Mao Pang was born into a family of “literary masters and Confucian teachers”. His father Weizhan, his uncle Weifan and his uncle Weifu were all Jinshi. Pang loved poetry and prose since childhood. In the second year of Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty (1079), he married Zhao Ying from Xi’an (now Quzhou), the eldest granddaughter of the iron-faced censor Zhao Yan. In the third year of Yuanfeng in the Song Dynasty (1080), he went to Yunzhou (now Gao’an, Jiangxi) with his father and met Su Zhe. In the seventh year, he was appointed as the county lieutenant of Yingzhou (now Zhongxiang, Hubei). During the Yuanyou period of Emperor Zhezong, he was a law officer in Hangzhou. Su Shi recommended him and was appreciated by the prefect Su Shi, who praised him: “The writing is elegant and vigorous, with a rhyme that transcends the world.” In the first year of Yuanfu (1098), he was appointed as the magistrate of Wukang County. In the first year of Chongning (1102), he was recommended by Zeng Bu to Beijing as an editor. In the same year, Zeng Bu was dismissed from his post as prime minister, and Pang was tried and imprisoned. In the first year of Zhenghe (1111), he was dismissed from office and returned home, living in Xianju Temple. Later, he drifted to Tokyo. In the early years of Daguan (about 1108), he wrote lyrics and presented them to Prime Minister Cai Jing, who appointed him to Dengwen Drum Court. During the Zhenghe period, he served as a member of the Ci Department and the prefect of Xiuzhou (now Jiaxing City). He had a frustrated career throughout his life.
毛滂生于“天下文宗儒师”世家。父维瞻、伯维藩、叔维甫皆为进士。滂自幼酷爱诗文词赋，北宋元丰二年（1079），与西安（今衢州）赵英结为伉俪，铁面御史赵抃的长房孙女，宋元丰三年（1080）随父赴筠州（今江西高安），结识苏辙。七年出任郢州（今湖北钟祥）县尉。哲宗元佑间为杭州法曹，苏轼曾加荐举，受知府苏轼赏识并赞称：“文词雅健，有超世之韵。”元符元年（1098）任武康知县，崇宁元年（1102）由曾布推荐进京为删定官。贮存器年曾布罢相，滂连坐受审下狱，政和元年（1111）罢官归里，寄迹仙居寺。后流落东京。大观初年（约1108）填词呈宰相蔡京被起用，任登闻鼓院。政和年间任词部员外郎、秀州（今嘉兴市）知州。一生仕途失意。
《浣溪沙·泛舟还余英馆》 毛滂
烟柳风蒲冉冉斜，
小窗不用著帘遮。
载将山影转湾沙。
略断时分岸色，
蜻蜓立处过汀花。
此情此水共天涯。
Silk-Washing Stream
Boating on My Way Back
Mao Pang
The reeds and willow trees slant slightly in the breeze.
I need no window screen lest I can’t gaze my fill.
I’ll carry round the sands the shadow of the hill.
The little bridge divides the views of riversides.
On flowers in the isle alights a dragonfly.
Can I forget this stream where’er I go ‘neath the sky?
