Kanokano ‘a e Noate (The North Sings in Harmony) ^Featured

Ko e ta‘anga hiva tengihia (Song of mourning) fakafatu, fakafa‘u ‘e Feke Tutu‘ila, 1968 (poetry composed by Feke Tutu‘ila, 1968) fakafo, fakafasi ‘e ‘Aisea Manumu‘a, 1976 (music composed by ‘Aisea Manumu‘a, 1976)

Kupu, veesi 1

 Kanokano ‘ae noate

Tatu‘a he ‘Api-ko-Fakapale

‘O angai kihe saute

Lolo ‘ae Mahinafekite

Tangi hako leva e puloka

Pea sila tu‘u leva e late

Pea ngoto leva e mafua

Ekiaki siu he kilukilua

 Kupu, veesi 2

 ‘Oi si‘i tu‘u kaunga

Tavake siu na koa kae ha

Ma‘ali mu‘a koha misi

Koe fulu‘ama si‘o ‘imisi

Fakana‘ana‘a ki Paluki

Vaikau‘aki si‘eku mo‘ui

‘Ukuma hono puipui

Kae ‘ikai keu maukufi

 Kupu, veesi 3

 ‘Amusia mu‘a e malolo

‘Oku kapapuna he tahiloloto

‘Amusia ‘ae mahina

Mate pea toe tu‘u mai ia

‘Amusia moe singa

‘Oku lutu pea toe fotu ia

‘Anau kihe fahina

Na‘a fai si‘a liusila

 Ko e ki‘i fakamatala moe huluhulu nounou

Na‘e fakafatu, fakafa‘u ‘ehe punake kakato ‘iloa ko Feke Tutu‘ila ‘o ‘Uiha na‘e mali mo nofo Longomapu ‘ae ta‘anga hiva tengihia malie ni koe ‘Kanokano ‘ae Noate’ he 1968 ta‘u, pea toki fakaafo, fakafasi ‘ehe musika ‘iloa ko ‘Aisea Manumu‘a ‘o Navutoka he 1976 ta‘u, ‘o hiva mo ta ‘ehe kau hiva moe tame‘alea ongoongoa koe Funga ‘Onetaka (‘aia koe ‘Fanga ‘One‘one Taka’ hono fepalekina ‘ehe havili). ‘Oku kupu, veesi 3, kohi, laini 8 hono loloa, ‘o ‘ikai hano tau, kolesi, ‘aia ‘oku nau ongo, afo, mo fasi tatau kotoa.

 ‘Oku taku na‘e fatu, fa‘u ‘e Feke ‘ae hiva he pekia ‘a Nopele Veikune (Lala) koe ‘eiki tefito ‘o Longomapu he 1959 ta‘u, ‘aia ‘oku ne ngaue‘aki lelei ‘ae fa‘ahinga lalahi ‘e tolu ‘oe heliaki koe heliaki fakafetongiaki, heliaki fakafekauaki, moe heliaki fakafefonuaki, ‘o ‘uhinga koe ‘lea kihe me‘a ‘e taha kae ‘uhinga kihe me‘a ‘e taha.’ ‘Oku ne toe ngaue‘aki lelei ‘ae ngaahi lea ‘Ingilisi kuo liliu he‘ene heliaki, ‘o hange koe noate (north, tokelau, ‘olunga), saute (south, tonga, lalo), puloka (pulley), fulu‘ama (full amour), moe ‘imisi (image).

 ‘Oku kamata‘aki ‘ehe punake hono tala ‘ae me‘afaka‘eiki (kupu, veesi 1, kohi, laini 1) ‘o Nopele Veikune (Lala) mei Vava‘u (noate, north, tokelau, ‘olunga) ki Ha‘apai (saute, south, tonga, lalo) kihe ‘Api-ko-Fakapale moe ‘Api-ko-Mahinafekite kia Noplele Tuita koe toutaivaka ‘ae Fokolo ‘e Hau, ‘o fakataha moe Kau Moala, Ula mo Leka (kupu, veesi 1, kohi, laini 1-8). ‘Oku lave ‘ae punake kihe naunau ‘oe tuitaivaka koe heliaki, ‘o hange koe lea ‘ae puloka he matangito ‘oku puli ai ‘ae mafua he loloto mei he manusiu.

‘Oku ake he manatu ‘ae punake kihe pekia ‘oku hange ‘ene ma‘ali ha misi, ‘o hange ha tavakesiu hono teunga kakato (fulu‘ama) koe fakanonga ki Paluki, ‘aia ‘oku utua ‘ene langa mo uhu he loto ‘o ta‘elava ke ma‘ufi‘ufi hono lahi mo maukufi hono loloto (kupu, veesi 2, kohi, laini 1-8). ‘Oku monu‘ia pe ka koe malolo, mahina, moe singa ‘oku tau‘ataina ‘enau fili he vaha‘a hoa ‘oe mamaha moe loloto, mate moe tu‘u, moe puli moe fotu kae faka‘ofa ka ko ia koe pule tafataha mo fa‘iteliha ‘a mate he mo‘ui (kupu, veesi 5, kohi, laini 1-8).

In brief English summary

The 3-vverse, 8-line song of mourning (hiva tengihia) ‘Kanokano ‘ae Noate’ is approximately translated into English as ‘The North Sings in Harmony.’ It was composed in mourning of the death of Noble Veikune (Lala) of Longomapu, Vava‘ulahi, by the master poet Feke Tutu‘ila from ‘Uiha, Ha‘apai, and married and lived in Longomapu, Vava‘ulahi, which was put to both music and performed by ‘Aisea Manumu‘a and his well-known string band named Funga ‘Onetaka from Navutoka, Tonga‘eki, Tongatapu or Tongalahi.

The poet uses kanokano as a befitting heliaki for mourning (tengihia), as well as a vehicle of communicating the sad news, which is the highest female-led harmonising part in now Tongan four-part singing as the mode of wailing (tangi, tengihia) in the ritual of mourning of the dead, strictly carried out by women. He makes both affective and effective use of the three types of heliaki, which means ‘metaphorically saying one thing but really meaning another,’ namely, qualitative epiphoric heliaki, associative metaphoric heliaki, and constitutive heliaki.

He deploys both Tongan and English words translated into Tongan as heliaki, such as noate (north, tokelau, ‘olunga), saute (south, tonga, lalo), puloka (pulley), fulu‘ama (full amour), and ‘imisi (image). The death of Nobel Veikune (Lala) was first communicated from Vava‘u to Ha‘apai (verse 1, lines 1-8), followed by his lasting memories of him (verse 2, lines 1-8), then his state of helplessness without control over life and death, unlike the moon which, in Tongan thinking, freely periodically rotates over the earth (verse 3, lines 1-8).