"Water past does not move mills" is a popular saying used to teach that situations experienced in the past do not help to change the present.
This expression, typical of popular wisdom, is quite old and serves as a teaching so that people can overcome past events and can move on with their lives.
The saying refers to the working mechanism of a water mill, which moves with the force of the current that passes through it. The water only moves the mill while it is in its presence, from the moment it passes it, it no longer serves to move it.
Based on this same logic, the expression “past waters do not move mills” can be interpreted as if everything that has already passed will not change the present. In other words, those who live in the past end up not enjoying the present and not building their future.
Example: “Dona Maria is always sad when she remembers the time when she worked for the law firm. But I always tell you: past waters don't move mills, Dona Maria”.
In English, the expression “past waters do not move mills” does not have a literal translation, but there are other English proverbs that refer to the same meaning as in Portuguese, such as: “
let bygones be bygones” or “it's just water under the bridge”.To learn more meanings of popular expressions, Click here.