Zhu Xiaozang (1857-1931) was one of the four great ci poets in the late Qing Dynasty. He was also known as Zumou, with the courtesy names Guwei, Huosheng, Yuyin and Qiangcun. He was from Gui’an (now Wuxing County) in Zhejiang Province. He was a juren in the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, and a jinshi in the following year. He served as an editor, a lecturer, and a minister of the Ministry of Rites. In the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, he was appointed as the governor of Guangdong Province. He resigned due to illness because of a disagreement with the governor. He died in Shanghai in the 20th year of the Republic of China. Zhu Xiaozang was famous for his poetry. When he was an official in Beijing, he became friends with Wang Pengyun, and gave up poetry to focus on ci. His ci “integrated the strengths of various schools, and his voice and emotion became more and more simple and vigorous, and he was regarded as the leader of the ci poets of the same generation. His poems were of high quality.” He wrote a collection of ci, “Qiangcun Yuye”, in two volumes. After his death, his disciple Long Yusheng engraved another volume and included it in “Qiangcun Yishu”.
朱孝臧（1857~1931）晚清四大词家之一。一名祖谋，字古微、藿生，号沤尹、彊村，浙江归安（今吴兴县）人。光绪八年举人，次年进士，历官编修、侍讲学士、礼部侍郎。光绪三十年出为广东学政，因与总督龃龉，引疾辞官。民国二十年卒于上海。朱孝臧始以能诗名，为京官时，与王鹏运交，弃诗而专攻词。词作“融诸家之长，声情益臻朴茂，清刚隽上，并世词家推领袖焉。诗能入品。”著有词集《彊村语业》二卷，身后其门人龙榆生为补刻一卷，收入《彊村遗书》。
朱孝臧·《浣溪沙》
独鸟冲波去意闲，
坏霞如赭水如笺。
为谁无尽写江天。
并舫风弦弹月上，
当窗山髻挽云还。
独经行处未荒寒。
Tune: Huang His sha
Chu Hsiao-Tsang
A solitary bird crashing into the waves wings off in joy;
Sundered sunset clouds are like dabs of carmine, the water’s like a blank page.
But to whom shall I write endlessly of river and sky?
Over our twin pleasure boats, a moon rises at the plucking of the string;
Facing the window, coiffure hills entice the lingering clouds to stay.
The places where I’ve traveled alone aren’t altogether desolate.
