When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats, read by Colin Farrell
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- čas přidán 23. 03. 2013
- There are many versions of this poem. This one has a great voice reading it and the lines on screen, so that speakers of other languages can enjoy it too. Hope that you like it.
I fell in love with this beautiful poem in 20th Century English-Irish Literature class at Aquinas College, in 1980, I believe.
"One man loved the
Pilgrim soul in you"
moved me inexpressibly!!
How wonderful it would be to be loved that way!!!
How wonderful to return such a love!!🙂🙂🎄🎄✝️⚜️
I carry Yeats with me in my heart. There is so much depth in this poem. I have read it to children and dying men alike. I dare say that I do not know who received it better. This poem is as transcendent as Yeats' "September 1913" and yet somehow as romantic as Shakespeare's sonnet 116. Everyone deserves to hear this poem at least once in their lives.Alas, my favorite line rings true.---"..But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you..".We are all pilgrim souls aching for that one Man (universal) to love the sorrows of our changing face. Thanks for reading it, Colin.
Wooly mammoth
very well said. The comparison to 116 . "true minds"
This is beautiful….he has always been a favorite of mine.
😂 Such is life put beautifully by WB Yeats ❤
So beautiful ❤️ I dedicate this to my Mum, Rosaleen Maria Horton and my Dad, Leonard James Horton. Two very special people, who are no longer on this earth but who made my world, a much happier place for knowing and being of them ❤️🌹🌻☀️🌟
I am glad to see what special parents you had. Every time I read this poem, its tells me about life and the end of life. Just fading memories surrounded by solitude. My favorite part is the 3rd and 4th lines of the second stanza. Only "one Man" loves us depside our "changing face". Be blessed.
Sometime in the mid eighties my mom bought the movie Peggy Sue got Married from Columbia house, it was 10 VHS tapes for a penny I think. I watched that movie over and over. When this poem was spoken I would rewind the tape and try to make out the exact words the character Michael was speaking. I finally had the middle of the poem written down and knew that it was Yeats since the character clarified that he didn't write those beautiful words. For all this time I didn't know the full poem, only the middle. Peggy Sue got married was on tv today and I typed the words "how many loved your moments of glad grace" for a search and it came up. Back then you didn't have the option to look things up so simply, the internet is amazing.
I still do this. I love rewatching Peggy Sue got married and replaying that scene with her and Michael alone together. It makes me cry but it's such a beautiful and touching scene, Yeats' poem just ties everything together.
Haha - my sister and i (in our seventies) were talking about an old song we remembered from our childhood - we could remember only 3 or 4 words - now we know all the words again - google is amazing!
I am impressed to see so many people commenting on this poem. Actually the combination of the poem, Farrell's voice and tone, music and background image give this video a sense of melancholy and sadness for a lost love.
I think the poem itself already held that sense of melancholy to begin with, but Colin's voice does enhance that feeling.
Could you tell me what the song actually IS???
I learned this poem at age 13 and have never forgotten. Besutiful
yes, some people know even though it is unreachable and good literature is always smw behind the scene
I'm going to read this again in a decade or two. Then read it again six decades later. It would be an interesting experience.
I really need to know what you eat. That you expect to live so long..
I want your optimism.
Remember Mr. Tuan: time is not guaranteed. Perhaps a more frequent revisit is advisable.
His optimism is the evidence that this chap is young. Body and mind. We were all there once. He will realise for himself that come a decade when he reads it once more he will increase the frequency of reads. Im pretty sure of it haha
Try it before your valentine
Incredible reading of an incredible poem… thank you Colin!
The first poem I learned by heart- I was 18. Gotta love Yeats (especially when I can understand him). This one and Easter 1916 especially.
His *deep voice* and the *deep meanings* in poem is just *wow*
Deep voice, you say?...... czcams.com/video/OMe2ze4LS_w/video.html
This poem always brings tears to my eyes
"Pilgrim soul" ... feels it resides in soul.
What a powerful and beautifully crafted image of love and life ❣
How love fled !!!!! Awesome the vagaries of love and the flight of love.
I feel a clutch at my throat and my eyes fill with tears.
so sad yet so beautiful…
I know this poem is about a woman, but I always think of my father when I read it. We haven't spoken in years and these words really seem to fit. He was the greatest source of inspiration for me to achieve in life but ultimately he broke my heart. One day I hope to stope hiding amid stars.
