A rare, literary noun expressing deep compassion or pity. In modern Japanese, 同情 (どうじょう) or 哀れみ (あわれみ) are far more common.
I found the expression 'tears of compassion' in an old novel.
Compound of 憐 (れん, 'pity') and 情 (じょう, 'emotion'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is a Sino-Japanese word rarely used in modern Japanese.