Ha'u Mu'a Ke Ta O ^Featured

Ha'u mu'a ke ta o
'O mata mahina hopo
Ke ta 'uta mo fanongo
Si'i le'o 'o e teiko
'A si'ene siu he lilifa
He moana loloto
Ko si'ene fakalavetala
Ki he hingano

Hake atu ki toafa
Tu'u ai 'o mamata
Ne hange ha sio'ata
Si'ene tapa mei he vaha!
Kuo 'ikai teu lava
Ke fa'a fakamatala
To'onga fakalata
'A e sialetafa

Come Let's Go Together

Composed by an anonymous poet from Tu'anekivale, Vava'u

Translated by
'I. Futa Helu

(Vakai ki he'ene 'esei koe "Laumatanga: Pride of Locality, in Tongan Poetry" he'ene tohi koe "On Tongan Poetry")

Come let's go together
And view the wondrous moonrise
And let's tarry and hear
The cry of the teiko
Flying around the sheer cliffs
O'er the eerie deep
It's his love serenade
To the hingano

Turn up to the treeless plain
Stand now and look
How like a great mirror
Shining from the ocean!
Ah, but I simply cannot
Describe to you in full
Lovely, winning ways
Of the sialetafa

Ko e Ki'i Fakamatala Nounou

Na'e fatu 'ae ta'anga hiva kakala/ta'anga hiva 'ofa (mo hono toe fasi/afo) malie ni 'ehe punake ta'e'iloa mei he kolo ko Tu'anekivale 'i Vava'u 'oku fekau'aki mo e tala fungani mo masani 'oe "Mata Mahina" (pe "Sio Mahina" 'o 'uhinga 'oku sio'aki pe mamata'aki 'ae mata) 'oku fai he tu'aliku/liku 'o Matoto, mo fa'a ngaue'aki he ngaahi ta'anga hiva kakala moe ta'anga hiva viki malie mei Vava'u Lahi, 'o hange ko e "Tu'i Matoto," "mata mahina hopo" moe ha fua.

'Oku ngaue'aki lelei 'ehe punake 'ae "taha" he vaha'a 'oe kakai moe 'atakai koe "heliaki" kihe 'ofa he vaha'a 'o tangata mo fafine, 'aia 'oku kau ai 'ae kakala koe hingano moe sialetafa, 'o ngali koe 'uhinga ia hono toe ui 'ae ta'anga hiva 'ofa koe ta'anga hiva kakala. 'Oku 'iloa 'ae "taha" he vaha'a ta'engata 'oe kakai moe 'atakai koe "fonua," 'o kamata 'ene vilotakai mei he 1 koe "fa'ele" (valevale moe fa'e) kihe 2 koe "mo'ui" (kakai moe 'atakai) moe 3 koe "mate" (mate moe fa'itoka).

'Oku mahino mei he fuo moe uho 'oe ta'anga hiva kakala/ta'anga hiva 'ofa (moe fasi/afo) ko 'eni na'e fua fakafa'u mo fakafasi koe lausipi/laulausipi kimu'a hono liliu mei ai kihe ta'anga hiva kakala/ta'anga hiva 'ofa, 'o fuo fakahimi (kupu/veesi moe tau/kolesi) koe 'omi 'ehe kau misinale. Na'e 'uhinga pe 'ae lausipi/laulausipi koe lau ta'anga/laulau ta'anga he vaha'a 'oe tangata moe fefine he faiva 'eva, 'o hange koe "sipitau"/"sipi tau" koe "ta'angatau"/"ta'anga tau," 'aia na'e fai 'aneafi he faiva tautamate kae fai he 'ahoni he faiva tau'akapulu.

Leva e malanga kae tau,
'Ofa atu fau & manatu ma'u.

Hufanga Dr 'Okusitino Mahina
Professor of Art, Culture & Critical Anthropology &
Dean Inquiry and Research
Tonga International Academy &
Vava'u Academy for Critical Inquiry & Applied Research