卢照邻的一生行迹（634-689）
卢照邻（约634-约689），字升之，号幽忧子，幽州范阳（今河北涿州）人，初唐四杰之一。少时南下从曹宪习《苍》《雅》，后为邓王李元裕府典签，任新都尉。因病辞官，风疾缠身十余年，手足残废，最终不堪病痛，自投颍水而死。《长安古意》为其代表作。
范阳（634） · 范阳求学
唐太宗贞观八年（634年）前后，卢照邻出生于幽州范阳。范阳卢氏为北方著姓，卢照邻自幼聪慧博学，十余岁便南下扬州，师从大儒曹宪研习《苍颉篇》《尔雅》，又从经史学家王义方受学，文名渐起。
扬州（647） · 范阳求学
唐太宗贞观二十一年（647年）前后，十四五岁的卢照邻负笈南下，至扬州师从博学大儒曹宪，研习文字训诂之学，又从王义方学经史。数载寒窗，他打下深厚的学问根基，以才学博赡闻名江淮。
邓州（655） · 王府入仕
唐高宗永徽六年（655年）前后，卢照邻入邓王李元裕幕府任典签。邓王为唐高祖第十七子，雅好典籍，王府藏书极富，卢照邻尽得披览，学问大进。他随府辗转邓州、寿州、兖州等地近十年，深受邓王器重。
长安（665） · 王府入仕
唐高宗麟德二年（665年），卢照邻随邓王入朝，在京师长安目睹帝国都会的极盛繁华。权贵豪门的奢靡、市井游侠的纵横尽收眼底，他借汉喻唐，写下长达五十四句的七言歌行《长安古意》，轰动一时，成为初唐歌行的压卷之作。
新都（669） · 蜀中宦游
唐高宗总章二年（669年），卢照邻出任益州新都县尉。蜀中山川雄秀，他在此与王勃、邵大震等诗文唱和，同游玄武山，留下《九月九日玄武山旅眺》等名篇。然蜀道艰难，宦情萧索，他在任数载，渐生倦意。
太白山（674） · 病废归隐
唐高宗咸亨五年（674年）前后，卢照邻离蜀返京途中染上"风疾"（疑为风湿或麻风之症），辞官入太白山求医治。他师事"药王"孙思邈，服食方士丹药，不料丹药中毒，病情反而加剧，手足渐废，从此在病痛中挣扎十余年。
具茨山（680） · 病废归隐
唐高宗永隆元年（680年）前后，卢照邻移居阳翟具茨山下，买园数十亩，凿池筑室，引颍水环绕，预先为自己修造坟墓，偃卧其中。他以"幽忧子"为号，著《释疾文》《五悲文》，在病痛与著述中苟延残喘。
颍水（689） · 病废归隐
唐睿宗永昌元年（689年）前后，卢照邻风疾日笃，手足俱废，不堪病痛折磨，与亲属执别后自投颍水而死，年约五十六岁。一代才子以如此惨烈的方式谢幕，闻者无不悲叹。
The Life Journey of Lu Zhaolin, of the Four Paragons in Pain
Lu Zhaolin (c. 634-c. 689), the 'Master of Hidden Sorrow,' of Fanyang, one of the Four Paragons of Early Tang, wrote the 'Old Feelings of Chang'an' — 'wishing to be paired fish, why dread death; better love-birds than immortals' — then caught a wasting 'wind-disease,' studied medicine under Sun Simiao himself, lost the use of his limbs over ten years, built his own tomb and lay in it, and at last drowned himself in the Ying river. The brightest city-poem and the blackest end among the Four.
Timeline of the Journey
- 634 · 范阳 — Born of the Fanyang Lu, northern gentry; brilliant and booked-up from the start.
- 647 · 扬州 — South at fourteen or fifteen to Yangzhou, Cao Xian's pupil in the old glossaries — years of hard classical drilling.
- 655 · 邓州 — Secretary (seal-keeper) in Prince Deng's establishment — a library-rich household, ten years of reading everything.
- 665 · 长安 — To the capital with the prince: 'The Old Feelings of Chang'an,' the whole roaring city — carriages, mansions, sword-boys, singing girls — 'be glad with the glad, the world's law is endless night.'
- 669 · 新都 — Defense officer of Xindu in Shu; with Wang Bo and Shao Dazhen on Xuanwu hill at Double Ninth — 'the single goose flies seeking its mate.'
- 674 · 太白山 — On the road home, the wind-disease; he resigned into Mount Taibai's care, taking elixirs under Sun Simiao's eye — the Medicine King could heal others, not this.
- 680 · 具茨山 — Down to Juci hill by the Ying: dozens of acres bought, a pond dug, a house built — and a grave made ready, to lie in while living, 'the Master of Hidden Sorrow.'
- 689 · 颍水 — Limbs dead, decades of pain: he took leave of his family and went into the Ying. The Four Paragons' gentlest singer, and the most terrible end.
'Wishing to be paired fish, why dread death; better be love-birds than envy immortals.' The city's brightest love-line came from the man death would not let love — Lu Zhaolin wrote joy like he was borrowing it.
