羊蹄甲，又叫紫荊？香港櫻花？印度櫻花？管它們是什麼名稱，只要每年帶來春就好了。名稱只是個記號，抽象地代表一個人或一件事物而已。有什麼好計較的？

零散的，成群的，在校園，在路旁，在花園，它們站立著，撐開一把大傘，布蓬上綴著一朵朵中間深紫漸向外緣漸次淡紫的花。不管盛放或微放，一朵羊蹄甲便是一個春字。

是的，一朵羊蹄甲便是一個春字。既如此，那麼，一樹羊蹄甲便是一樹春字了。啊，春在枝頭！春由羊蹄甲帶來，燦爛人間！

豈僅是「紅杏枝頭春意鬧」？豈僅是「桃李爭春」？春，豈僅是以櫻花、杜鵑來代表？以鶯飛草長來代表？羊蹄甲不讓它們專美於前，更是春的使者，春的化身。

它們總是先開花後長葉的。

在初春，它們便開出花來了。在料峭的春風中，紫色花瓣不住飄搖著，令人聯想到，那是一隻隻紫色的蝴蝶，馱著春，停在枝頭，欲飛不飛，翅膀一張一合，將春意撒布人間，將春意攪濃。

然後，葉子長出來了。多麼奇妙！它的葉子，一葉葉竟然是一個個羊蹄模印。是哪一隻神羊給踩印出來的？……一定是春之神羊了！

管它是什麼名稱，只要每年帶來春就好了。

1987年3月19日台灣日報副刊

Orchid Tree      Hsu ChiCheng

Orchid tree, is it also called redbud, and also called Hong Kung orchid tree, or India cherry blossom? No matter what name it is, it’s enough only it can carry spring. The name is a score, just represents abstractly a person or a thing. What will be concerned for?

Be scattered, be in group, in the campus, by the roadside, in the garden, they halt, open a big umbrella, there dot slowly one by one the flower from inner to edge the shade purple to the light purple. No matter it’s grand open or slight open, an orchid tree is a spring.

Yes, an orchid tree is a spring. Since it is, then, a tree of flower is a tree of spring. Oh, the spring is on the branch. Spring is carried by the orchid tree, to give brilliance to the world.

Is it just “the red apricot bustle the breath of spring”? Is it just “the peach and plum strive to be the first to do the spring”? Is spring just represented by cherry and azalea? Is spring just represented by oriole fly and grass luxuriant? Orchid tree wouldn’t let them to be beauty monopolize, it’s more be the angel of spring, the personification of spring.

They blossom first and then putting forth leaves.

They blossom in early spring. The purple petals swinging in the chill wind, let us to deem they are the butterflies one by one, carry the spring, stop on the branches, haven’t fly as if to fly, in turn to stretch and close the wings, scatter the breath of spring to the world, stir thick the breath of spring.

Then it puts forth the leaves. How strange it is! Every leave is one and one of the hoof seal of the goat unexpectedly. Is it which god goat treaded?… It must be the god goat of spring!

In spite of what the name it is, just it carries spring every year is enough.@

責任編輯：林芳宇