Ni Zan styled Yuanzhen, also known by his literary name Yunlin, or the Old One of Wind and Moon, Ni was born in Wuxi (belonging to today's Jiangsu Province). Being proud and aloof from worldly affairs, Ni despised authority and the wealthy. So he never attempted to become an official. His artistic scope includes playing ztihter, composing music, calligraphy and painting, and poetry (Shi, Ci and Sanqu). Twelve of his short lyrics have survived, of which many are descriptions of landscape and expressions of personal feelings--actually the landscape he describes and the feelings he expresses emerge into each other. The style of his poetry is one of freshness, deepness and subtlety.
倪赞 字元镇，号云林，又号风月老人，无锡（今属江苏）人。性情孤傲清高，藐视权贵，决意仕进。善操琴，精音律，工书画，能诗词散曲。存世散曲有小令十三首，多吟咏山水景物，抒发个人情怀，情景交融，风格清丽幽婉。
Title Lost (2) to the tune of the Full Moon and Human Reunion
人月圆·失题（二）
Dream of the past is suddently broken and gone,
惊回一枕当年梦，
There from the southern ferret comes the fisherman's song.
渔唱起南津。
Around picture-like mountains the distant clouds look like a shawl,
画屏云嶂，
The sprin grass grows tender in the pond small.
池塘春草，
Oh, how these scenes my soul enthral!
无限销魂，
My old home should have been safe and sound,
旧家应在，
Where Chinese parasol braches wind the well round.
梧桐覆井，
Where the willows my home's door surround.
杨柳藏门。
Look now, this idle body of mine gets so gaunt,
闲身空老，
In the lonely boat listening to pattering rain sitting still,
孤篷听雨，
Far and wide lamps are seen scattering the river village chill.
灯火江村。