哀民生之多艰

哀民生之多艱

āimínshēngzhīduōjiān

phrase

Meanings

1 to grieve at the many hardships of the people's lives
2 compassion for common suffering
3 Qu Yuan's lament for the common people

Characters

to grieve / lament

life / livelihood

(classical possessive)

Examples

读到灾区的报道，他不由得哀民生之多艰。

Dú dào zāiqū de bàodào, tā bù yóudé āi mínshēng zhī duō jiān.

Reading the reports from the disaster area, he could not help grieving at the hardships of ordinary life.

诗人屈原长叹息以掩涕兮，哀民生之多艰。

Shīrén Qū Yuán cháng tàn xī yǐ yǎn tì xī, āi mínshēng zhī duō jiān.

The poet Qu Yuan sighed long and covered his tears, grieving at the manifold hardships of the people's lives.

Tips

history

From Qu Yuan's (屈原, Warring States, state of Chu) 《离骚》: 长太息以掩涕兮，哀民生之多艰 — 'I sigh a long sigh and wipe away tears, grieving at the many hardships of the people's lives.' Paired with 虽九死其犹未悔, this line anchored the tradition of politically engaged lyric poetry in China.

usage

之 is a classical possessive linking 民生 ('the people's livelihood') to 多艰 ('many hardships'). Frequently cited today in speeches on poverty alleviation and disaster response.

Stroke Order

哀 āi

民 mín

生 shēng

之 zhī

多 duō

艰 jiān