What's done cannot be undone

                       What's done cannot be undone

Have you ever seen a plucked flower blossoming again? have you ever seen popped out drops of sweat on the face of a laborer being poured again? can you mend the broken dreams of a small innocuous girl ?or can you return the innocence of a child which is caught by the cold hands of the world? The answer to all these questions is certainly "NO" because it is the law of Nature that "what is done cannot be undone".

          The phrase was not originally coined by Shakespeare. Actually, it is the English translation of a French proverb. It was first used in 'Mahabharata' when Dhiritashta realized the consequences of his actions.But now it is recognized as a phrase uttered by Lady Macbeth in the famous English play 'Macbeth' written by Shakespeare.

           This phrase is not just a dialogue, it is a sigh that any harm done cannot be undone.We can't reverse the wheel of life to lead it in the respective direction.Lady Macbeth first used these words as blandishments to console her husband. Later when the octopus of guilt clutched her, she used to stroll in the castle at the midnight to wash away the imaginary blood of the king from her hands. Her eerily echoes indicate that she was guilt-ridden. But all her lament and guilt were useless. She couldn't bring back the dead king. Nobody can return the past to rectify the mistakes. It is rightly said:

                             "It is useless to cry over spilled milk"

           The phrase : "What is done cannot be undone" is the essence of all the "Shakespearian Tragedies". Either it is Hamlet or Othello or King Lear or any other tragedy, the thirst for throne of either power or love, through fair or foul, led them towards catastrophe. As in Hamlet, Gertrude(Hamlet's mother) couldn't undo her sinful acts envoking in Hamlet an eternal question of existence.

                               "To be, or not to be, that is the question"

           The  immolation of the king by Claudis in Hamlet and murder of his wife by "Othelo", all these vicious acts are poisonous seeds which not only contaminated their lives but others too. All these actions are regrettable but not warrantable.

                 "Every Action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity"

            While turning the pages of man's history, we come across several examples when people wanted to undo their doings but couldn't. Adan and Eve, the father and mother of human race, disobeyed Allah Almighty. He expelled them from the Heaven and sent them to this world. Being noble souls, they sought absolution from Allah Almighty. He forgave them but yet they couldn't undo what had happened.

             The two disastrous World Wars also remorse that 'What is done cannot be undone'. After the explosion of bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the whole world has made many policies to prevent nuclear war but an unrecoverable loss has been made. Chief Joseph, in one of his interviews, has said:

     'I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people'

             All these incidents illustrate that the stream of life does not change its path. But under the influence of our anger, passion or any other thought, we make the path more steep which increases the speed of flow of water and it can take many lives and as a result, we are left only with regret. According to Horace:

   "The one who cannot restrain their anger will wish undo that their temper and irritation prompted them to do".

  But all is not lost. WE can make the flow smooth by placing the stones of good deeds.

            On the deeper context, this phrase is also a punching line for the soul. It gives us hope and motivation, telling us that all the hardwork which is done cannot be undone. If the result is not shown immediately then do not give up. All the tears, sweat and blood that have been shed cannot be undone, it will bring your dream come true sooner or later.

            Apart from all other shades of this phrase, it makes us look into the mirror of reality. It reveals that you cannot change the things that had happened. Their is no "delete" button in the keyboard of life. But as far as you are breathing, you are alive. If there is no delete button then don't be disappointed, Allah Almighty has made a button to "add" good deeds. Someone has rightly said:

                            "What's done, is done; What's gone, is gone;

                            One of the life's lessons is always moving on"