Autumn rain has tears

秋雨含泪 (qiūyǔ hánlèi): the autumn rain has tears

Made-up character combining components of the characters for “have” and “tears.”

Yu Qiuyu with a copy of his inflammatory essay. (Ah Niu)

This phrase has the same origin as does “tearfully urge.” Following the devastation of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, literary figure Yu Qiuyu penned the essay“A Tearful Request for the Earthquake Survivors” (含泪劝告请愿灾民), in which he implored parents of the approximately 9,000 students who died in poorly constructed buildings to stop their protests against the government. His essay suggested that the parents were being used by those with “ulterior motives” and by “anti-Chinese forces.” Many netizens accused Yu of trying to protect the corrupt politicians and contractors whose greed and negligence had led to so many deaths. Yu Qiuyu's given name literally translates to “autumn rain.” In current usage the phrase means “crocodile tears.”