📖 Meaning
Tears fall continuously down one's face. It describes a state of profound sorrow and grief where one cannot hold back tears. The idiom conveys an overwhelming sadness that moves one to weep openly.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Book of Han (汉书), written by Ban Gu during the Eastern Han dynasty. It records an episode involving Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, who upon returning to his hometown had children sing a song he composed. The emperor then rose to dance, stirred by deep emotion and grief, and his tears fell in continuous streams. The passage captures a powerful moment of an emperor moved to open weeping by nostalgia and sorrow.
💡 Example Usage
听闻故友病逝的噩耗，他不禁泣数行下，久久不能言语。
Upon hearing the devastating news of his old friend's passing, he could not help but weep with tears streaming down, unable to speak for a long time.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 泣数行下
- Pinyin: qì shù háng xià
- Literal Translation: weep, several, lines, down
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4