The ideophonic component 煢煢 has been attested in various forms, e.g. 睘睘 (OC *ɡʷeŋ ɡʷeŋ), as early as the Book of Poetry. One of the earliest idiomatic attestation was in a fu composition by Zhang Heng (《思玄賦》, "Deep Contemplations"):

何孤行之煢煢兮，孑不群而介立。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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何孤行之茕茕兮，孑不群而介立。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: c. 2nd century, Zhang Heng (張衡), Deep Contemplations (《思玄賦》)

Hé gūxíng zhī qióngqióng xī, jié bùqún ér jièlì. [Pinyin]

What a desolate path I tread alone,
What forlorn stance my isolation is.

As chengyu it was arguably popularised with the publication of Li Mi's petition to the Emperor Wu of Jin [267]:

外無期功強近之親，內無應門五尺之僮；煢煢孑立，形影相弔。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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外无期功强近之亲，内无应门五尺之僮；茕茕孑立，形影相吊。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 267, Li Mi, A Petition Regarding My True Circumstances (《陳情表》)

Wài wú jīgōng qiǎngjìn zhī qīn, nèi wú yìngmén wǔchǐ zhī tóng; qióngqióng jiélì, xíngyǐng xiàngdiào. [Pinyin]

Outside there is none I may venture to call a relative, and inside there is not even a servant boy to help. A complete isolation is my existence; only my figure and its shadow console each other.

煢煢孑立

1. to stand all alone