Ko Pulotu, Maama, mo Langi (Pulotu, Earth, and Sky) ^Featured

‘Oku taku ‘a Pulotu, Maama, mo Langi he talaefonua ‘a Tonga, ‘aia koe vahefonua ia ‘ae ngaahi ‘otua tupu‘a, ‘o pule ‘a Hikule‘o ‘i Pulotu, kau Maui ‘i Maama, moe kau Tangaloa ‘i Langi. ‘Oku tefito ‘ae talaefonua he ‘heliaki,’ ‘aia koe ‘lea kihe me‘a taha kae ‘uhinga kihe me‘a ‘e taha, ‘o hange koe Pulotu ki Fisi, Maama ki Tonga, moe Langi ki Ha‘amoa, ‘aia ko Pulotu, Maama, mo Langi koe ngaahi hingoa heliaki fakatenetene ‘o Fisi, Tonga, mo Ha‘amoa, ‘o hange koe Tonga‘eiki, Tongatapu, moe Tongalahi, Fo‘i‘one‘one, moe Fatafatamafana koe ngaahi hingoa heliaki fakatenetene ‘oe motu lahi ‘i Tonga, Ha‘apai, mo Vava‘u.

'Oku ‘iloa ‘ae motu lahi ‘i Tonga ko Tonga‘eiki, Tongatapu, moe Tongalahi, ‘o ‘uhinga koe motu ia na‘e tupu ai ‘ae Tu‘i Tonga, ‘o kamata ‘ia ‘Aho‘eitu, ‘aia ko ‘ene tamai ko Tangaloa ‘Eitumatupu‘a koe ‘otua mei Langi moe ‘ene fa‘e ko Va‘epopua na‘e fua hingoa ko ‘Ilaheva koe fefine mei Maama. ‘Oku ma‘u ‘ae ‘‘eiki’ moe ‘tapu’ mei he ‘‘otua,’ ‘o ‘uhinga kihe tamai ‘a ‘Aho‘eitu koe ‘otua mei Langi ko Tangaloa ‘Eitumatupu‘a, ‘aia ‘oku ‘uhinga ‘ae Tonga‘eiki, Tongatapu, moe Tongalahi koe ‘lahi’ he ‘eiki’ moe ‘tapu,’ ‘o toe ‘uhinga koe ‘lahi’ he ‘‘otua.’ ‘Oku ‘uhinga leva ‘ae ‘‘eiki’ koe ‘tapu’ moe ‘‘eiki’ moe ‘tapu’ koe ‘‘otua.’

 ‘Oku ‘uhinga ia koe tamai ‘a ‘Aho‘eitu mei Ha‘amoa (Langi) mo ‘ene fa‘e mei Niuatoputapu ‘i Tonga (Maama), ‘o toe ‘uhinga ‘ae Niuatoputapu kia ‘Ilaheva (Va‘epopua) koe fefine hoihoifua fau he‘ene ‘unoho mo Tangaloa ‘Eitumatupu‘a koe ‘otua mei Langi (Ha‘amoa). ‘Oku matamata mo ngalingali na‘e fua ma‘u ‘a Niuafo‘ou ki Ha‘amoa kae toki tanaki ‘fo‘ou’ mai ki Tonga he kuonga ‘oe pule‘anga hau ‘oe Tu‘i Tonga. ‘Oku kehe ‘ae toe hingoa heliaki fakatenetene ‘o Vava‘u koe Vava‘ulahi, ‘aia koe ‘lahi’ he ‘lototo‘a’ moe ‘lotomafana,’ ‘o hange koe kau to‘a Vava‘u ‘oe Tau Tahi moe Fatafatamafana.

