张旭卒年考辨

张旭卒年 ,史无确载。由于对相关资料理解、认识上的分歧 ,学界围绕这一问题自来颇多异说。我们认为 ,在纠缠于资料而难以确证的情况下 ,考察张旭之仕履经过 ,就成为确定其卒年的惟一可行的方法。由李颀的江东之行可知 ,张旭在开元二十三、二十四年 (735年、736年 )之际结束常熟尉之职而赴京 ,其任左率府长史 ,约在此后不久。约在开元末年 ,而任金吾长史。其天宝五载 (74 6 )退居洛阳时 ,年初逾六旬。由此 ,结合李白《猛虎行》所叙与张旭天宝十五载 (75 6 )三月在溧阳酒楼会晤之事 ,和他《草书歌行》诗中“张颠老死不足数” ,我们认为 ,张旭卒年应以乾元二年 (75 9)为是。张旭《千文》末“乾元二年二月八日”之注 ,应是张旭所书。

Textural Researches on the Obiit Date of ZHANG Xu

There is no definite record on the obiit date of ZHANG Xu. Because of different views to materials, there are some divergence about the death dates of ZHANG Xu in Academic Circles. It is very difficult for us to get correct conclusion if tangling with those materials. But if we study on ZHANG Xus life experience, we could discover that ZHANG Xu died in the year 759, as he completed his office in Changshu in between the years of 735 and 736 before going to the capital city for a new office, and the year 746, he retired to Luoyang at the age beyond 60. Later on in LI Bais poem "Tour of Fierce Tiger" it is stated that ZHANG Xu met with him in a restaurant in Liyang in the year 756,and in his own poem ZHANG Xu wrote:"We die of no significance."In the "Thousand Characters",the note of "February eighth of Qianyuan the second year" should be made by ZHANG Xu. Therefore, he must have died in Qianyuan the second year or the year of 759.