4/26/26
The phrase dates back to at least the 15th century, and it appeared in John Heywood’s Proverbs in 1562.
It signifies closure and a conscious choice to not allow past negativity to affect the present or future.
Carrying a bygone is like carrying an extra load through your life and repeatedly getting hurt by it.
We need to move on and let bygones be bygone.
One of my favourite texts on letting go of the past, is a Hindi poem by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan:
जो बीत गई सो बात गई
जीवन में एक सितारा था
माना वह बेहद प्यारा था
वह डूब गया तो डूब गया
अम्बर के आनन को देखो
कितने इसके तारे टूटे
कितने इसके प्यारे छूटे
जो छूट गए फिर कहाँ मिले
पर बोलो टूटे तारों पर
कब अम्बर शोक मनाता है
जो बीत गई सो बात गई
Here is my version of the translation:
“Let Bygones Be Bygones
In your life, there was a star
And that was close to your heart
What if, it has faded
Look at the face of sky
Many of its stars fell away
Many of its loved ones went away
Those who left, never came back
But when does the sky grieve over the fallen stars
Let bygones be bygones.”
‘If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.’
As much as this is true for relationships, the quote is also applicable to life.
This Sunday, let all bygones be bygone & stay blessed forever.