Ju Jingchen (1303-?) alias Shunchen, styled Jingxian, was born in Yang-zhou. Ju was a diligent student ever since his childhood, but did not go very far in his official career. A fan of music, he was also a playwright, though none of his plays have survived. Three sequences of Sanqu poems have been preserved.
雎景臣(1303-?)一作舜臣,字景贤,扬州人。自幼好学,然仕途不得志。嗜音律,有杂剧行世,皆不传。散曲仅存套数三篇。
The First Emperor of the Han Dynasty Revisit His Native Place to the tune of Slow Chant Shaobian
哨遍·高祖还乡
I
01
From door to door the village head put out a call:
社长排门告示,
"Whatever the assignment, there's no putting off it at all!"
但有的差使无推故,
The assignment is never like what we had before:
这差使不寻俗。
We are ordered to provide fodder and food.
一壁厢纳草也根,
And some of us are sent on errands in the neighbourhood.
一边又要差夫,
All these orders we have to obey,
索应付。
For "there comes the royal chariot," some say.
又言是车驾,
"Here is the imperial carriage," a message revealed to all.
都说是銮舆,
So the emperor is believed to return home today.
今日还乡故。
Wang, the village leader, carries firmly an earthen plate fin,
王乡老执定瓦台盘,
Zhao, another villager, holds a gourd filled with wine.
赵忙郎抱着酒葫芦。
They wear turbans newly brushed
新刷来的头巾,
And silk gowns just ironed and starched
恰糨来的绸衫,
As if they were village squires blushed.
畅好是汝幺大户。