As someone who speaks several languages, I’ve always been fascinated by folk wisdom. Every language has its own unique way of packaging universal truths into memorable little phrases. But I have to say, Ukrainian sayings often possess a special kind of sharpness — a blend of dark humor and piercing sarcasm that cuts straight to the point. It’s a quality I’ve yet to find paralleled in English, Russian, or Hebrew.
There is one proverb, in particular, that I find myself using almost daily. It has become a personal mantra for letting things go. It goes like this:
“Мертвi бджоли не гудуть.” (Pronounced: Mert-vi bd-zho-ly ne hoo-doot’)
Literally, it means, “Dead bees don’t buzz.”
The meaning is as simple as it is profound: what’s done is done. It’s a stark, powerful reminder that it is pointless to worry about something that is already over. A missed deadline, a past mistake, a closed door — once it’s finished, it’s finished. The bees have stopped buzzing. The phrase is also perfectly suited for more literal situations, like when a piece of equipment has irrevocably broken down.
But what makes this proverb so special? To understand its genius, let’s compare it to its counterparts in other languages.
English and Hebrew offer several excellent sayings that capture the spirit of finality and the uselessness of worrying about the past, but they lack the Ukrainian version’s grim wit.
The most direct equivalent in both languages is a simple statement of fact:
- In English: “What’s done is done.”
- In Hebrew: מה שהיה היה (Ma shehaya haya)
- Literal Translation: “What was, was.”
Both are useful for closing a topic, but they are plain statements, not vivid images.
A more metaphorical option is also shared between the two:
- In English: “There’s no use crying over spilled milk.”
- In Hebrew: אין טעם לבכות על חלב שנשפך (Ein ta’am livkot al chalav shenishpach)
- Literal Translation: “There’s no point in crying over spilled milk.”
This is a wonderful idiom, but its tone is gentle. It evokes a minor, almost domestic mishap. It soothes, whereas the Ukrainian proverb lands like a punch.
Russian, with its wealth of sayings, offers some strong competition that comes closer to the Ukrainian proverb’s dark flavor.
A straightforward and universally understood equivalent is:
- In Russian: Что сделано, то сделано (Shto sdelano, to sdelano)
- Literal Translation: “What’s done is done.”
Like its English and Hebrew cousins, it’s functional but lacks dramatic flair.
A much more vivid and popular idiom is:
- In Russian: После драки кулаками не машут (Posle draki kulakami ne mashut)
- Literal Translation: “Don’t wave your fists after a fight.”
This perfectly captures the foolishness of taking action when the moment has passed. It’s about the futility of a late reaction, which is a nuance that differs slightly from simply accepting a final outcome.
Another Russian candidate for matching the Ukrainian tone is this:
- In Russian: Снявши голову, по волосам не плачут (Snyavshi golovu, po volosam ne plachut)
- Literal Translation: “After taking off the head, you don’t cry about the hair.”
This is another good parallel. It’s just as sharp, dark, and uncompromising. But it is not sarcastic.
So, while other languages offer wisdom, Ukrainian offers that wisdom with an inimitable, world-weary smirk. The next time you find yourself dwelling on a past that you cannot change, just remember the silence of the bees. What’s done is done. The buzzing has stopped.