‘Oku lau he talaefonua ko Pulotu (Fisi) koe motu‘a fonua (ancestral homeland) ‘o Maama (Tonga) na‘e fua mafola mei ai ‘ae kau Pulotu (Fisi) moe tanekinanga (afterworld), ‘aia na‘e toe foki kiai ‘ae laumalie ‘oe kau mate. ‘Oku taku he talaefonua, ‘akiolosia (saienisi ‘oe kelifonua), moe lingikusitika (saienisi ‘oe lea) na‘e fua tuku‘au mai ‘ae kau Pulotu ki Maama, ‘o nofo ai ‘ae ni‘ihi kae hoko atu ‘ae ni‘ihi mei Maama ki Langi. ‘Oku lava ke tau lau koe ‘kuohili,’ ‘kuongamu‘a’ (past), ‘a Pulotu (Fisi), ‘lotolotonga,’ ‘kuongaloto’ (present), ‘a Maama (Tonga), moe ‘kaha‘u, ‘kuongamui’ (future), ‘a Langi (Ha‘amoa).

 ‘Oku toe ‘iloa foki ‘a Maama (Tonga) ko Lolofonua, ‘aia na‘e pule ai ‘ae kau Maui, ‘aia na‘e tu‘u ‘ae matapa hu‘anga he motu ko Koloa ‘i Vava‘u koe toe motu ‘oe Tu‘i Tonga na‘a nau fa‘a fakahakonoa kiai mei Tonga‘eiki, Tongatapu, mo Tongalahi. ‘Oku pehē na‘e to heni ‘ae toe hingoa heliaki fakatenetene ‘o Vava‘u koe Ha‘afuluhao he fa‘a tukua mai ‘ae kau fefine hoihoifua mei Ha‘amoa kihe Tu‘i Tonga. ‘Oku matamata koe hingoa fakaHa‘amoa (fakaLangi) ‘ae Vava‘u mei he ‘Tala ole Vavau,’ ‘o ‘uhinga koe talatupu‘a ‘o Vava‘u mei Ha‘amoa, ‘aia ‘oku ngalingali na‘e fua nofo‘i ‘ehe kainga Ha‘amoa ‘oe Tu‘i Tonga.

‘Oku lava ke toe ‘iloa ‘a Maama ko Tonga ko Lolofonua ko Lalofonua (Underworld, Below-world), ‘o ‘uhinga ‘ae tatau hono liliu ‘ae lea Tonga koe ‘tonga,’ ‘lolo,’ moe ‘lalo,’ kihe lea ‘Ingilisi koe ‘south’ and ‘down-under,’ ‘down-below.’ ‘Oku toe ‘uhinga ‘ae ‘south’ koe ‘down-under,’ ‘down-below,’ ‘o toe ‘uhinga koe ‘tonga,’ ‘aia ‘oku tefito he sio mei Fisi (Pulotu) moe Ha‘amoa (Langi) mei he ‘tokelau,’ ‘south, ‘i ‘olunga,’ ‘up-above, ‘i Tonga (Maama). ‘Oku sio leva ‘a Tonga (Maama) mei ‘lalo,’ ‘down-under,’ ‘down-below,’ mo ‘tonga,’ ki Fisi (Pulotu) mo Ha‘amoa (Langi), ‘aia ‘oku na tu‘u ‘i ‘‘olunga,’ ‘up-above,’ mo ‘tokelau,’ ‘north’ ‘o Tonga (Maama).

 ‘Oku ma‘u ‘ae ‘uhinga malie ko ‘eni fakakaukau fakaTonga tupu‘a hono vahefa, vaefa, ‘o mamani (earth), ‘aia koe ‘hahake,’ ‘hihifo,’ ‘tokelau,’ moe ‘tonga,’ ‘o liliu ‘Ingilisi koe ‘east,’ ‘west,’ ‘north,’ moe ‘south,’ ‘aia ‘oku toe ‘iloa ‘ae tokelau moe tonga koe ‘‘olunga’ moe ‘lalo.’ ‘Oku taku ‘oku vilo-mo-takai ‘ae la‘a ki mamani, ‘aia ‘oku ‘hopo’ mo ‘hake’ mei ‘hahake’ ki ‘‘olunga,’ ‘tokelau,’ ‘o ‘to’ mo ‘hifo’ ki ‘hihifo’ ki ‘lalo,’ ‘tonga, ‘aia ‘oku ‘‘aho’ ki ‘olunga, ‘tonga,’ kae ‘po’ ki ‘lalo,’ ‘tonga.’ ‘Oku tatau moe mahina, ‘aia ‘oku toe vilo-lo-takai ‘i mamani (earth) tu‘o 13 he ta‘u, ‘o ma‘u ai ‘ae mahina ‘e 13, ‘o ui ai ‘ae ‘moon’ moe ‘month’ koe ‘mahina.’

