Reading this tragic passage of history truly makes heroes' tears soak their robes.
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history
From Du Fu's (杜甫, Tang) 《蜀相》: 出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。(He marched out but fell before victory — forever making heroes' tears soak their robes.) Mourning Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), who died on campaign at Wuzhang Plains without fulfilling his vow to restore the Han. Visited at the shrine in Chengdu, Du Fu wrote this in 760.
usage
襟 (jīn) = the front lapels of a robe, where tears would fall. Always carries tragic-heroic weight — not used for ordinary sadness. Often quoted about generals, reformers, or revolutionaries who die before their goals are achieved.
