Sangone ^Featured

Ne'ine'i hako mei he Tonga
Tapa ē 'uhila mei Lulunga
Na'e mana ē Feinga-kotone
Fake hake ē 'uno 'o Sangone.

Lafaipana e pe'i ke mohe ā
Kae tuku mai a hota faiva
Keu lau fola haka he 'aho ni
Ke me'ite ai e mu'a Taloni.

Holo pē 'a e nofo 'a mu'a ni
Moha sola 'oku taka i Pangai
Kau fola si'i Hau-'o-Momo
He koe takafi 'etau nofo.

He ma'imoa fai 'i Heketa
Na'e 'aokai mei Ha'amea
'Isa 'lsa na'e fena pē ka ko Nua
Penepena ē ngatu vai fā kula.

'E Fasi'apule ha'u ke ta Ō
Tala ho 'Uhinga kihe 'Afio
Ke ha e finangalo na'e toi
'O sivi e 'ofa 'oku mo'oni
Na'e aikona pe 'o 'omai
He na'e 'ikai fa'a hua 'aki

'E Ula mo Leka poto 'i he lau
Hono 'ikai ke mālie kia au
Ho'o tala 'ae vaha mama'o
Kuo vaofi ho tau 'aho
Kakala tala kakala mo'oni
'Oku faifio 'o toki manongi.

Kisukava e mei Ha'amoa
Na'e tali hapo e me'a katoa
Kisu ē fūfū mo kokohu
'Ae kau pongia 'i vao
'Ae lou tāngia mo koki
Pea moe kapakau tatangi
Kau ai ngulungulu mo tokoto
Moe vahe taumafa 'oe fono.

Pea toki 'ilo ai e koloa
Ko e kanokato e tala 'o Tonga
Talu ai pē hono fakaili
Koe fakama'u 'o Hou'eiki.

'Oku 'ilo eha taha kuo anga
'Ae ola 'o Tangoipomana
Pahia 'oho he vaha mohe
He kalia na'e tau ki 'One

Faka lele kihe Makahokovalu
Paki mangamanga 'i he Siangahu.
'Ika moana si'ene fotu
Fakahakehake i Fonuamotu
Lolongo ma'anu 'i Hakau-tapu
No'o 'i Havelu moe koka tapu
Koe ola e 'oku ou lau
Fafanga ia 'oe fetau
Tau tui falahola 'ene hopo
He kuo kakai e vaha'akolo.

"Sangone" Composed By Queen Salote Tupou III Translated by Adrienne Kaeppler

Little wonder that strong winds blew from the south
And lightning flashed from the northeast;
There was thunder at Feingakotone
At the raising of the shell of Sangone.

Lafaipana, go on with your sleep,
Leave our performance to me.
I will recite with movements this day
That I please the Throne.

You in front be content to remain as you are.
Any strangers mingling in Pangai,
Let me spread the dear Hau-o-Momo,
This, the cover of our life.

It was done at Heketa;
It was asked from Ha'amea;
Yes, though sprouted still Nua,
Even after mixing with the lime of fa kula.

Fasi'apule, come let us go
Tell your genealogy to the King,
Thus revealing the hidden desire.
Examine the compassion that is real;
It was carried in the ta'ovala and brought,
For it was not mentionable by name.

Ulamoleka, clever at speaking,
It is most enjoyable to me
How you talk about distant places.
Our lives have been brought close together—
Famous kakala, true kakala [flowers]
Intermixed become fragrant.

An enigmatic kava request from Samoa
Was granted immediately and entirely:
Wish for "strike and fume"
And [plural] "fainted in the bush"
And the "leaves' high-pitched cry"
And the "winged whirring" [sound made
by wings] And also "grunt and lie down"
And the distribution of the fono [food served with kava].

And then the treasure was known,
The essence of Tongan traditions;
It has ever since been preserved
As the binding force of the chiefs.

It is known only by a person of experience,
The result of Tangoipomana.
Worn out by overnight sailing provisions—
The vessel that landed at 'One,

Run to the Makahokovalu.
Break off the forked branch at Siangahu.
The emerging of the deep-sea fish
Started up from Fonuamotu,
Silently floated at Hakau-tapu,
Tied at Havelu to the sacred koka tree.
This is the outcome of which
I speak And the reason for my witty speech.
Let us string the mature falahola.
There are many people at vaha'akolo.

*Ko e Sangone 'oku fatu kiai 'a e maa'imoa ko'eni koe fonu.