When I am an old woman 

I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me,

And I shall spend my pension on brandy,

And summer gloves and satin sandals,

And say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement

When I’m tired 

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat.

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go or only bread and pickles for a week

And hoard pens and pencils

And beermats

And things in boxes

But now we must have clothes to keep us dry

And pay the rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers(rs)

But maybe I ought to practise a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked or surprised

When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

 

當我成了一個老婦人

我會穿紫色，戴一頂不配也不適合我的紅色帽子，

我要把我的退休金拿來買白蘭地、

夏季手套和緞面涼鞋，

然後說我們沒有錢買牛油。

我將坐在人行道上

當我累了

並大吃商店裡的樣品，按下警鈴

拿我的棍子玩著街邊的欄杆

並彌補我年輕時的矜持。

我會在雨中穿著拖鞋出去

在別人的花園裡摘花

並學會吐痰。

你可以穿上可怕的襯衫，可以發胖。

一次吃下三磅香腸，或一週只吃麵包和醃黃瓜

囤積筆、鉛筆

和杯墊

還有其他雜七雜八的全藏在盒裡

但現在我們必須穿衣服讓我們保持乾爽

並支付租金，而不是在街上發誓

並為孩子們立下良好的榜樣。

我們必須有朋友共進晚餐並閱讀報紙

但也許我現在應該練習一點？

這樣認識我的人不會感到震驚或驚訝

突然我老了，開始穿紫色。