expression, godan verb (-mu)
lament the passing of spring
Poetic expression used in classical or literary contexts to express a bittersweet feeling as spring draws to a close.
桜が散るのを見て、春惜しむ思いにかられた。
Seeing the cherry blossoms fall, I was seized with a feeling of lamenting the end of spring.
Compound of 春 (spring) and 惜しむ (to regret, to lament). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with classical Japanese poetry.