Ko Muni Matamahae ^Featured

Ke fanongo mai e tama maau,
Kau lave kia Muni ma‘u hau,
He siana ko ia na‘e si‘i fau,
Ka e poto hono fakakaukau,
Hei ‘ilo pē tuku ‘a Lo‘au.
Tupa!

Na‘e hau ‘a Motuku Ve‘evalu,
Pea ha‘u ai Punga ‘o na tau,
Pea tuli ‘o lava ki Ha‘atafu.
Tupa!

Pea hola ‘a Motuku ‘o nofo ‘ana,
Ka ka ‘alu hake hono ‘ohoana,
‘Oku teu ‘a e folau tā vaka,
‘Alu ai ko ‘ene fie mamata.
Tupa!

‘Alu e vaka pea pō taha,
Pea hokosia ‘a Faha-mo-Faha,
Pea tō ai e fakaevahá,
Pea fai mai leva ‘ene tala,
“Kumi mai ha tefito mei ama,”
‘Omi ai ‘a e fefine ‘o tafa,
Tā ko ē na‘e feitama,
Lī ai Muni ki loto moana.
Tupa!

Pea na‘e ‘ikai kai ‘e ha ‘anga,
Ka ka tafea hake ki Lofanga,
Hifo mai e ‘unoho ‘e na ama,
‘Oku hilifaki he funga maka,
‘Oku tosi pē kiu hono mata.
Tupa!

‘Ave ai ohi ko ‘ena tama,
Ohiohi pea kaafakafa,
Maumau hono matātangata,
Ka kuo mahae e mata ‘e taha.
Tupa!

Efiafi nofo mai e tangata,
Ko e alafolau honau vaka,
“‘Amoua e faha‘i ‘e taha,”
‘Ā hake ai ‘a Maui ‘o kata,
Pea fai ange leva ‘ene tala,
“‘Oua e tangi ho poko‘i mata,”
Tuku mai ma‘aku hotau ngafa,
‘E ‘ikai ha me‘a ‘e faingata‘a.
Tupa!

Pongipongi fesi e niu kakafa,
Ta‘aki e koka fale mei hala,
Pea langa pē he ‘aho ‘e taha,
“‘Oku ‘ita nai hono te kakava?”
Tupa!

Pea fai ange leva ‘ene tala,
Ha‘u Muni ‘o le‘o vaka,
Na‘a nofonofo ka e fakahala,
‘I he‘ene anga ‘oku fīta‘a.
Tupa!

‘Ā hake ai ‘a Muni ‘o tangi,
“Tā ko e me‘a ni ko e lavaki,
Ko e lau ‘apē te u mahaki,”
Ha‘u ai ‘o tu‘u-kau-tala‘i,
‘A ‘eni ne ui ai he hopa ni.
Tupa!

“Ongo mātu‘a pe‘i mo ōmai,
‘O tala‘i mai ha‘aku tamai,
Ke u ‘alu au ‘o kumi ki ai.”
Tupa!

“Ha‘u Muni ‘o ‘alu ki Tonga Lahi,
Tau ‘i Telio pea hake mai,
Ka puna ha veka pea ke vakai,
Ko e hala ia ki homou ‘api.”
Tupa!

Ko e Fisi pē na‘a na ōmai,
Na‘e hopo mo e taula ‘o fai,
Feingafeinga pea tala mai,
“Tā ko e fungamaka e me‘a ni,”
Hopo ai Muni ‘o vilitaki,
‘A ‘eni ne ava he matātahi.
Tupa!

“‘Alā Motuku ke ke ‘ā mai,
‘O fakaui hotau kakai,
Ke toe ha taha pea ‘ā mai,
Ka u ‘alu ‘o ‘eva ‘i Hala Lahi,
Pea u kumi ai taha ke ma fai.”
Tupa!

“Tamasi‘i ‘oua e lea lahi,
He vakai ko e toi ‘oku fai,
Ka ‘ilo e ha‘u pea ta mahaki.
Tupa!

‘Alu ki Hahake ‘ene langovaka,
Ka ‘oku ‘a‘alo ‘i Hala Kakala,
‘Oku tu‘u pē ‘ene fu‘u kava,
‘Oku tāupe peka hono kata.
Tupa!

Ala ‘o ta‘aki fakanimotaha,
Pea toki fai ange leva ‘ene tala,
“Ka ha‘u ‘anai ‘a Punga Lotolava,
Tuli hake ke taunga tangata,
Ko au Muni ko e Lautaha.”
Tupa!

‘Alu‘alu pea toki haeua,
‘O tūtū‘i ki lalo mo ‘uta,
Pea tuli hake ai ‘o mo‘ua,
Tu‘u ‘a Muni ‘o na fangatua,
‘O li‘eli‘aki ke ma‘olunga,
Pea fai hifo ‘ene lāunga,
“Hau koe Muni hotau fonua,
Ka u punga ‘i tahi punga ‘i ‘uta.”
Tupa!

KO E FAKAMATALA NOUNOU:

‘Oku lava ke lau ko e ta‘anga mālie ni ko e ta‘anga viki, fakato‘a mo fakaoli. Na‘e fua talatukungutu ‘a e ta‘anga ni ka e toki talatukutohi ‘e he kau fekumi fakaako mo e kau misinale mei muli mo Pāpālangi, ‘o hikitatau he tohi hono fakatolonga he vaa‘ikuonga, ‘a ia ‘oku hoko ko e ma‘ungatala ‘a e ngaahi to‘utangata. ‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘a e viki (ta‘anga viki; poetry of praise) ko e tala ‘o e lelei, faka‘ofo‘ofa mo e mālohinga ‘a ha me‘a, ‘o hangē ko e talaki ‘a e to‘a ‘a ha kakai (ta‘anga fakato‘a; poetry of bravery).

Ka ‘oku ‘uhinga ‘a e fakaoli (ta‘anga fakaoli; poetry of funny things or poetry of humour or poetry of the humorous), ‘a ia ‘oku tefito he faiva fakaoli (performance art of poetry of comedy or performance art of poetry of the comic), ‘o makatu‘unga hono fakafenāpasi ‘a e fakafelalavai ‘o e ngalipoto (normality) mo e ngalivale (absurdity), ‘a ia ‘oku fakaola he kata (laughter). ‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘a e kata (laughter) ko e ma‘alali ‘e he ‘atamai mo e fakakaukau he‘ene ‘ilo ‘a e fehalaaki he ‘atamai mo e fakakaukau.

‘Oku ‘asi ‘a e konga mālie ‘o e fananga mo e ta‘anga ‘o Muni Matamahae fakatoulōua, ‘o hangē ko e kohi / laini 7, kupu / veesi 18 ko e: “Ka u punga ‘i tahi punga ‘i ‘uta” he taha ‘o e ngaahi ta‘anga lakalaka mālie ‘a e Fola‘osi ‘o Kanokupolu ko e: “Punga koe ‘i tahi punga ‘i ‘uta, Ka u tala fono au he fonua.” ‘E toki pulusi atu he kaha‘u ‘a e liliu faka‘Ingilisi ‘o e ta‘anga ni na‘e to e pulusi he “Faikava: Ko e Sēnolo Fakalitilesā” (“Faikava: A Tongan Literary Journal”) ‘e Palōfesa Futa Helu mo Palōfesa Epeli Hau‘ofa.

‘Ofa manatu & manatu ‘ofa,
Hufanga Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina
Professor of Art, Culture & Critical Anthropology &
Dean Inquiry & Research
Moana University of Technology (MUT)
‘Api Mataka – Haveluloto
Tongatapu – KINGDOM OF TONGA