Xiang Yu Heard the Folk Songs of the Chu State on All Sides

四面楚歌

When Xiang Yu, the Sovereign of the Chu State, camped his defeated troops in Gaixia, he suffered from a shortage of forces and food. And the troops of Liu Bang, the King of the Han State, and of the dukes rounded up Xiang Yu’s troops in tight rings.

刘邦终于布置了几层兵力，把项羽紧紧围在垓下（在今安徽灵璧县东南）时，项羽手下的兵士已经很少，粮食又没有了。

At night, Xiang Yu heard the folk songs of Chu on all sides.

夜里听见四面围住他的军队都唱起楚地的民歌，

Terribly shocked，he murmured，“ Has Han troops occupied all the lands of Chu?”

不禁非常吃惊地说:“刘邦已经得到了禁地了吗？为什么他的部队里面楚人这么多呢? ”

Now when one is said to hear the Chu Songs on all sides, it refers to an endangered situation, or a state of being utterly isolated.

所以以后的人就用“四面楚歌”这句话，形容人们遭受各方面攻击或逼迫的客观环境，而致陷于孤立窘迫的境地。