taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Literary word describing a scene or atmosphere that is barren, lifeless, and emotionally cold. Often used with たる or として.
The winter wilderness was a desolate landscape.
His heart was bleak and he could feel nothing.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant kanji form; 索漠 is more common.
Rare variant kanji form.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 索 (search, rope) and 漠 (vague, desert) together convey a sense of vast emptiness and bleakness.