風雨飄搖

Chinese

wind and rain; the elements; trials and hardships
to sway in the wind; to shake; to totter
to sway in the wind; to shake; to totter; to float in the wind
 
trad. (風雨飄搖) 風雨 飄搖
simp. (风雨飘摇) 风雨 飘摇

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 155 (《詩經·豳風·鴟鴞》):

予羽譙譙，予尾翛翛。予室翹翹，風雨所漂搖。予維音嘵嘵。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
予羽谯谯，予尾翛翛。予室翘翘，风雨所漂摇。予维音哓哓。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Yǔ yǔ qiáoqiáo, yǔ wěi xiāoxiāo. Yú shì qiáoqiáo, fēngyǔ suǒ piàoyáo. Yǔ wéi yīn xiāoxiāo. [Pinyin]
My wings are all-injured;
My tail is all-broken;
My house is in a perilous condition;
It is tossed about in the wind and rain:
I can but cry out with this note of alarm.

Pronunciation

Idiom

風雨飄搖

  1. (of a situation) turbulent; precarious; tottering
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