Lolopaongo ^Featured

Kupu, veesi, 1

‘Oka malu efiafi ‘o ‘alaha ‘ae huni moe fa

‘Ihe ‘atimosifia falala ‘i Nuku‘alofa

Ma‘ili e matangi talanoa ‘i ‘Umutangata

Lolopaongo tui ke kahoa si‘i Uafukovuna

Kupu, veesi 2

Fakalaka kihe hai moe kukuvalu tu‘umo‘unga

‘O fanongo si‘i valau ‘ae Taungapeka

Pea lea e peau mafola he ‘One‘onesiliva

Siu ‘i Hakautapu sei ‘ihe fisi hono naua

Kupu, veesi 3

 Po mahina hulungia ai si‘i Toafa‘one

Kahoa he fatai faliki he Falaosetane

Pea lea ‘ae ngalu he uini ‘oe Fangahahake

Inumia e kakala ‘alaha he Fautaupe

Tau, kolesi

Tamaiki pe‘i mou toli tui na‘a ma‘a e ‘aho

Ke kahoa e sola na‘a tala‘a si‘ono loto

‘Ai kene ‘ilo koe kai ia ‘ae Fungahihifo

 Ki‘i fakamatala moe huluhulu nounou

Na‘e fakafatu, fakafa‘u, ‘ae ta‘anga hiva kakala kupu, veesi, 3, kohi, laini, 4, tau, kolesi, kohi, laini, 3, malie lahi ko ‘eni koe, ‘Lolopaongo,’ ‘ehe punake kakato ‘iloa ko Dr Siosifa ‘Alokuo‘ulu Fanamanu-‘Ae-Tau Paipa (koe huli ‘ae ‘akau kuo tahi ‘oe ha‘a ako moe ha‘a punake) mo fakaafo-fakafasi ‘ehe pulotu fasi-hiva, musika, lahi ko Tu‘ilatai Mataele (koe hako ‘oe ha‘a punake), he 1952 ta‘u. ‘Oku toe ui ‘ae hiva kakala koe hiva ‘ofa, hiva tango, moe hiva ‘eva, ‘o tefito he faiva ‘eva ‘ae tangata kihe fefine he vaha‘a ‘oe tangata moe fefine, ‘aia ‘oku ngaue‘aki ‘ae ‘kakala’ koe heliaki (metafoa, motolo) kihe hoihoifua ‘oe fefine. ‘Oku ngaue‘aki he ta‘anga hiva kakala ‘ae mate koe heliaki kihe ‘ofa, ‘o fakatatau kihe mate koe ‘ofa mo‘oni kae mate loi.

‘Oku ngaue‘aki lelei ‘ehe punake ‘ae fa‘ahinga lalahi ‘e tolu ‘oe heliaki, ‘aia koe heliaki fakafetongiaki (‘o hange koe huni moe fa, ma‘ili moe matangi, moe kahoa, kihe ‘ofa‘anga [kupu, veesi, 1]), heliaki fakafekauaki (‘o hange koe Taungapeka, ‘One‘onesiliva, moe Hakautapu kihe Hihifo [kupu, veesi, 2), moe heliaki fakafefonuaki (‘o hange hulungia kihe mahina, fatai kihe kahoa, moe ngalu (peau) kihe uini [kupu, veesi, 3]). ‘Oku malie fau ‘ene ngaue‘aki ‘ae ngaahi lea ‘Ingilisi kuo liliu kihe lea Tonga koe heliaki mohu mo fonu, ‘o hange koe ‘atimosifia (atmosphere) (kupu, veesi, 1, kohi, laini, 2), ‘One‘onesiliva (Silver-sand) (kupu, veesi, 2, kohi, laini, 3), moe Falaosetane (Mat-of-Satan) moe uini (wind) (kupu, veesi, 3, kohi, laini, 3 & 4).

‘Oku ne ngaue‘aki ‘ae Lolopaongo (koe lolo ‘oku lote‘aki ‘ae paongo) koe hingoa heliaki fakatenetene ki kolo ko Fo‘ui ‘i Hihifo, ‘i Tonga‘eiki, Tongatapu, Tongalahi, moe kolo ko Ta‘anea ‘i Hahake, ‘i Vava‘ulahi, koe ongo tofi‘a ‘o Nopele Vaha‘i. ‘Oku nofotaha ‘ae tokanga, manako, moe ‘ofa ‘ae punake he hoihoifua hono ‘ofa‘anga, ‘aia ‘oku ne fakateunga‘aki ‘ae ngaahi kakala ‘iloa koe huni, fa, moe kukuvalu, hono afuhi ‘ehe peau moe ngalu he feangiaki hono matangi ‘oe Muifonua moe fakalavetala hono ngaahi matanga fakalata‘anga mo fakavale‘anga, ‘o hange koe ‘Umutangata, Lolopaongo, Taungapeka, ‘One‘onesiliva, Hakautapu, Toafa‘one, Falaosetane, Fangahahake, Fautaupe moe Fungahihifo (kupu, veesi, 1-3, tau, kolesi).

