羊蹄甲，又叫紫荆？香港樱花？印度樱花？管它们是什么名称，只要每年带来春就好了。名称只是个记号，抽象地代表一个人或一件事物而已。有什么好计较的？

零散的，成群的，在校园，在路旁，在花园，它们站立着，撑开一把大伞，布蓬上缀着一朵朵中间深紫渐向外缘渐次淡紫的花。不管盛放或微放，一朵羊蹄甲便是一个春字。

是的，一朵羊蹄甲便是一个春字。既如此，那么，一树羊蹄甲便是一树春字了。啊，春在枝头！春由羊蹄甲带来，灿烂人间！

岂仅是“红杏枝头春意闹”？岂仅是“桃李争春”？春，岂仅是以樱花、杜鹃来代表？以莺飞草长来代表？羊蹄甲不让它们专美于前，更是春的使者，春的化身。

它们总是先开花后长叶的。

在初春，它们便开出花来了。在料峭的春风中，紫色花瓣不住飘摇着，令人联想到，那是一只只紫色的蝴蝶，驮着春，停在枝头，欲飞不飞，翅膀一张一合，将春意撒布人间，将春意搅浓。

然后，叶子长出来了。多么奇妙！它的叶子，一叶叶竟然是一个个羊蹄模印。是哪一只神羊给踩印出来的？……一定是春之神羊了！

管它是什么名称，只要每年带来春就好了。

1987年3月19日台湾日报副刊

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.@

责任编辑：林芳宇