當妳老時
　龍薩作　/　陳黎譯
　
　　當妳老時，在黃昏，點著燭火
　　坐在火爐旁邊，抽絲紡紗，
　　吟詠著我的詩篇，讚嘆之餘說道：
　　「龍薩在我年輕貌美時歌頌過我。」
　　
　　妳的女僕們因勞累而半入夢鄉，
　　一聽到這個消息，沒有一個
　　不被我的名字驚醒，欣羨
　　妳芳名有幸，受到不朽的讚美。
　　
　　那時，我將是地底無骨的幽魂，
　　在桃金孃樹蔭下靜靜長眠；
　　妳將成為爐邊一名佝僂老婦，
　　懊悔曾驕傲地蔑視了我的愛。
　　
　　生活吧，聽信我的話，別待明天︰
　　趁今天就把生命的玫瑰摘下。

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《When you are very old...》
　Pierre de Ronsard
　from 《Sonnets for Helene》


When you are very old, at evening, by the fire,
spinning wool by candlelight and winding it in skeins,
you will say in wonderment as you recite my lines:
”Ronsard admired me in the days when I was fair.”

Then not one of your servants dozing gently there
hearing my name’s cadence break through your low repines
but will start into wakefulness out of her dreams
and bless your name - immortalised by my desire.

I’ll be underneath the ground, and a boneless shade
taking my long rest in the scented myrtle-glade,
and you’ll be an old woman, nodding towards life’s close,
regretting my love, and regretting your disdain.

Heed me, and live for now: this time won’t come again.
Come, pluck now - today - life’s so quickly-fading rose.