崔颢的一生行迹（704-754）
崔颢（约704-754），汴州（今河南开封）人，唐玄宗开元十一年进士。早年诗作多写闺情，流于浮艳，曾漫游东北边塞与大江南北，晚节忽变常体，风骨凛然。官至尚书司勋员外郎，天宝十三载卒。其《黄鹤楼》一诗被严羽推为唐人七言律诗第一，李白登楼见之敛手。
汴州（704） · 汴州少年
武则天长安四年（704年）前后，崔颢出生于汴州（今河南开封）。汴州地处汴水之滨，是连接黄河与淮河的漕运枢纽。他少有才名，诗思俊逸，及长负笈出游，往来于京洛与江淮之间。
长安（723） · 长安登第
唐玄宗开元十一年（723年），崔颢在长安进士及第。少年登科的他意气飞扬，纵酒任侠，走马秦川，然而《旧唐书》也记下他"有俊才，无士行，好蒱博饮酒"、数易其妻的放浪形迹。
渔阳（730） · 边塞壮游
唐玄宗开元十八年（730年）前后，崔颢北游边塞，抵达幽州东北的渔阳郡。残雪边城、辽阳春水的北地风光震撼了他，胡骑汉将的杀伐之气注入笔端，诗风由浮艳转向雄浑。
雁门（731） · 边塞壮游
唐玄宗开元十九年（731年）前后，崔颢由东北转游河东，登临天下九塞之首的雁门关。代郡高山、胡人猎骑的边地生活扑面而来，他纵笔写下游猎的豪迈与边塞的苍茫。
金陵（735） · 江南行吟
唐玄宗开元二十三年（735年）前后，崔颢南下漫游，行至六朝故都金陵。秦淮河畔、长干里中，商船如织、儿女多情，他以清新民歌笔调写下《长干曲》，成为乐府小诗的千古绝唱。
武昌·黄鹤楼（739） · 江南行吟
唐玄宗开元二十七年（739年）前后，崔颢溯江西上，登武昌蛇山黄鹤楼。他凭栏远眺，汉阳晴川、鹦鹉芳草尽收眼底，乡关暮色涌上心头，提笔题下那首令李白敛手的千古名篇。
华阴（745） · 名满京华
唐玄宗天宝四载（745年）前后，崔颢结束漫游入京任职，行经华山脚下的华阴县。他驻马远眺，太华三峰如削、天外飞来，秦关汉畤在河山之间纵横铺展，写下雄浑苍劲的七律名篇。
长安（终老）（754） · 名满京华
唐玄宗天宝十三载（754年），崔颢在长安司勋员外郎任上病逝，享年约五十一岁。他历官太仆寺丞，终尚书司勋员外郎。历经半世沉浮，当年的轻薄少年早已蜕变为风骨凛然的盛唐名家。
The Life Journey of Cui Hao, Master of the Yellow Crane Tower
Cui Hao (c. 704-754), of Bianzhou (Kaifeng), jinshi of 723, began with courtly love verse, was transformed by the northeastern frontier, and ended a master of the High Tang. His 'Yellow Crane Tower' was ranked by Yan Yu the finest seven-character regulated poem of the Tang — the poem before which Li Bai himself laid down his brush.
Timeline of the Journey
- 704 · 汴州 — Born in Bianzhou (Kaifeng) on the Bian River; a prodigy of quick verse, he left young to roam between the capitals and the Huai.
- 723 · 长安 — Passed the jinshi young at nineteen — then drank, gambled and changed wives, the 'talent without conduct' the Old Tang History records.
- 730 · 渔阳 — North to the frontier at Yuyang: border snow and Liaoyang spring waters hardened his style from pretty to powerful.
- 731 · 雁门 — At Yanmen Pass, first of the nine barriers, he wrote of Xiongnu hunting-riders and the sweep of the northern wastes.
- 735 · 金陵 — South to Jinling: in the Changgan lanes among boats and traders he wrote the two "Changgan Songs" — folk-toned miniatures that never age.
- 739 · 武昌 — Atop the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang: "The man of old has gone riding the yellow crane" — the poem that silenced Li Bai.
- 745 · 华阴 — Passing Mount Hua on his way back to office, he wrote a granite-edged regulated poem on the three peaks beyond the sky.
- 754 · 长安 — Died at about fifty as Librarian of the Ministry of Records — the frivolous youth long since a poet of bone and wind.
'The man of old has gone riding the yellow crane; here on earth the Yellow Crane Tower remains.' One poem gave Cui Hao a seat beside the immortals — and gave every poet after him a tower to measure himself against.
