哀鸿遍野

lit. plaintive whine of geese (idiom); fig. land swarming with disaster victims / starving people fill the land

Ai (c. 2000 BC), sixth of legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God, also known as Li 釐|厘[Li2]

sorrow; grief; pity / to grieve for; to pity; to lament; to condole

eastern bean goose / great / large

variant of 遍[bian4]

everywhere / all over / classifier for actions: one time

old variant of 野[ye3]

erroneous variant of 野[ye3]

field / plain / open space / limit / boundary / rude / feral