENE V / 37



THE ROSE


TO THE ROSE UPON THE ROOD OF TIME / 53 FERGUS AND THE DRUID / 54
THE DEATH OF CUCHULAIN / 56 THE ROSE OF THE WORLD / 60 THE ROSE OF PEACE / 61
THE ROSE OF BATTLE / 62 A FAERY SONG / 64

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE / 65 A CRADLE SONG / 66
THE PITY OF LOVE / 67 THE SORROW OF LOVE / 68 WHEN YOU ARE OLD / 69 THE WHITE BIRDS / 70
A DREAM OF DEATH / 71
A DREAM OF A BLESSED SPIRIT / 72 WHO GOES WITH FERGUS? / 73 THE MAN WHO DREAMED OF
FAERYLAND / 74
THE DEDICATION TO A BOOK OF STORIES SELECTED FROM THE IRISH NOVELISTS / 76
THE LAMENTATION OF THE OLD PENSIONER / 78
THE BALLAD OF FATHER GILLIGAN / 79 THE TWO TREES / 81
TO IRELAND IN THE COMING TIMES / 83



THE LAND OF HEART'S DESIRE / 85





CROSSWAYS


THE SONG OF THE HAPPY SHEPHERD / 109 THE SAD SHEPHERD / 111
THE CLOAK, THE BOAT, AND THE SHOES / 112 ANASHUYA AND VIJAYA / 113
THE INDIAN UPON GOD / 117 THE INDIAN TO HIS LOVE / 119
THE FALLING OF THE LEAVES / 120 EPHEMERA / 121
THE MADNESS OF KING GOLL / 123 THE STOLEN CHILD / 126
TO AN ISLE IN THE WATER / 128
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS / 129 THE MEDITATION OF THE OLD
FISHERMAN / 130
THE BALLAD OF FATHER O'HART / 131 THE BALLAD OF MOLL MAGEE / 133 THE BALLAD OF THE FOXHUNTER / 136





THE WANDERINGS OF USHEEN


BOOK I / 141 BOOK II / 154 BOOK III / 162

GLOSSARY AND NOTES / 176