Mei Yaochen (1002 - 1060),¹ style name 聖俞 Shengyu, was one of the Song dynasty's most influential writers. In particular, he, 歐陽修 Ouyang Xiu and 蘇舜欽 Su Shunqin are said to have been the most important of the early northern Song dynasty poets.

Ouyang Xiu, said to have been Mei Yaochen's closest friend, once sent him two poems called Seated at Night Playing the Qin. In return, Mei Yaochen wrote two poems for Ouyang Xiu. The first of Ouyang Xiu's poems, with translation by Jonathan Chaves, is included here. Prof. Chaves has also translated the first poem in Mei Yaochen's response (with matching rhyme) as follows:

次韻和永叔夜坐鼓琴有感二首
Following the Rhyme Words and Harmonizing with Yongshu's Two Poems, Sitting at Night and Playing the Qin (#1; neither this nor #2 seems to be included in Qinshu Daquan)

The lines at the end of Ouyang Xiu's poem alluded that their relationship could be compared to the famous relationship between Boya and Ziqi. This is also mentioned in another poem, with sketch, that Ouyang Xiu wrote for Mei, included in the footnote below.² The portion, in the sketch at the end, mentioning Boya and Ziqi, is as follows:

• 聖俞久在洛中，其詩亦往往人皆有之，今將告歸，余因求其稿而寫之。然夫前所謂心之所得者，如伯牙鼓琴，子期聽之，不相語而意相知也。余今得聖俞之稿，猶伯牙之琴弦乎

Ouyang Xiu enjoyed very much playing qin, as did another friend of Mei's, Fan Zhongyan, an accomplished qin player as well as poet. From this, plus Ouyang Xiu's essay and other poems by Mei, one might assume that Mei Yaochen played as well, but I have not yet seen any specific details about this.

Some more of Mei Yaochen's own qin related writings are as follows (with reference to their inclusion in Qinshu Daquan):

• Folio 18, #13 (V/393)
  • 梅堯臣魚琴賦 Rhapsody on a Qin (made from a broken wooden) Fish
    丁從事獲古寺破木魚斲為琴....

• Folio 20A, #44 - 47 (four entries, V/448),
  • 送彈琴僧知白 Seeing off the Qin-Playing Monk Zhi Bai
    See under Zhi Bai

  • 訥上人彈琴 Presented to a Monk Playing Qin
    祥哀已踰月，遇子彈鳴琴。
    安得不成聲，子心異吾心。....

  • 宮承胡平易彈琴 In a Hall Receiving the Qin Playing of Hu Pingyi
    昌黎嘗試聽琴詩，六一謂是琵琶詞。
    琴與琵琶孰能辨，世上寧無鐘子期？

  • 鳴琴 Resonating Qin
    雖傳古人聲，不識古人意。
    古人今已遠，悲哉廣陵思。

• Folio 20B, #47 (V/456)
  • 風琴聯句 Linked-verse on a Wind-Qin
    The first half was written by 謝絳 Xie Jiang（994－1039), 字希深 style name Xishen (same as Fan Zhongyan), the second half by Mei. The poem elsewhere is called 風瑟聯句 Linked-verse on a Wind-Se (not a music instrument but a metaphor for nature's music).

    竅竹漏天風，張弦擬嶧桐。
    佳名從此得，妙響未曾窮。（希深）
    夜靜危臺上，人閑皎月中。
    依依聽不足，秋露滿蘭叢。（堯臣）

• Folio 20B, #55 (V/457)
  • 遊元紫芝琴臺 Going to the Qin Terrace of Yuan Zizhi
    訪古歷荒城，城孤落日鳴。 (for 歷 the text had 㦄)
    人琴兩不見,破月高臺頃。

There may be more.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 梅堯臣 Mei Yaochen
ICTCL 620; 15223.162 字聖俞 style name Shengyu; no other alternate names mentioned.

2. Ouyang Xiu writing about Mei Yaochen
The full text of this poem and sketch, as included in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 18, #85 (V/417), is as follows:

• 書梅聲俞詩藁後 Shu Mei Shengyu Shi Gao Hou
  (9/597 藁 gao: same as 稾 or 稿 sketch )

  凡樂，達天地之和而與人之氣相接，故其疾徐奮動可以感於心，歡欣惻愴可以察于聲。五聲單出於金石，不能自和也，而工者和之。然抱其器，知其聲，節其廉肉而調其律呂，如此者，工之善也。今指其器以問于工曰：彼簨者，堵而編、執而列者，何也？彼必曰：鞀鼓、鐘磬、絲管、干戚也。又語其聲以問之曰：彼清者，濁者，剛而奮、柔而曼衍者，或在郊、或在廟堂之下而羅者，何也？彼必曰：八音，五聲，六代之曲，上者歌而下者舞也。其聲器名物，皆可以數而對也。然至乎動盪血脈，流通精神，使人可以喜，可以悲，或歌或泣，不知手足鼓舞之所然，問其何以感之者，則雖有善工，猶不知其所以然焉，蓋不可得而言也。樂之道深矣，故工之善者，必得於心，應于手，而不可述之言也。聽之善，亦必得於心而會以意，不可得而言也。堯、舜之時，夔得之，以和人神、舞百獸。三代、春秋之際，師襄、師曠、州鳩之徒得之，為樂官，理國家，知興亡。周衰官失，樂器淪亡，散之河海，逾千百歲間，未聞有得之者。其天地人之和氣相接者，既不得泄于金石，疑其遂獨鍾於人。故其人之得者，雖不可和于樂，尚能歌之為詩。

  古者登歌清廟，太師掌之，而諸侯之國亦各有詩，以道其風土性情。至于投壺、饗射，必使工歌，以達其意，而為賓樂。

  蓋詩者，樂之苗裔歟！漢之蘇、李，魏之曹、劉，得其正始。宋、齊而下，得其浮淫流佚。唐之時，子昂、李、杜、沈、宋、王維之徒，或得其淳古淡泊之聲，或得其舒和高暢之節，而孟郊、賈島之徒，又得其悲愁鬱堙之氣。由是而下，得者時有，而不純焉。

  今聖俞亦得之。然其體長於本人情，狀風物，英華雅正，變態百出。哆兮其似春，淒兮其似秋，使人讀之可以喜，可以悲，陶暢酣適，不知手足之將鼓舞也。斯固得深者邪！其感人之至，所謂與樂同其苗裔者邪！余嘗問詩于聖俞，其聲律之高下，文語之疵病，可以指而告余也，至其心之得者，不可以言而告也。余亦將以心得意會，而未能至之者也。

  聖俞久在洛中，其詩亦往往人皆有之，今將告歸，余因求其稿而寫之。然夫前所謂心之所得者，如伯牙鼓琴，子期聽之，不相語而意相知也。余今得聖俞之稿，猶伯牙之琴弦乎！

Jonathan Chaves has translated the third and fourth paragraphs in his book cited above (pp. 9 and 10 respectively).

The fifth paragraph is extracted above.
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