Xu Zaisi styled Deke, Xu was born in Jiaxing (belonging to today's Zhejiang). As he likes eating sugar, he chose "Tianzhai" (Study of Sweetness) as his literary name. Xu was paralleled with Guan Yunshi for the polish of his Sanqu poetry, with 103 short lyrics attributed to him, most of which depict natural beauty and the life of women. Employing skillfully the techniques similar to line-drawing in Chinese painting and ingenious parallel couplets, Xu achieves an effect of concision. He also makes good use of colloquialisms and folk songs. His style is either minute and deep, lyrical and elegant, or deep and heroic when speculations on history are concerned.
徐再思 字德可，嘉兴（今属浙江）人。好吃甘怡，因自号甜斋。工散曲，与贯云石（号酸斋）齐名。现存小令一百零三首，多描写自然风光和闺阁之情，擅用白描手法，字句凝练，对仗工巧，善用俗谣俚曲，曲辞清丽，抒情细腻深切，风格秀雅。一些怀古之作，寓意深远，格调悲壮。
Sunset on the Western Hill to the tune of the World being Overjoyed
普天乐·西山夕照
Evening clouds disperse on high,
晚云收，
The setting sun hanging in the sky.
夕阳挂。
On the river maple leaves shower,
一川枫叶，
On the two banks grow the reed flower.
两岸芦花。
Gulls and egrets perch and sleep,
鸥鹭楼，
Homeward are going oxen and sheep.
牛羊下。
Boundless gleaming waves present a heavenly picture to the eye,
万顷波光天图画，
The crystal-palace-like water is invested by crimson clouds with a red dye.
水晶宫冷浸红霞。
Congealed mist is seen in the evening twilight,
凝烟暮景，
The ancient trees are bathed in quivering sunlight,
转晖老树，
In the evening sky crows are high and out of sight.
背影昏鸦。