蕭蕭

蕭蕭

1. (literary, onomatopoeia) to neigh

   • 車轔轔，馬蕭蕭，行人弓箭各在腰。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     车辚辚，马萧萧，行人弓箭各在腰。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 杜甫 (Du Fu) (712-770), 《兵車行》 (The Army Wagons: A Ballad); translated by Stephen Owen

     Chē línlín, mǎ xiāoxiāo, xíngrén gōngjiàn gè zài yāo. [Pinyin]

     Wagons rattling,
     horses neighing,
     men walking, each with bow and arrows at the waist.

2. (literary, onomatopoeia, of winds blowing in a desolate place, or of such a place itself) to make bleak sounds; to be bleak with wind

   • 風蕭蕭兮易水寒，壯士一去兮不復還！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复还！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Fēng xiāoxiāo xī Yìshuǐ hán, zhuàngshì yī qù xī bù fù huán! [Pinyin]

     The winds are bleak and the waters of the Yi are cold; once a brave man leaves, he never comes back!

3. (literary, onomatopoeia) the sound of falling leaves

   • 無邊落木蕭蕭下，不盡長江滾滾來。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 767, Du Fu (杜甫), 《登高》.

     Wúbiān luòmù xiāoxiāo xià, bùjìn Chángjiāng gǔngǔn lái. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

蕭蕭

1. (literary) sparse; thinly spread; few and scattered; few and far between