xiè​lù

funeral dirge

薤露 xiè​lù
funeral dirge
(literary) a funeral dirge or song of mourning; specifically an ancient Yuefu song used for burials, expressing the fleeting nature of human life by comparing it to dew on a shallot leaf
dew on a shallot leaf
(literary) dew on a shallot leaf, used as a metaphor for the brevity of human life