Tuaikaepau ^Featured

Maa‘imoa fatu ta‘anga ‘a Kuini Sālote

1. Vakai ē tohi māhiná
Fā ‘o e fitu ē onouá
Folau na kuo fusi taula
‘I he Taulanga Nuku‘alofá
5. Tu‘ufua ai ē kapasá
Fakatele he Maka-ko-‘Oá
Ka e fatu si‘ono taumu‘á
Tofikulu ē ‘Aotealoá
Seuke! He tāpinga‘amaamá
10. Ko ‘eta fononga ta‘e‘iloá
Hakau Mineva pe‘i fakahā
Ho‘o puke huelo ē māhiná
Lavaki‘i ‘a e folau ‘evá
Ke hu‘i honau sisi kakalá
15. Ka ke laukau fietangatá
Ki he vaka toutai ē la‘ā
‘Oku faka‘olunga ‘i ho nimá
Ka e kafu‘aki ‘a e peautā
Si‘i ē fo‘ou si‘i ē solá
20. He mo‘unga ē loto‘i Tongá
Tuku ke ‘alu ē faingata‘á
He ‘ikai lava ‘o fakamatalá
‘A e mamahi mo e ha‘aha‘á
‘Amanaki na‘e fonu tāla‘á
25. He tolu māhina mo e sio vaha
‘Ikai ma‘ali ha kalofiama
Tu‘uholoaki ē masi ē tahá
Ke ne pukepuke mai ē maamá
Ne ‘eko ‘i mamani ē mavava
30. He ko e ikuna kuo kaafakafa
‘Alo ē matangi fa‘aki ē loá
Fo‘u vaka pē hangē ko Noa
‘Aki ‘a e tui ko ‘eta koloá
Fusi ē kolosi fakatau‘aú
35. Toka‘one he motu ko Katavú
Tulou mo Suva ‘isa ē Hala ko Vuná
S.O.S ‘a e mātu‘á
Lautala Pei ‘e ngalo ‘afē
Ho‘o laulā ne fakalavé
40. Fakafoki mai ē ‘auhē
Tama Tonga ē pe‘i tuli kaveingá
Taumu‘a ki he fetu‘u ngingilá
Tama Tonga ē ma‘u pē ho lotó
Ke lau ē taumu‘a ngaholó
45. Tama Tonga ē fusi a‘u ho‘o fuká
‘Ulitu‘u ki he moto ē fonuá

KO E KI‘I FAKAMATALA NOUNOU

Tulou ka u lave atu ki he fofonga‘i ta‘anga mālie mo‘oni ko e “Tuaikaepau,” ‘a ia ko e maa‘imoa fatu ta‘anga lakalaka ‘a Kuini Sālote he folau ‘a e vaka ko e “Tuaikaepau” mei he Taulanga Nuku‘alofa he ‘aho 4 ‘o Siulai 1962, ‘a ia na‘e tūkia he Hakau Mineva he ‘aho 7 ‘o Siulai ta‘u 1962, ‘o fakamamahi mo fakaloloma fau ‘a e fakatamaki na‘e hoko. ‘Oku ‘ikai ngata pē he talanoa na‘e fakamamahi mo fakaloloma fau ka e talanoa na‘e to e faka‘ofa, fakato‘a, fakaoli mo fakafiefia atu.

‘Oku mālie fau hono fakafelavai, pē fakahoko mo fakamavahe, ‘e Kuini Sālote ‘a e mamahi mo e fiefia he ta‘anga, ‘o ngāue‘aki lelei fakatou‘osi ‘a e heliaki fakafetongiaki mo e heliaki fakafekauaki, ‘a ia na‘e kamata he faingata‘a na‘e fepakitu‘u mo e ‘eikivaka mo e kau kauvaka [7] mo e kau folau [10] he toka ‘a e vaka he hakau mo ‘enau feinga mo‘ui mo hono fakahaofi ‘a e ni‘ihi na‘e kei mo‘ui, ‘o tumutumu hono talitali fakaPule‘anga kinautolu, ‘a ia na‘e tā ai ‘a e “Tuaikaepau.”

Neongo na‘e fatu ‘a e “Tuaikaepau” ko e faiva lakalaka, ‘a ia na‘e fai ‘e he kau faiva ‘a e Kava Tonga, ‘o taumu‘a ki hono talitali mo e ma‘alali hono fakafoki mo‘ui mai ‘a e toenga ‘e he vakapuna ‘o e laulāpuna ‘a Nu‘usila ‘i Lautala Pei mei Fisi ki Tonga – ka ko hono fuo mo e uho ko e faiva fakamamahi [‘o fiofio faiva fakafiefia], ‘a ia ‘oku hohoatatau ‘a e ta‘anga ‘o e lakalaka mo hono hiva, ‘o tefito ‘a e kupu ‘e ua he afo fangufangu, fasi fakatangi mo e ongo fakafa‘ahikehe.

‘Oku lava ke ma‘u kakato ‘a e talanoa ki he vaka ko e: “Tuaikaepau” he tohi ko e: “Minerva Reef” [1963] mo e ta‘anga ko e: “Tuaikaepau” mei he tohi ko e: “Songs & Poems of Queen Sālote” [2004].

‘Ofa fau mo e manatu atu.

Fai ‘e Palōfesa Hūfanga Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina
Professor of Art, Culture and Critical Anthropology
Vava‘u Academy for Critical Inquiry and Applied Research [VACIAR] &
Tonga International Academy [TIA]