📖 Meaning
Describes grief so profound and intense that it seems to move heaven and earth themselves. The idiom conveys the idea that heartfelt, genuine sorrow resonates beyond the human realm, touching the universe with its depth.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Song Dynasty Buddhist text 'Wudeng Huiyuan' (《五灯会元》), compiled by the Chan monk Shi Puji (释普济). In Volume 1 of the text, a king receives devastating news and cries out in uncontrollable grief. His sorrow is so deep and genuine that it is described as moving both heaven and earth, giving rise to this enduring expression.
💡 Example Usage
那场葬礼上的哭声哀感天地。
The weeping at that funeral was so heart-wrenching it moved heaven and earth.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 哀感天地
- Pinyin: āi gǎn tiān dì
- Literal Translation: sorrow, move, heaven, earth
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4