威廉·巴特勒·叶芝(William Butler Yeats)(1865~1939),亦译"叶慈"、"耶茨",爱尔兰诗人、剧作家,著名的神秘主义者,是"爱尔兰文艺复兴运动"的领袖,也是艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一,被诗人艾略特誉为"当代最伟大的诗人"。叶芝对戏剧也有浓厚的兴趣,先后写过26部剧本。
I am worn out with dreams;
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams;
And all day long I look
Upon this lady's beauty
As though I had found in book
我因多梦而憔悴衰减;
像一个风雨剥蚀的石雕海神
在溪流中间;
整整一天我都在观看
这位女士的美貌,
好像我在一本书里发现
A pictured beauty,
Pleased to have filled the eyes
Or the discerning ears,
Delighted to be but wise,
For men improve with the years;
And yet and yet
Is this my dream, or the truth?
O would that we had met
When I had my burning youth;
But I grow old among dreams,
A weather-worn, marble triton
Among the streams.
一幅美人图画,
因眼睛或灵敏的耳朵
充实而欢欣,
因仅仅变得聪明而愉悦,
因为人们随岁月长进;
然而,然而,
这是我的梦,还是真实?
呵,但愿我们曾相识
在我青春如火时!
但是我在梦中已变衰残,
像一个风雨剥蚀的石雕海神
在溪流中间。