Zhang Kejiu Styled Xiaoshan, was born in Qingyuan (today's Yin county of Zhejiang Province). Unsuccessful in his official career, Zhang found his sustenance in traveling in mountains and rivers. He devoted all his literary efforts to the writing of Sanqu poetry and never cared to write plays. Therefore the extant works of Sanqu poetry of Zhang outnumber any other poets of the Yuan dynasty. His poems are mainly descriptions of landscape and expressions of his unrestrained sentiments in a fresh and exquisite style. Zhang also distinguishes himself in combining the techniques of Shi and Ci poetry in writing Sanqu poetry. He pays special attention to the diction, meter, and flavor of poetry, which has a strong influence on later poets.
张可久 字小山，庆元（今浙江鄞县）人。仕途不得志，放浪于山水间。专致力于散曲，不写杂剧，是作品传世数量最多的元散曲作家。作品内容多歌唱山水风景，书写放逸情怀，风格清新秀丽，善于熔铸诗词作法入曲，讲究词藻、格律、韵味，对后世影响很大。
Life in Seclusion to the tune of Prelude to the Limpid River
清江引·幽居
Being kept from the secular world's right and wrong,
红尘是非不到我，
Savaged by the autumn wind is the thatched house where I stay.
茅屋秋风破。
Quiet life in this mountain village goes along,
山村小过活，
Occasionally I read or write using old inkslab of stone or clay,
老砚闲工课，
Beyond the bamboo fence two or three plum tree flowers together throng.
梳理外玉梅三四朵。