During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, not only was the twelve-animal zodiac used for marking years, but the renowned scholar Shen Jiong also composed China's first delightful poem featuring all twelve zodiac animals: "Mouse tracks leave dust on the desk, ox and sheep return at dusk. Tiger roars sit in the empty valley, rabbit moon shines through the window. Dragon marshes stretch far with verdant green, snake winds near the willow trees. Horse orchids are just picked from afar, sheep carry spring seedlings. Monkeys offer chestnuts and fragrant fruits, rooster's crow draws a clear cup. Dog embodies a carefree spirit, pig peers from the window in leisure." This poem ingeniously incorporates the name of each zodiac animal at the beginning of its respective line in sequence, while highlighting the inherent nature of each creature, achieving an effect akin to the finishing touch on a painting. It is truly original and delightfully literary.
Zhu Xi, a great Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, also wrote a poem about the twelve zodiac animals. He skillfully scattered the names of the twelve animals throughout the lines of his poem: "By day, a hungry rat gnaws an empty bamboo basket; at dawn, I drive a lean ox to plow a wasteland. Recently, I heard boastful talk at the tiger enclosure; my old estate, like Rabbit Nation, is lamented as barren. See the dormant dragon lying through the three winters, its horns refusing to vie with the snake for dominance. I abandon my carriage and slaughter my horse, ending the race; I cook mutton and buy wine, finding ease. I planted monkey peaches whose vines now hang green, and raise kūn chickens (kūn chicken: an ancient term for a crane-like bird) whose calls are loud and clear. When guests arrive, the dog barks, urging tea to be brewed, no need to buy pork from the neighbor."
Yuan Dynasty literati Liu Yin composed a poem celebrating the twelve zodiac animals: "A hungry eagle frightens the rat, which dares not rise; on the ox's back, high eyes see such a sight. The land looks like a tiger crouching over a thousand miles; one can only distinguish Jingzhou's rabbit warren. Fish and dragons enter the water, vast and boundless; illusions are like a snake in a wine cup. Horse ears catch the autumn wind, leaving no trace; the sheep's gut-like road through Shu means an early return home. Why dance like a monkey before a noble gate? A pen for chickens and a fence for pigs are all happy lands. The dog barks at the cottage gate, informing the old neighbor, arranging to buy a sacred pig to thank the spring rain." The poem embeds all twelve zodiac signs, with each line forming a story radiant with meaning.
Hu Yan, a great scholar of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote a zodiac poem: "A tiny field mouse drinks the river, yet the river never runs dry; the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet only with great difficulty. With bare hands, bind the fierce tiger on南山; fetching the rabbit from the moon is a journey through endless sky. The black dragon guards its pearl, never sleeping; adding feet to a snake is only a burden. An old horse never grows horns; a male goat butting a fence only snorts in frustration. Do not mock the Chu man who crowned a monkey; raising chickens in the forest wastes one's life. At Pei market, the butcher of dogs in Wuyang; at Pingjin, releasing pigs at the eastern sea." The first line's "tiny field mouse" (xī shǔ) refers to a water rat; the second line's "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" (niú nǚ) refers to the folk legend; the fifth line's "black dragon" (lí lóng) is a type of dragon with a precious pearl under its jaw; the eighth line's "male goat" (dī yáng) means a ram, and "butting the fence" (chù fān) describes a goat's horn caught in a hedge; the eleventh line's "Wuyang" refers to Han Gaozu Liu Bang enfeoffing the general Fan Kuai as Marquis of Wuyang, who once made his living by slaughtering dogs in Pei County, Jiangsu; the final line refers to Gongsun Hong, Chancellor during Emperor Wu of Han's reign, who once herded pigs in the East Sea. This poem not only sequentially embeds the names of the zodiac animals but pairs each with a historical allusion, allowing readers to appreciate both the charm and the profound meaning.