noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
deserted and lonesome; quiet and alone; innocent and nonattached; All is void
Archaic yojijukugo with Buddhist overtones. Describes a state of emptiness and solitude, either physically deserted or spiritually detached. The gloss 'All is void' reflects a Buddhist concept of emptiness. Rare in modern Japanese; encountered mainly in classical literature or Zen contexts.
古寺のあたりは空空寂寂として、人影もなかった。
The area around the old temple was deserted and lonesome, with no sign of people.
禅の境地では、心は空空寂寂として何ものにもとらわれない。
In the Zen state of mind, the heart is innocent and nonattached, free from all clinging.
寂寥 also means loneliness or desolation, but is less explicitly Buddhist and more literary. 空空寂寂 emphasizes a state of void-like emptiness.
空寂 is a shorter Buddhist term for emptiness and tranquility, similar in meaning but without the reduplicative emphasis of 空空寂寂.
A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, combining 空 (emptiness) and 寂 (tranquility, loneliness) in reduplicated form. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is associated with Buddhist concepts of voidness and detachment.