Xu Can, also known as Xiangping, Mingxia, and Mingshen, was born in Wu County, Jiangsu Province (now Wuzhong District and Xiangcheng District of Suzhou City). Chen Zhilin succeeded. You Yingwu, a general historian. Chen Zhilin has accompanied him twice during his two migrations. In the tenth year of Kangxi’s reign (1671), he was ordered to return the bones he had collected. In his later years, he studied Buddhism and became known as Zi?. In his early years, he was fond of singing and particularly enjoyed composing poems. She was praised by the poet Chen Weisong as the number one best girl after the Southern Song Dynasty. There are “Poems from Humble Administrator’s Garden” and “Poems from Humble Administrator’s Garden”.
徐灿，字湘蘋，又字明霞、明深，江苏吴县（今苏州市吴中区、相城区）人。陈之遴继配。幼颖悟，通书史。陈之遴两次流徙，均曾随行。康熙十年（1671），奉旨归之遴之骨。晚年学佛，更号紫?。早年雅好吟咏，尤喜为词。被词人陈维崧誉为南宋后闺秀第一。有《拙政园诗馀》《拙政园诗集》。
徐灿·《御街行·燕京元夜》
华灯看罢移香屧。
正御陌、
游尘绝。
素裳粉袂玉为容，
人月都无分别。
丹楼云淡，
金门霜冷，
纤手摩挲怯。
三桥宛转凌波蹑。
敛翠黛、
低回说。
年年长向凤城游，
曾望蕊珠宫阙。
茫茫咫尺，
眼前千里，
况是明年月。
Yujie Xing:
The Lantern Festival in Beijing
Xu Can
Having watched the decorated lanterns, I move away on fragrant clogs.
Now on the imperial avenue
All roving dust is gone.
With white skirt, powdered sleeves and jade for a face,
There is no difference between lady and moon.
The clouds over the cinnabar tower look pale;
The frost on the golden gates turns cold
My delicate hands are afraid to touch them.
Along the Third Bridge I wind in light wave-traversing steps.
My kohl brows knit,
I say in a subdued voice:
“Year after year, may I always roam the Phoenix City,
Knowing that I’ve gazed upon those flower-beaded palaces.
But it’s vague and dim even at close hand,
A thousand miles just before the eyes
Let alone next year’s moon.”
