創鉅痛深

From The Book of Rites, Book 38 (《禮記·三年問》), below is the current version:

創鉅者其日久，痛甚者其愈遲。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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创巨者其日久，痛甚者其愈迟。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

Chuāng jù zhě qí rìjiǔ, tòng shèn zhě qí yù chí. [Pinyin]

When the trauma has been great, the duration [of the mourning] must be long. When the pain has been severe, the healing must be slow.

In older versions of this book, 深 (shēn, “deeply”) was likely in place of 甚 (shèn, “severe”), as quoted by Liu Xiaobiao (462–521) in the annotations to Shishuo Xinyu, where this four-character form was first attested.

司空流涕曰：「臣父遭遇無道，創巨痛深，無以仰答明詔。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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司空流涕曰：「臣父遭遇无道，创巨痛深，无以仰答明诏。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5^th century CE

Sīkōng liútì yuē: “Chén fù zāoyù wúdào, chuàngjùtòngshēn, wúyǐ yǎngdá míngzhào.” [Pinyin]

Weeping, He Xun said, "Your servant's father encountered a monarch without morals [i.e. Sun Hao]. Since the wound is great and the pain deep, I was unable to reply sincerely to Your Majesty's illustrious question."

創鉅痛深

1. (literary) to be badly injured and in great pain; to suffer from great loss and deep distress