«عُمْرِ الشَّقِي بَقِي»

The saying observes that a miserable, troublesome person tends to live a long time. The key word can mean one who causes misery or one who suffers it; it leans toward the troublemaker, though a sense of wretchedness remains. It voices the bitter sense that those who cause most grief hang on, while others keep enduring them.

Two readings remain possible. In one, such a person really does live long. In the other, the length is perceived: the years drag for those hoping the person's death will free them. A variant form says the life has been slow to end. The focus is the burden on others, not the fate of the virtuous.

Suited to a wry or exasperated remark about someone whose harmful behavior shows no sign of ending, especially when others feel trapped waiting for relief. It has a grim edge, touching on a wish for someone's death, so it is best kept for informal, knowing company.