Love Poem
Yang Mu

The kumquat is an evergreen shrub
it blossoms in summer, five white petals
it grows the south of the Yangtze River
and belongs to the family rutaceae

The rutacae family is exquisite
it comprises zanthoxylums and loquats
amur cork trees, Buddha’s hand, lemons
and you

your family is exquisite
(sitting by the lamp, eating kumquats)
with a pleasant name, like orange jasmine
that can be used to make medicine

you are destined to grow in Southern China
your story is sweet (sitting by the lamp
eating kumquats) about the tree of all Gods
as elegance as Qu Yuan

you ask what plant family I am
possibly meliaceae
a Taiwanese perfume plant
also evergreen, but I’m a tree
and my alias is red wood, such a dull name
and my bark is peeling and repugnant
I grow onshore, among coastal mixed forests
my story is bitter

my wood is used to make pillars
and wheels for ships, and often
hammers. Honestly,
I’m so very dull

(1974)

Illustration by Li Yiyang.

《情詩》
楊牧

金橘是常綠灌木
夏日開花，其色白其瓣五
長江以南產之，屬於
芸香科

屬於芸香科真好
花椒也是，還有山枇杷
黃檗，佛手，檸檬
還有你　　

你們這一科眞好
（坐在燈前吃金橘）
名字也好聽，譬如
九里香，全株可以藥用　　　　　　　

受命不遷生南國兮
故事也好聽（坐在
燈前吃金橘）后皇嘉樹
以喻屈原　　　　

你問我屬於甚麼科
大概是楝科吧
臺灣米仔蘭，是
常綠喬木的一種，又叫
紅柴，土土的名字
樹皮剝落不好看
生長沿海雜木林中
也並沒有好聽的故事

木質還可以，供支柱
作船舵，也常用來作
木錘。憑良心講
眞是土