Hope you get to speak to each other again. Life is too short.
Beautiful poem and more beautiful to hear it read.
Yeats and Farrell: Yes! ^^ :) :)
My favorite poem of all time! It gives me goosebumps!
It's is about the unconditioned love of God. 'And hid his face amid a crowd of stars' .... Beautiful.
No. It's about an actress that he was in love with... his muse. Maud Gonne.
Let's leave a deity out of this it was created by a very talented man
...everything is amazing😮
painful as it may be, I keep pressing the replay button.
my favorite Yeats, so beautiful!
A Majestic Job 👍👍👍
Exquisite recital in a voice of pure magic🙏🏻
This poem is in the English language book in Iraq in high school🤍
It gives me goosebumps! Always.......
Beautifully recited
Nice poem...true love of Yeats
beautiful!
what a lovely philosophy ................its ............excellent
Kanakadhara Stotram
एक बार आदि शन्कराचार्य कुछ घरों में भिक्षा मांगने को गये .वहां एक झोंपड़ी थी जहां उनहोंने खाने के लिए भिक्षा मांगी.
उस घर की मालकिन यह सोच कर परेशान हुई की एक संत उनके यहाँ भोजन मांगने उसके यहाँ आये हैं,पर वह इतनी निर्धन है कि उसके घर में देने को कुछ भी नहीं है. उसने पूरे घर में ढूँढा,तोउसे एक पुराना आंवले का फल मिला.वह गरीब स्त्री बड़ी शर्मिंदा हुई कि एक छोटा सा आंवला शंकराचार्य को देने में.पर वह उनके लिए बड़ी श्रद्धा रखती थी और वह उन्हें खाली हाथ नहीं भेजना चाहती थी.उसने व्ही आंवला शंकराचार्य जी के भिक्षा पात्र में डाल
दिया.शन्कराचार्य ने स्त्री की श्रद्धा को जानते हुए कि वह निर्धन होते हुए भी ऐसे भावना रखती है . उन्होंने तुरत देवी महालक्ष्मी की प्रशंसा में २१ श्लोकों को गाना शुरू कर दिया ,यह प्रार्थना करते हुए कि उस गरीब स्त्री के धनवान होने का aashirvaad maangte आशीर्वाद मांगते हुए.
जैसा बोओगे वैसा ही काटोगे, :
महालक्ष्मी ने उत्तर दिया कि इस स्त्री ने पिछले जन्म में कुछ अच्छे काम नहीं किये(दान दे कर दूसरों की मदद).इस लिए उसे गरीब रह करक्र कष्ट उठाना ही pdegaaपड़ेगा. आदि शंकराचार्य जी ने इसे माना,लेकिन इस जन्म में इतना दयालु ह्रदय रखे हुए,गरीब होते हुए भी इस आंवले के फल को उन्हें दिया है और यही अच्छा काम उसे समृधि देने के लिए काफी है.
देवी महालक्ष्मीजी की mhanta
शंकराचार्यजी के इस सुदर स्त्रोत को सुन कर और उन के तर्क को सुन कर कि उस गरीब स्त्री ने इस जन्म में आंवला फल दान में दिया है,महालक्ष्मी जी ने उस स्त्री को आशीर्वाद दिया. महालक्ष्मी पिघल गयी .मित्रो,यह उस देवी की महानता है .वह वास्तव में हमारी श्रद्धा और हमारे ह्रदय की पवित्रता को चाहती है.यदि हम अच्छे कर्म करें और भगवान को हमेशा याद करें तो हमें उनकी कृपा जरूर मिलेगी.और हमें महालक्ष्मीजी का आशीर्वाद मिलेगा.शन्कराचार्य जब कनकधारा स्त्रोत को गा रहे थे .महालक्ष्मी ने आंवले के आकार की स्वर्ण मुद्राओं की वर्षा कर दी उस गरीब स्त्री की कुटी के बाहर, कल्पना करो ,सोने के फल आकाश से गिरता हुआ.ये खानी कितनी सुंदर है उस गरीब स्त्री की श्रधा कितनी सुंदर है .आदि शंकराचार्य जी कितने महान हैं और इन सब से बढ़ कर महालक्ष्मीजी कितनी महान हैं.
