柳永的一生行迹（987-1053）
柳永（约987-约1053），原名三变，字耆卿，崇安（今福建武夷山）人，北宋词人。景祐元年进士，官至屯田员外郎，世称"柳屯田"。其词创制大量慢词长调，以俗语入词，写羁旅离情与市井繁华，开婉约词新风，"凡有井水饮处，皆能歌柳词"。
崇安（987） · 崇安少年
宋太宗雍熙四年（987年）前后，柳永出生于建州崇安（今福建武夷山）一官宦之家。父柳宜官至工部侍郎，柳永少年时在崇安白水村长大，武夷山水灵秀，他早慧工词，少年时代即以《劝学文》闻名乡里，后赴京城应举。
开封（1009） · 汴京流连
宋真宗大中祥符二年（1009年）前后，柳永至京师开封应进士举。他才华绝伦却流连坊曲青楼，与歌妓乐工日夕唱和，创制大量新腔慢词，名动京华。然其"忍把浮名，换了浅斟低唱"的放浪态度得罪了仁宗，科举屡试不中。
杭州（1018） · 漫游江南
宋真宗天禧二年（1018年）前后，柳永漫游至杭州，被钱塘繁华深深震撼，写下千古名作《望海潮·东南形胜》，以铺叙手法极写杭州"三秋桂子，十里荷花"的富丽景象。此词传唱至北方，金主完颜亮闻"三秋桂子"而起投鞭断江之志。
苏州（1025） · 漫游江南
宋仁宗天圣三年（1025年）前后，柳永自杭州北游途经苏州，登姑苏台览古，写下《双声子·晚天萧索》。苏州姑苏台乃吴王夫差所建，西施曾于此歌舞，柳永览古伤今，以慢词抒兴亡之感，在婉约本色中融入沧桑之叹。
开封（1034） · 科举蹭蹬
宋仁宗景祐元年（1034年），柳永更名柳三变，终于登进士第，授睦州团练推官，后改著作佐郎、屯田员外郎。此前他屡试不中，曾作《鹤冲天》发牢骚，仁宗特落其名，今改名后终获收录，时年已近五十。
睦州（1034） · 暮年入仕
宋仁宗景祐元年（1034年），柳永中进士后首任睦州团练推官（今浙江建德）。睦州地接新安江，山水清绝，柳永到任后公务之余流连山水，写下《满江红·暮雨初收》等词，新安江的烟水为他的词境增添了清旷之色。
江夏（1036） · 漫游江南
宋仁宗景祐三年（1036年）前后，柳永宦游至江夏（今湖北武汉），登黄鹤楼览胜，写下游宦羁旅的深沉感慨。黄鹤楼临长江、倚蛇山，为天下名楼，柳永以慢词抒发漂泊天涯的孤独，"对潇潇暮雨洒江天"的旷远意象成为宋词写秋的经典开篇。
润州（1048） · 暮年入仕
宋仁宗庆历八年（1048年）前后，柳永转官途经润州（今江苏镇江），登北固山望长江。暮年漂泊，他写下《雨霖铃》式的离愁别恨——"多情自古伤离别，更那堪冷落清秋节"，将一生羁旅之苦凝入慢词长调，润州北固楼上，江风猎猎，老词人回望半生浮沉。
The Life Journey of Liu Yong, the Word-Smith of Every Well and Watering Place
Liu Yong (c. 987-c. 1053), born Liu Sanbian of Chong'an, failed the examinations, angered the emperor with one sarcastic ci, and went to write for the singing-girls of the capital — inventing the long 'slow' tunes that made lyric a popular art. 'Wherever there is a well to draw from, someone sings Liu's words.' Pardoned at last, he ended a paltry assistant commissioner: the greatest loser, and the most sung poet, of the Song.
Timeline of the Journey
- 987 · 崇安 — Born in Chong'an below the Wuyi mountains, son of a future vice-minister; the water-and-mist already in his ear.
- 1009 · 开封 — To the capital for the examinations — and into its quarters of song: new tunes by the dozen, his name in every brothel and wine-shop. 'The Crane Soaring to Heaven': 'enduring is the delight of the tender name — let me trade the empty title of a flower for the lamp and wine.' The emperor struck his name; he signed himself 'Liu the Wordsmith by Imperial Grace.'
- 1018 · 杭州 — South through the richest city in the world: 'Southeast's stronghold' — 'three autumns of osmanthus, ten li of lotus' — a poem so flattering the Jin, they say, came to see it.
- 1025 · 苏州 — At Suzhou's Gusu terrace, where Xi Shi once danced: 'evening sky desolate' — the past usable, the present drifting.
- 1034 · 开封 — Renamed Liu Yong, pardoned in the special examination, jinshi at last near fifty: 'the new willow' — the old bohemian in the register of officials.
- 1034 · 睦州 — Assistant at Muzhou on the Xin'an river; mountains and duties, and even a magistrate's life turned into song. 'The river flows, the mountains are cut by clouds.'
- 1036 · 江夏 — Clerk to the Yellow Crane Tower country: 'the study of Kuan-hsiao, all night the maple bridge' — the traveler's autumn, 'I have owed this wandering half my life.'
- 1048 · 润州 — Transfer through Runzhou by North Fortress hill: 'I have been long a traveler; watching the returning boats crowd the river mouth' — 'eight beats of Ganzhou,' homesickness at flood.
- 1053 · 开封 — Died about 1053, Assistant Commissioner of the Imperial Estates — the singsong girls of the capital pooled their silver to bury him, and mourned him every spring at his grave.
'Parting has always broken hearts, all the more when we part in the clear autumn... I shall be sober only when the willow-banks, the dawn wind and the failing moon are nothing to me.' Liu Yong lost every office he wanted and won every ear that ever mattered.
