A Poem in Running Script

Zheng Yongyan (?–?) was born in Yin county (today’s Ningbo, Zhejiang province). He passed the Imperial Exam in the thirteenth year of the Yongle period in the Ming Dynasty (1415) and took on a short-term position in the Hanlin Academy (hanliyuan). He participated in the editing and compiling work of the Yongle Encyclopedia (yongledadian). He retired as Sub-Director of the court of Imperial Sacrifices, a position in charge of ceremonies and sacrificial rituals.