taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
dreary; dismal; lonely; mournful
Literary and somewhat archaic adjective describing a desolate, lonely, or melancholy atmosphere, often of wind, rain, or a scene. Used with 〜たる or 〜と.
A dreary autumn rain continues to fall.
I can hear the mournful sound of the wind.
Literary kanji spelling using the repetition mark 々. Rare in modern writing.
Alternate literary kanji spelling without the repetition mark. Even rarer than 蕭々.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 蕭 originally refers to a type of plant (wormwood) and by extension came to suggest desolation or a mournful rustling sound. The reduplicated form 蕭々 is a classical Chinese-derived literary expression.