आदि शन्कराचार्य ने इस कनकधारा स्त्रोत्र को हरेक की भलाई के लिए गाया है,जो गरीबी में अपने पूर्व जन्मों के कर्मों के कारण दुःख उठा रहे हैं और गरीबी में कष्ट उठा रहे हैं.!
colln-ashok
I have to read this poem of by heart on front of millions of schools
I think you mean 'recite', not read ;)
You listen to the beauty of his poetry and you realize how weird it is that for a while Yeats believed that "Vision", a book based on his wife's automatic writing that he thought prophetized the events of the next hundread years (he was heavily into the occult and all that stuff), would be his "book of books".
PS: if you like Yeats' poetry, you'll find readings of "The Withering of the Boughs" and "The Scholars" on my channel.
I guess we'll know in a hundred years
beautiful
Hi Darling,can you imagine feeling like we both did yesterday for the rest of our lives? So much better to feel like we did today,that's the real "US" The fact we were both reading and thinking of this poem last night reveals where our hearts belong.With each other.I never want you to feel so sad again,and I can assure you that you never will.All my Love,for eternity.xxxxxxx.
💜💜💜💜
That's so very sad, and true.
sorry, but this poem is clearly by a young man, written to the woman he loves. he is telling her that while everyone else loves her for her beauty, he loves her for her true self. the poem is a warning, that when she is old, she will regret it if she continues to ignore him.
He wishes
Clearly?
Why would a shallow soul care about your undying love..
But what’s sorry about it?😂😂😂
I had another impression through these words. True that melancholy pervades and that a haze of mistery is being unveiled towards the unknown
This was written about two young people. The idea is to get people to imagine life when they are old. Or the rejection of love.
It is a powerful piece of work.
This poem does not need the irrelevance of the background music
amazing
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 love 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 bar's
Murmur,a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead.
And hid his face amid a crowd stars.
I have always found this poem positive. The speaker is telling her the impact she has made and the infinity of love.
I have to recite this today in my 5th period 🙃
My Love,remember what we both reading three month's ago tonight? I Love a Happy Ending.Sweet dreams My Darling.xxxxxxxxxxx.
touching
understood the pilgrim soul in you
The only soul is a pilgrims soul..
One of Yeats' poems most arresting poems has to be 'Aedh -He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' - beautifully touching on the realm of unfulfilled desire and the impact that love can have on our fragile hearts. Simon Paxton has recorded it here: czcams.com/video/vGioFVgtvGU/video.html
FYI, the song linked below, at the 3:15 mark, samples the first two stanzas of audio from here on it.
czcams.com/video/QjWgjmJTdIA/video.html
Marc Morton does it? I couldn't hear any resemblance....
what is the song in the background?
You are the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful, heart, mind and soul. I wish you peace and love always ⚡️you are missed, wish you a full night sky of stars , peace in your storm ✨Starrynight
I personify myself as the subject of this poem.
I can't say I like this poem because it sounds like it is written by someone who hasn't gone through the process of life to appreciate old age. It expresses old age as something to be sorrowful about.
I think you might prefer this version by an old man in his seventies.... czcams.com/video/OMe2ze4LS_w/video.html
Like yeats, she too loved a pretty face - she scorned his beautiful mind and married a handsome soldier - the way of all flesh alas
جميلة
It has LONG been my favorite poem, though I must say, with his voice, it became much more sexual, It is my wish, my want, but when he reads it, it seems true. xoxo
This should be posted on every filter n Tik Tok...lol
+colinchick69 Not it's not. It's a young man talking to a young woman, in this case the young woman is Helen of Troy, though it mirrors Yeats' relationship with Maud Gonne. The young man is telling the young woman to think about when she is old and how many people may have loved her beauty, but that he truly loves her for who she is, even when her face changes with age.
I agree with your interpretation. But the beauty of a classic work is (and this poem is indeed beautiful) people may interpret the words in a way that is meaningful to them. I listened to Farrel's reading and welled up. Amazing that Yeats died 85 years ago and is still stirring such strong emotion in the reader and listener.
