# Никогда не сожалеть что вы сделали в жизнию Только...



## LaCxefo

I am looking for a translation for the following:
"Never regret what you have done in life. Only regret that which you have not"

The best translation I have come up with is:
Не сожалейте что вы сделали в жизни. Только сожалейте что вы не сделали

As a beginning Russian student this translation appears to be grammatically correct, though I am not positive. However I am looking to see if the same 
meaning is translated, or if there is possibly a better (more poetic) way of putting it in Russian.

Thank you,
Joe


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## grinski

Joe, grammatically your translation is not good. 
Не сожалейте о том, что вы сделали в жизни. Только сожалейте о том, что вы не сделали. is correct because сожалеть о чём-либо takes prepositional case.
Не сожалейте о том, что вы сделали в жизни. Сожалейте только о том, чего вы не сделали. is literature style translation.


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## Ptak

> Только сожалейте о том


This not the way to say it in Russian. This word order ("только сожалейте") in most cases would mean "only *regret*" in Russian (that is, what you should do is only regretting, not correcting or excusing or something else). A Russian speaker would use "только" just before the word it refers to, that is: "сожалейте *только о том*, что...".
In quick colloquial speech another ("wrong") word order is possible, but it doesn't mean that the sentence said that way would look okay in writing.


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## LilianaB

I would say: Не жалейте о том, что вы сделали в жизни. жалейте только о том, чего вы не сделали.​


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## Albertovna

Господь с Вами! Это же афоризм, только автор неизвестен. Просто-таки ходячая фраза.

Лучше делать и раскаиваться, чем не делать и всё равно раскаиваться.


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## LaCxefo

Thank you very much for the help everyone, спасибo! И Albertovna, я услышал о том высказывании прежде, спасибо за перевод. I have another similar saying I was hoping you all could help me with. It's basically another way of saying the same thing, though I may like this way better. Again, any suggestions on better wording or a more poetic way is much appreciated. 

"Live your life without regret. Regret the life you have not lived"


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## LilianaB

Unfortunately this experession if translated to Russian would sound very cumbersome and unnatural. (if you wanted to translate it very closely). The previous one is much better. I would still recommend using the word _жалейть_ in your translation. Also, what is the exact use meant for this sentence? An essay? A poem?


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## gvozd

LilianaB said:


> I would still recommend using the word _жалейть_ in your translation.



Жалеть. Или жалейте - непонятно, что Вы имели в виду.


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## LilianaB

The form of this verb, rather than something else, some other verb. The ending will depend on the form of the whole sentence.


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## gvozd

LilianaB said:


> The form of this verb, rather than something else, some other verb. The ending will depend on the form of the whole sentence.



I'm not talking about the form. There is no such word as "жалейть". "Жалеть" is infinitive. The letter "й" appears in some other forms of this verb.


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## LilianaB

Thank you, Gvozd. It is a typo. I cannot use the cyrillic for a while so I copied it from another word form and did not adjust it properly. 

It should be жалеть, of course. I would personally say: Не жалейте о том, что вы в жизни сделали, a жалейте только о том, чего не сделали. 

* sorry about the red, but I cannot take it out. 


Не надо жалеть о том, что вы в жизни сделали, a жалеть только о том, чего не сделали.​


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## grinski

Live your life without regret. Regret the life you have not lived = Живи без сожалений. Жалей о жизни, что не прожил. 
Quite smooth.

P.S. You can remove the red by pressing "Remove format" button, second on the left.


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## LilianaB

Thank you, Grinski. I am just afraid to experiment with this post any more, because it may completely collapse.


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## LaCxefo

Sorry for not explaining myself better in my earlier posts. I am wanting to get this as a tattoo in cursive Cyrillic. I essentially wanted to compare the two proverbs: 
"Never regret what you have done in live. Only regret that which you have not." and "Live your life without regret. Regret the life you have not lived." to see which flowed the best and was the post poetic in Russian. Would everyone agree that:  "Не coжалейте о том, что вы сделали в жизни. Coжалейте только о том, чего вы не сделали." is grammatically correct, and the better choice? Thank you all for the assistance!*​*
*​*


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## WordOrder

LaCxefo said:
			
		

> Would everyone agree that: "Не coжалейте о том, что вы сделали в жизни. Coжалейте только о том, чего вы не сделали." is grammatically correct, and the better choice?



No, for me it's too formal for a tattoo. You should find something more idiomatic.

As for your sayings, for my mind, they are both just a play of words. I cannot catch their meanings and consider them as a piece of literary kitsch.


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## grinski

For tattoo I would change multiple for single and make a phrase as shorter as possible.

_Не сожалей о том, что сделал, лучше сожалей о не о том, чего не сделал.
_


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## LilianaB

My choice is: _Не жалей о том, что сделал, жалей о том, чего не сделал_


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