The Decree Has Already Been Decreed, If the Decree Has Already Been Decreed
The hard decision has already been made. The severity of the decree cannot be changed. Figuratively: disaster is on the way ("decree" means a law or order).
("In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said: ... 'Set your house in order, for you are going to die' (2 Kings 20:1) ... the decree has already been decreed against you. He said to him: 'Son of Amoz, end your prophecy and leave. Thus I received from the house of my father and grandfather: even if a sharp sword is resting on a person's neck, he should not withhold himself from mercy'" - Berakhot 10a; and likewise: "And if a decree was issued against the generation of their fathers to fall in 'the great and terrible wilderness' - their children will fall within it" - Bialik, 'Our Young Poetry'; and likewise: "It is a sign for you that you do not yet know the nature of pots. Let me inform you that if a decree has been issued concerning the pots, the whole one will break and not the flawed one" - Shalom Aleichem, 'The Pot', p. 34.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
כְּבָר נִגְזְרָה הַגְּזֵירָה, אִם כְּבָר נִגְזְרָה הַגְּזֵירָה
Definition (Hebrew)
הַהַחְלָטָה הַקָּשָׁה הִתְקַבְּלָה. לֹא נִיתָּן לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת רֹועַ הַגְּזֵירָה. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הָאָסוֹן בַּדֶּרֶךְ (גְּזֵירָה מַשְׁמָע חֹוק אוֹ פְּקֻודָּה).
("בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ לָמוּת. וְיָבוֹא אֵלָיו יְשַׁעְיָה בֶן אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלּוּ:...צַו לְבֵיתֶךָ כִּי מֵת אַתָּה (מְלָכִים ב כ א )...כְּבָר נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה עָלֶיךָ. אָמַר לֵהּ: בֶּן אָמוֹץ, כַּלֵּה נְבוּאָתְךָ וָצֵא. כָּךְ מִקּוֹבְלָנִי מִבֵּית אָבִי אַבָּא: אֲפִלּוּ חֶרֶב חַדָּה מֻנַּחַת עַל צַוָּארוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אַל יִמְנַע עַצְמוֹ מִן הָרַחֲמִים"-בְּרָכוֹת י ע"א, וְכֵן:"וְאִם נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה עַל דּוֹר אֲבוֹתָם לִנְפֹּל 'בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא'- בְּתוֹךְ יְלָדָיו יִפֹּל"- בְּיָאלִיק/ שִׁירָתֵנוּ הַצְּעִירָה, וְכֵן:"סִימָן הוּא לְךָ שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ עֲדַיִן טֶבַע שֶׁל קְדֵרוֹת. לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ, שֶׁאִם נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה עַל הַקְּדֵרוֹת, תִּתְנַפֵּץ הַשְּׁלֵמָה וְלֹא הַפְּגוּמָה"- שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם/ הַקְּדֵרָה, קלד)