Ill bet if she was fat and plain hed be a lot less interested in her beautiful soul
The beauty of good poetry is the diversity of its interpretations. There might be a historical premise to this work but it stirs all kind of different thoughts and emotions amongst its readers. And that is what makes a truly great poem. A poet doesn’t dictate but rather allows you to feel something / anything within that intimate moment with the reader.
This peace is really beautiful! I would like to use this audio file for a film project (no commercial use). I didn't find any copyrights online. Who can I contact in this case? Thanks, Thomas
Hi Tommy, just wondering if you found out about copyrights in this case?
Try this version by an old geezer.... czcams.com/video/OMe2ze4LS_w/video.html
wow that's powerful
how i can download this video?
Could anyone PLEASE tell me what the song is, in the background?????
❤️
Classic
my lovely book ♥♥♥♥
منووو صف رابع ااعداادي
Please, subscribe my channel, you can get more helpful videos regarding English literature🌹
Omg ❤️
I found this poem here and now, five months later I know these beautiful words by heart
does anyone know the background music?
Which do you think is the most powerful image in the poem ?why
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
someone knows this background sound?
Wow😢
Did any one know why he wrote this poem or any other information about w.b. Yeats please tell me if you know anything 💖
Maud Gonne
Peggy Sue Got Married brought me here. 😂😂
Do check out my reading of this sublime poem too!
Beautifully read but then, I would expect no less of an Irishman.
Hi Hector, one of my students wants to use the lyrics for a poetry film. do you have any clue of how to get in contact with the copyright owners - thanks
Oops my reply may come a little bit late. I do not know the answer to the question you are asking me.
@@hecvegap the poem is out of copyright -copyright exists for the life of the author plus 70 years .As Yeats died 83 years ago it is out of copyright for the last 13 years
does anybody know the name of the music in the background?
nope, but if you like those tunes i'm pretty sure you'll love thomas newman ! check him out ! great for making poetry vids as well !
Thanks
What's the BGM?
Is this in a film?!
Here is old Des Brittain reading the same poem.... czcams.com/video/OMe2ze4LS_w/video.html
it's a poem about an elderly couple, the husband remembering his wife when she was young, and now is old...
تم الاشتراك من طرف ست ريم 🤣
"that one man".. who is that one man? what does he mean? please explain.. thank you
Salma Nassif He is referring to himself, as, he is the only one who truly loved her for more than just her physical beauty. He loved every aspect of her, and even loved her as she aged and her physical beauty withered( loved the sorrows of your changing face) He is lamenting the fact that she was too blind to realize the true depth of his love for her. He is telling her that she will one day come to regret not giving him a chance. Instead, she chose to love men who only cared about her physical beauty, and not the depths of her. Their love was not pure, not true. It was false love. It shows how blind most women are to true love, even when it’s right in front of them. Most women go for the wrong types of men, the ones who use them up and only cause them pain/heartbreak. This is especially true of young women, who don’t have enough life experience, nor the foresight to realize this. Then, as they age, they slowly realize that most men are only out to use them. That’s when they start to have regrets, and seek out the men they passed over when they were young, mostly meeting rejection. In the case of this poem, the author is telling her that she will regret having not given him a chance, and that he won’t be there waiting for her when she finally realizes her mistake. In essence, he’s taking her, “ I could have been the right man for you, but you were too blind dumb and blind to realize it. It’s your loss, and dint expect my sympathy when you’re old and alone! “
منو رابع إعدادي وعنده امتحان بهاي القصيده وكاعد يخفظ الإمتحان شهري ☹☹☹💔😭😭
I almost forgave him for Alexander after listening to this...
منو اجة من صف رابع ؟؟؟
I always think of you reading this poem Soph. I'm very sorry. I just couldn't accept you were gone all this time right up to now, so I acted like a child, looking for attention, cos I loved you , I always will love you, even you dont believe it, its sad but ok, I need to grow up and accept you are gone.
Yeats after Maud was gonne
its cook
Barnt mate who do you think you are.
I once did a short recording starting from a verse of this poem:
soundcloud.com/z-ar-2/when-you-are-old
let me know what u think :)!
Terrible reading....
Terrible reading....to many false pauses where none are needed....no flow. Great great poem.....poorly interpreted
stop playing music in the background. maybe this was cool in the 50's, but just stop.
beautiful