颜真卿：鸿名大德书迹 精微寓于磅礴

　　颜真卿，字清臣，别号应方，幼称羡门子，京兆万年人也，祖籍琅玡临沂。唐室名臣，书圣也。昔生于敦化之坊，玄宗开元廿二年，登进士之科，历监察御史、殿中侍御史。后因触怒权倖杨国忠，贬为平原令，世咏颜平原。安禄山叛，真卿挥河北义旅，抗贼矢志，为盟主，一时河北复归唐室。迁凤翔，膺宪部尚书。代宗时，迁吏部尚书、太子太师，封鲁公，时人咏颜鲁公。

　　开元之末，安禄山贼心渐露，真卿政觉敏捷，洞悉叛谋。表里不一，与将士饮宴，似不知兵变将起，暗中筑垣高壁，招纳勇士，积蓄粮草，惟真卿守城不失。其用兵之才，既受重用，亦惹人忌。建中三年，李希烈举兵叛逆，卢杞借机，奏请天子遣真卿往谕叛将。兴元元年，遣真卿至叛营，不屈于贼，终遭害。其殁，嗣王李皋及三军悲痛，追赠司徒，谥“文忠”。

　　颜真卿，其家学深远，五世祖颜之推，北齐之博士，所著《颜氏家训》流芳遐迩。真卿少年，家贫如洗，缺纸少笔，然不以此自困，乃取黄土水以笔醮之，壁为纸，勤苦练字。始学于褚遂良，后师从张旭，得其笔法之真传，又广汲初唐四大家之精髓，融篆隶及北魏之笔意，铸成颜体楷书，其字既雄健又宽博，为唐之楷模。

　　其楷，破初唐旧风，籀篆之笔，由瘦转腴，结阔气虹，笔力遒，韵生。此风，不独映盛唐之华，亦与高洁之格相映，书之美与人之美，和鸣而应。故其法，誉为“颜体”，与柳公权鼎名，享“颜筋柳骨”之誉。

　　Yan Zhenqing, styled Qingchen, also known by the pseudonym Yingfang, and affectionately called Xianmenzi in his youth, was a native of Wannian, Jingzhao, with ancestral roots in Langya Linyi. A distinguished official and sage of calligraphy in the Tang dynasty. Born in Dunhua Fang during the twenty-second year of Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era, he passed the imperial examinations and served successively as an Inspector and a Palace Attendant. Later, due to offending the powerful eunuch Yang Guozhong, he was demoted to the position of prefect of Pingyuan, henceforth known as "Yan Pingyuan." During the rebellion of An Lushan, Yan Zhenqing led the volunteer forces of Hebei in resistance against the rebels, becoming their leader, and for a time, Hebei was reclaimed for the Tang. Subsequently, he moved to Fengxiang and was appointed as the Minister of Justice. Under Emperor Dezong, he was promoted to Minister of Personnel and Imperial Tutor to the Crown Prince, and was ennobled as the Duke of Lu, celebrated as "Yan Lugong."

　　At the end of the Kaiyuan era, An Lushan's rebellious intentions became increasingly evident. Yan Zhenqing, with his keen political insight, discerned the conspiracy. Outwardly, he feigned ignorance, indulging in banquets with his soldiers, all the while secretly fortifying the city's defenses, recruiting brave warriors, and stockpiling supplies, ensuring that his city remained unconquered. His military acumen not only earned him a vital position but also jealousy and schemes against him. In the third year of the Jianzhong era, when Li Hsi-lie rebelled, Lu Qi seized the opportunity to suggest to the emperor that Yan Zhenqing be sent to negotiate the rebel's surrender. In the first year of the Xingyuan era, Yan Zhenqing was dispatched to the rebel camp, where he steadfastly refused to submit to the enemy and was ultimately killed. Upon his death, the heir apparent Wang Li Gao and the soldiers all mourned deeply. He was posthumously awarded the title of "Situ" and given the posthumous name "Wenzhong."