 ‘Oku toe maama lelei ‘eni he faiva toutaivaka moe faiva faifolau, ‘o mahino pe ‘ae ‘tohahake’ pe ‘tohihifo’ ha folau, ‘aia koe lahi ki ‘hahake,’ ‘east, pe lahi ki ‘hihifo,’ ‘west,’ kae ‘iloa ‘ene ‘to‘olunga,’ ‘up-above,’ pe ‘tolalo,’ ‘down-under,’ ‘down-below,’ ha folau ki he‘ene lahi ki ‘tokelau,’ ‘north,’ pe lahi ki ‘tonga,’ ‘south,’ ‘aia ko ‘ene lahi ki ‘tokelau’ pe lahi ki ‘tonga.’ ‘Oku ‘uhinga hono ui ‘ae ‘otumotu-tonga’ ‘i Vava‘u koe ‘‘otumotu-lalo’ ko ‘ene tu ‘u kihe ‘fakalalo’ kihe ‘fakatonga’ ‘o Vava‘u kae ui ‘ae ‘otumotu kihe ‘fakahahake’ koe ‘‘otumotu-hahake,’ ‘o ‘ikai ha ‘‘otumotu-hihifo’ moha ‘‘otumotu-‘olunga,’ ‘‘otumotu-tokelau.’

 ‘Oku ‘asi lelei ‘ae ‘tonga’ moe ‘lalo’ kihe ‘south’ moe ‘up-above’ he ta‘anga hiva fetau moe viki (song of rivalry and praise) malie koe ‘Loketi ‘oe ‘Otu Felenite’ (‘Rocket of the Friendly Isles’) koe fakafatu, fakafa‘u, moe fakaafo, fakafasi, ‘ehe punake ko Toamotu Wolfgram, ‘aia ‘oku malie fau ‘ene ngaue‘aki ‘ae ‘‘otumotu-tonga,’ ‘o fetongi‘aki ‘ae ‘ ‘otumotu-lalo’ koe heliaki fakafekauaki (associative metaphoric heliaki) moe heliaki fakafefonuaki (constitutive metonymic heliaki), ‘aia ‘oku ‘uhinga kihe ‘‘otumotu-tokelau,’ ma‘ae kau tame‘a ‘ae Loketi ‘oe ‘Otu Felenite mei Koloa, Vava‘ u, ‘aia ‘oku ha atu ‘i lalo (kupu, veesi, verse 2):

 Kupu, veesi 2                                        

 ‘Oka houhou ‘ae tu‘a Koloa                    

Pea ongo ‘i Vava‘u moe ‘otumotu tonga     

Teu talanoa kihe ngaluta‘ane*                

‘Oka akefasi, pea fakamanavahe!   

English Translation

Verse 2

When the cliff waves at Koloa break

Echoing thro’ Vava‘u to the southern isles

Let me talk about the male waves

As they crash in fierce, how frightful!

(*‘Oku toe ‘iloa ‘ae ngaluta‘ane, peauta‘ane, koe ngalutangata, peautangata, moe ngalukula, peaukula, ‘aia koe ngalu, peau, malohi, tamate, ‘powerful’ and ‘killer waves,’ ‘o liliu ‘Ingilisi koe ‘red waves,’ ‘aia ‘oku toe ui faka‘Ingilisi koe ‘tidal, seismic sea, waves,’ moe fakaSiapani koe ‘tsunami’).

ANFF leva e malanga kae tau,

‘Ofa ma‘u moe ‘anau fau,

Ka tau toki hoko atu,

Hufanga He Ako Moe Lotu, Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina Professor of Tongan Philosophy, Anthropology, and Art Vava‘u Academy for Critical Inquiry and Applied Research Vava‘ulahi, Kingdom of Tonga & Va Moana: Space and Relationality in Pacific Thought and Identity Marsden Project Inquiry and Research Cluster AUT University, Auckland, Aoteroa New Zealand