Singing of the people of 楚国 (Chǔ Guó) coming from all directions
Refers to when one is cut off from help when being attacked on all sides or in a difficult situation
Neutral
因为战略错误，使前线军队陷入四面楚歌的困境 | Yīn wéi zhànlüè cuòwù, shǐ qiánxiàn jūnduì xiànrù sìmiànchǔgē de kùnjìng
Because of an error in strategy, the troops on the front line found themselves in dire straits
[Source]
祖马突然变得四面楚歌，这不光是因为他的私生活，更重要的，是他被指责缺乏远见和领导才能 | Zǔ mǎ túrán biàn dé sìmiànchǔgē, zhè bùguāng shì yīnwèi tā de sīshēnghuó, gèng zhòngyào de, shì tā pī zhǐzé quēfá yuǎnjiàn hé lǐngdǎo cáinéng
Suddenly, Mr Zuma found himself besieged on all sides not just for his private life but, more importantly, for his alleged lack of vision and leadership
[Source]
To be in dire straits
To be besieged on all sides
None
The events of this story mark the end of the 楚汉战争 (Chǔ Hàn Zhàn Zhēng | Chu–Han Contention), a period of civil war after the collapse of the Qín Dynasty (秦, 221 - 207 BC). This conflict saw many people vying for power, though the most significant players were the warlords 刘邦 (Liú Bāng) and 项羽 (Xiàng Yǔ)
《史记》(Shǐ Jì), or the famous work "Records of the Grand Historian" by 司马迁 (Sī Mǎ Qiān).
In 203 BC, the warlords 项羽 (Xiàng Yǔ) and 刘邦 (Liú Bāng) agreed to a ceasefire that split the territory of the newly-collapsed Qín Dynasty between them. However, as 项羽 started to head back to the territory that had been newly established as his, 刘邦's ministers advised him to ignore the ceasefire and launch an attack. 刘邦 took this advice, and after successfully bribing the leaders of two other armies for their assistance, he completely surrounded 项羽 and his forces at the city of 垓下 (Gāi Xià).
When night fell, 刘邦 ordered all of the armies surrounding the city to start singing songs from 项羽's current territory of 楚 (Chǔ). When a shocked 项羽 heard the songs from inside the city, he wondered how it was possible that so many enemy soldiers knew songs from his home. He soon came to the conclusion that the rest of his territory had fallen to his enemy or that many of his troops had defected, and his morale collapsed. Many remaining members of his weakened army drew the same conclusions as their commander, and many also began to feel homesick. Soon, their desire to battle all but vanished as well.
At this point, 项羽 slowly rose from his bed, drank some wine, and sang several songs with his favorite concubine. After they finished singing, and tears were running down everyone's cheeks, it was time to act. His concubine slit her own throat, and 项羽 led 800 men to break through the siege. At first, they were successful, but before long, 刘邦's troops pursued them and cornered them on the banks of the 乌江 (Wū Jiāng) river. By now, only 28 of 项羽's men remained, and escape or triumph were impossible. 项羽 ferociously fought as many enemy soldiers as he could, then slit his own throat to avoid capture.
With the death of 项羽, his army and territory surrendered to 刘邦. The triumphant warlord soon declared himself emperor of China and founded the Hàn Dynasty, which would endure for over 400 years (汉, 206 BD - 220 AD).