　　Yan Zhenqing, a figure of profound familial learning, traced back to his great-great-great-grandfather Yan Zhitui, a distinguished scholar of the Northern Qi Dynasty, who authored the widely revered "Yan's Family Instructions." In his youth, despite the stark poverty of his household, which lacked even the basic provisions of paper and pen, Yan Zhenqing did not succumb to despair. Instead, he resorted to practicing calligraphy on the walls using a brush dipped in yellow mud water. Initially studying under Chu Suiliang, he later followed Zhang Xu, mastering the essence of his calligraphy. He absorbed the quintessence of the early Tang masters, blending the styles of seal and clerical script with the brushwork of the Northern Wei Dynasty, thus forging the Yan style of regular script, characterized by its robust and expansive nature, setting a standard for the Tang Dynasty's calligraphy.

　　His regular script broke away from the early Tang styles, employing the brushwork of seal inscriptions to transform slender hardness into a robust fullness, with broad structures and a rainbow-like momentum. His vigorous brushwork brought the scripts to life. This style, reflecting not only the splendor of the Tang Dynasty's golden age but also harmonizing with his lofty character, made the beauty of his calligraphy and the beauty of his personality resonate together. Thus, his method became known as the "Yan Style," esteemed alongside that of Liu Gongquan, celebrated for its "Yan's muscle and Liu's bone."

鉴赏

　　《颜勤礼碑》，亦名《唐故秘书省著作郎夔州都督府长史护军颜君之神道铭》，颜真卿哀其曾祖颜勤礼之德，亲自题铭而书。大历十四年铸碑，民国十一年秋十月，于秦地西安得之，今藏于长安碑林之博物馆。

　　碑刻周围，存其三面。碑之阳刻十九行，阴刻二十行，行各三十八字;侧刻五行，行各三十七字。铭中追述颜氏祖德与后嗣于唐之勋业。书法以横细竖粗，藏锋护尾，兼用方与圆;结构端严而宽畅，拙中显巧;气韵浑然而雄健，充满生气，昭示盛唐审美之风范。

　　"The Yan Qinli Stele," also known as "Inscription for Yan Jun, Former Secretary of the Ministry of Writing, Governor of the Kui State, and Protector of the Army," was personally inscribed by Yan Zhenqing in mourning for the virtues of his great-grandfather Yan Qinli. The stele was erected in the fourteenth year of the Dali era and discovered in Xi'an, Shaanxi, in October of the eleventh year of the Republic of China, now housed in the Xi'an Stele Forest Museum.

　　The stele is inscribed on three of its sides. The front side bears nineteen lines, the back twenty lines, each with thirty-eight characters; and the side has five lines, each with thirty-seven characters. The inscription recounts the virtues of the Yan family ancestors and the achievements of their descendants during the Tang Dynasty. The calligraphy utilizes thin strokes for horizontal lines and thick strokes for vertical lines, skillfully hiding the beginning and end of each stroke, blending square and round shapes; the structure is dignified yet expansive, clumsy yet clever; the vitality is robust and vigorous, filled with life, showcasing the aesthetic standards of the prosperous Tang era.

　　《颜氏家庙碑》，全名《唐昔通议大夫行薛王之友柱国赠秘书少监国子祭酒太子少保颜君之铭》，建中元年(即公元七百八十年)，颜真卿悼亲父颜惟贞之令德，而立此碑。六月，颜君挥毫，至十月复成《碑后记》，年逾古稀，方其书道之巅峰，笔法挥洒，灵光溢彩，晚岁之作，与李阳冰篆额齐名，世称“双璧”。

　　铭中详载颜氏族谱、仕途历练、子孙继志、学术治国之风采。碑文四周，一律楷书，皆出真卿之手。至唐晚年，此碑遗落郊野，宋时与《开成石经》同入西安碑林。书法筋骨丰赡，晚年所得，较之少壮时期，更显浑厚雄伟，标志着晚期艺术之成就。碑今犹存，然因历代拓印过频，字迹逾变，风神不复旧观。

