《當你年老時》 是葉芝 ( Yeats, 1865 —1939)早期名詩 ,發表于 1893年 ,獻給比他小一歲多的愛爾蘭著名民族主義者毛德 · 崗 ( Maud Gonne, 1866 - 1953) 。該詩文字淺顯 ,敘述直白 ,意境優美 ,深受讀者的喜愛 , 也被眾多國內學者從不同角度進行解讀。

　　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.