Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
When you are old and gray 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.
Wine comes in at the mouth,
And Love comes in at the eye.
That's all we shall know for truth,
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth.
I look at you, and I sigh.
英国诗人W. H. Auden在悼念叶芝时写到,“疯狂的爱尔兰将你刺伤成诗(Mad Ireland hurt you into poetry)”。叶芝无疑是爱尔兰灵魂的浓重一页,在这个绿色的小岛上,我更愿意把叶芝诗歌的源动力解读为爱,是爱的踌躇,爱的纯净,爱的坚持,爱的痛楚。无望的爱总是给诗人带来无尽的伤痛,而诗歌,则注定是悲观浇注的花朵。
正如那首最广为流传的When you are old,道不尽人世间无数的爱情苦旅。爱你那朝圣者般的灵魂,爱你衰老的脸上痛苦的皱纹。爱情总是在单恋的哀伤中酝酿出最极致的悲观美学。这种无助感,贯穿于你我青春所有说谎的日子。好友曾送以为心仪的女生一本《苇间风》,并神情的向她朗诵《当你老去》。可那位不解风情的工科女,淡淡的回了一句:“哦,这样子,那就等我老了再来找我吧……”