　　"The Yan Family Ancestral Temple Stele," fully entitled "Inscription for Minister Yan, Former Advisor to King Xue, Pillar of the State, Posthumously Awarded the Title of Minor Supervisor of the Imperial Library, National University Sacrificial Official, and Protector of the Crown Prince," was erected by Yan Zhenqing in the first year of the Jianzhong era (AD 780) in memory of his father Yan Wei Zhen's virtuous deeds. In June, Yan began the inscription, completing the "Postscript to the Stele" by October, at the ripe age of over seventy. At the pinnacle of his calligraphic career, his brushwork was spirited and full of vitality, marking this work as one of his late masterpieces, celebrated alongside Li Yangbing's engraved plaques, collectively known as the "Twin Jewels."

　　The inscription meticulously records the genealogy of the Yan family, their official careers, the aspirations of his descendants, and their contributions to scholarship and governance. The entire inscription is executed in regular script, personally penned by Yan Zhenqing. By the late Tang dynasty, the stele was abandoned in the countryside, only to be collected into Xi'an's Forest of Steles along with the "Kaicheng Stone Classics" during the Song dynasty. The calligraphy, rich in muscular strength, represents the culmination of his later years, demonstrating a more profound and majestic style compared to his earlier works, marking the achievements of his late artistic period. Although the stele remains intact today, excessive rubbings over generations have altered its characters, diminishing its original spirit and presence.

　　《争座位帖》亦称《论座帖》，其以行草书之，传世者七纸，六十四行，镌于西安碑林之石，原迹已佚，惟二玄社复刻之本尚存。是帖乃颜真卿广德二年十一月所作，寄予定襄王郭英义，讨论朝宴之座次。其书苍劲古朴，虽真迹不存，拓本犹珍。

　　帖中，真卿以行草之精，斥朝中不正之风，尤指郭英乂、鱼朝恩之举。郭英乂为媚鱼朝恩，使其座次逾常规之上，遭真卿严词斥责。鱼朝恩，宦官也，握禁兵，气焰嚣张。真卿书中，忠义之气溢于言表，字行间彰显法理与正义之执着。更以痛斥此风，旨在维护国礼之纪，正风气，批结党营私之举，描绘争座而失民心小人之形象，入木三分。

　　"The Dispute Over Seating" Letter, also known as "On Seating," is penned in running cursive script, with seven surviving pages totaling sixty-four lines, engraved in stone at the Xi'an Stele Forest. The original has been lost, but a reproduced version by the Erxuan Society remains. This letter, written by Yan Zhenqing in the eleventh month of the second year of Guangde to King Dingxiang, Guo Yingyi, discusses the order of seating for civil and military officials at court banquets. Its script, vigorous and imbued with an ancient charm, is cherished even though the original no longer exists, and only rubbings are available.

　　In this letter, Yan Zhenqing, with the essence of his running cursive script, vehemently criticizes some improper conduct within the court, particularly targeting the actions of Guo Yingyi and Yu Chao'en. Guo Yingyi, in an attempt to ingratiate himself with Yu Chao'en, arranged for Yu's seating to be higher than customary, a move that Yan Zhenqing sternly rebuked. Yu Chao'en, despite being a eunuch with control over the imperial guard, was arrogantly overbearing. Yan Zhenqing's letter brims with a spirit of loyalty and righteousness, revealing a steadfast commitment to law and justice throughout its lines. More importantly, by denouncing such behavior, he aimed to uphold the state's ceremonial norms, correct unhealthy tendencies, and criticize factionalism within the court. He vividly portrays the ignoble faces of those who, though they may have secured a seat, have lost the people's hearts, with penetrating insight.

