longing for loved ones
Literary expression evoking the deep yearning felt during the long autumn nights, often for distant family or friends. Rare in modern conversation; mainly found in poetry or classical prose.
On a night lost in longing for loved ones, I gazed at the moon and yearned for my hometown.
From the Chinese classic 『詩経』, where a day without seeing a loved one is said to feel like three autumns. 三秋 therefore expresses a subjectively long separation and intense longing.