‘Oku toe malie hono ngaue‘aki ‘ehe punake ‘ae lea koe ‘kai’ (tau, kolesi, kohi, laini, 3), ‘o hange koe ‘kaimu‘a’ ‘oku ‘uhinga kiha me‘a ‘oku ‘ilo mo poto lahi taha ai ha taha (ko ‘ene mu‘aki, motu‘a‘i, fuaki pe ‘uluaki ‘ilo moe poto), ‘o hange koe ‘kai’ ‘a Mafua koe faiva lea, Maka koe tufunga lalava, mo Manu koe nimamea‘a tuikakala. ‘Oku ngofua ‘ae ‘kaimu‘a’ he‘ete ‘kai’ kae ‘ikai koe ‘kai’ ‘ae taha kehe. ‘Oku ‘asi ‘eni he tau, kolesi, maa‘imoa ta‘anga malie fau koe ‘Hala Kuo Papa’ ‘a Kuini Salote koe, ‘Pea ‘ilo ‘ehe poto pea moe kaimu‘a, Kuila e Lomipeau kuo taha ai ‘ae ua’ (koe fika fakapunake ‘oku 1 + 1 = 1). ‘Oku fuo-uho, fometi, fakahimi ‘ae ta‘anga hiva, ‘o afo, fasi, tatau ‘ae ngaahi kupu, veesi, 1-3, kae kehe ‘ae tau, kolesi.

In brief English summary

My Adored Lolopaongo

Song of love ‘sweet-scent-flowers’

Poetry composed by Dr Siosifa ‘Alokuo‘ulu Fanamanu-‘Ae-Tau Paipa & Music composed by Tu‘ilatai Mataele

English translation by

Fetongikava Dr Viliami Uasike Latu & Hufanga He Ako Moe Lotu Professor Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina

Tau, kolesi

Tamaiki pe‘i mou toli tui na‘a ma‘a e ‘aho

Ke kahoa e sola na‘a tala‘a si‘ono loto

‘Ai kene ‘ilo koe kai ia ‘ae Fungahihifo

Chorus

Be hurry ye maidens, pick and plait the flowers before dawn

A garland for the stranger to wear lest his heart‘s unsettled

That‘s why, let him know, Fungahihifo is first and foremost

This most beautiful 3-verse, 4-line, 3-kohi, line, chorus, love song ‘My Adored Lolopaongo’ was composed by master poet Dr Siosifa ‘Alokuo‘ulu Fanamanu-‘Ae-Tau Paipa from a rich heritage of education and poets and put to music by fine musician Tu‘ilatai Mataele established lineage of poets, in 1952 (and popularised by Funga‘onetaka led by famous ‘Aisea Manumu‘a). The love song is yet to be fully translated into English, except the chorus (see approximate translation above). The poet makes creative and innovative use of the three types of Tongan heliaki, defined as ‘metaphorically saying one thing but really meaning another,’ namely, qualitative epiphoric heliaki, associative metaphoric heliaki, and constitutive metonymic heliaki.

The poet uses, in both affective and effective ways, by means, mediums or vessels (tala, hala or vaka) of heliaki, metaphors, both Tongan and English words, as in the transliteration of English terms into Tongan, such as atmosphere (‘atimosifia) (verse 1, line 2), Silver-sand (‘One‘one-siliva) (verse 2, line 3), Mat-of-Satan (Fala-o-Setane) and wind (uini) (verse 3, lines 3 & 4). He portrays his deep love and most sincere admiration for his much adored sweetheart by way of the breaking waves sprinkling the beloved and lovely sweet-scent flowers along the coastal landscape stretches on both sides of Fungahihifo, notably, ‘Umutangata, Taungapeka, ‘One‘onesiliva, Hakautapu, Toafa‘one, Falaosetane, Fangahahake and Fautaupe (verses 1-3 and chorus).