　　《祭侄文稿》，号为行书之冠。颜真卿悼侄季明殉国而作，作此篇二十三行，字计二百三十四。篇中，以笔抒怀，绘其与侄深情，及季明生前事迹，皆流露崇敬、悼念之意。

　　乱世安史，真卿从兄颜杲卿及其子季明，遭贼害，颜室三十余口不幸罹难。唐肃宗乾元之初，真卿于幽燕得季骸，哀之，遂铸文以纪侄情，又述家忠烈。

　　书法谓之，《祭侄书》显真卿篆籀风骨，楷隶之法。墨法深邃，笔势自若。干笔枯墨之中，见其笔法之燥涩而干练，自然流露。文不满三百字，惟七蘸墨，长笔可及五十三字，笔痕干枯，显不胜之痛。此技法，令作视觉之感更甚。篇情溢而不泄，书势雄浑，笔锋磅礴，一气呵成。语中“父陷子死，巢倾卵覆”等，尽显真卿悼忠赞烈，个中之哀戚也。

　　"The Sacrificial Manuscript for My Nephew" is acclaimed as the pinnacle of running script. Yan Zhenqing crafted this work in mourning for his nephew Ji Ming, who died heroically for his country, comprising twenty-three lines and a total of two hundred and thirty-four characters. Within the manuscript, he employs his brush to express deep emotions, portraying the profound bond between him and his nephew, as well as recounting Ji Ming's life and deeds, all suffused with respect, sorrow, and remembrance.

　　In the tumultuous times of the An Lushan Rebellion, Yan Zhenqing's cousin Yan Gaoqing and his son Ji Ming fell victim to the rebels, leading to the tragic demise of over thirty members of the Yan family. At the beginning of the Qianyuan era under Emperor Suzong of Tang, Yan Zhenqing found Ji Ming's remains in Youyan, deeply grieved, he thus composed this text to commemorate his nephew's sentiments and to articulate the family's loyal and heroic deeds.

　　In terms of calligraphy, "The Sacrificial Manuscript for My Nephew" showcases Yan Zhenqing's mastery of the seal and clerical script styles. The ink technique is profound, with a brushwork that flows effortlessly. Within the dry brush and ink-starved strokes, one can observe a crisp and disciplined style that emerges naturally. The manuscript, containing fewer than three hundred words, was completed with only seven dips of ink, with one long stroke extending to fifty-three words, leaving dry and indelibly painful marks. This technique enhances the visual impact of the work significantly. The manuscript overflows with emotion yet remains composed, with a powerful and bold calligraphy style executed in one breath. Phrases such as "the father was captured, the son died, the nest overturned, the eggs shattered" fully reveal Yan Zhenqing's grief and praise for familial loyalty, echoing the depth of his sorrow.

　　颜真卿之真书，字由瘦长转方正含圆，示向心之力。笔浑而力，中锋得宜，筋骨于字，边锋利，横细竖粗，书风自成，盛唐之气象，雄浑而不失力骨。其行草，力背情真，结稳点飞，继羲之后，行草开新。颜之行书，风遒劲而生，风格反映唐之盛世，与其高格完美结合，书法与人格之美极致，故后世尊为“天下第二行书”。

　 Yan Zhenqing's standard script transformed the slender and elongated characters of the early Tang into squarely rounded forms, demonstrating a compelling centripetal force. With his thick and vigorous strokes, apt use of the brush's center, and a structure that revealed both muscle and edge, his script was fine in horizontal lines and slightly coarser in verticals, dots, and flicks. This style, inherently majestic, captured the grandeur of the Tang era, robust without losing strength or bone. His running-cursive script, powerful and emotionally genuine, with a stable structure and soaring strokes, opened a new chapter in cursive script after Wang Xizhi. His running script, vigorous and vibrant, not only reflected the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty but also perfectly melded with his noble character, making it an ultimate example of the union between the beauty of calligraphy and the beauty of personality, hence revered by posterity as "the second-best running script in the world."

责任编辑：苗君