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.

　　譯文

　　當你老了，白發蒼蒼，睡思昏沉，

　　在爐火旁打盹，請取下這部詩歌，

　　慢慢讀，回想你過去眼神的柔和

　　回想它們過去的濃重的陰影；

　　多少人愛你年輕歡暢的時候

　　出于假意或真心地愛慕你的美貌，

　　只有一個人愛你那朝圣者的靈魂，

　　愛你老去的容顏的痛苦的皺紋。

　　躬身在紅光閃耀的爐火旁，

　　凄然地低語，愛為何消逝，

　　在頭頂的山上，它緩緩踱著步子，

　　將臉隱沒在群星之中。