Three Things Come Not Back

Remember three things come not back:
The arrow sent upon its track –
It will not swerve, it will not stay
Its speed; it flies to wound, or slay.
The spoken word so soon forgot
By thee; but it has perished not,
In other hearts ‘tis living still
And doing work for good or ill.
And the lost opportunity
That cometh back no more for thee,
In vain thou weepest, in vain dost yearn,
Those three will never more return.

-- from Arabic