Talatupu‘a Toputapuhā (Sacred Creation Story) ^Featured

Kātoanga Aoniu (Aoniu Festival) 2020 Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) ‘Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Fe‘auhi Hiva (Music Competition) Kaveinga: ‘Ilo‘i Hoto Tupu‘anga / Tala Tukufakaholo (Theme: Knowing One‘s Identity / Oral History)

Kava Talanoa (& Talāsiti) Kanokupolu – Koe Havelulahi (Kanokupolu Kava Talk Collective [& Trust] – The Havelulahi) ‘Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Talatupu‘a Toputapuhā (Sacred Creation Story)

 Ko e ta‘anga hiva talafonua / talatupu‘aefonua (A sung poetry of history of people and land)

Fakafatu/fakafa‘u ‘e (poetry composed by) Havelulahi, Ma‘asi Taukei‘aho & Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina & Fakaafo/fakafasi ‘e (music composed by) Tu‘ifonualava Kaivelata

Liliulea ‘Ingilisi ‘e (English translation by) Havelulahi, Ma‘asi Taukei‘aho Fetongikava Dr Viliami Uasikē Lātū & Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina

1. Ke tulou moe talatupu‘a toputapuhā

Ne kamata ‘i Moana he Vahanoa                      

‘Ene tukufakaholo talu mei mu‘a            

He ‘uluaki maka ko Touiaofutuna             

2. Koia hota taufatungamotu‘a                    

Hikule‘o Maui mo Tangaloa                   

Pulotu Maama mo Langiātea                  

Koe vahefonua ‘a ha‘a ‘Otua               

3. Toa he Va‘epopua ‘afē ‘e ngalo               

Finepanilolo mo ‘ene to‘ongapō                

Fanguna he tafe ‘i Mata‘aho                   

Tama tuē he kuo tāvā pea sōsō            

 4. Kei tu‘utai ‘a ‘Uta mo Lalo                    

Uhoo‘upolu mo Ha‘amoheofo                  

Molofaha ē Maliepō kei no‘o                                           

Ula-mo-Leka steers afar for the motto 

Tau / Kōlesi.    

Koe maama moe tau‘atāina         

Mo‘unga kihe loto ‘eta fuka                    

Mate ma‘ae fonua ‘eta kuila                   

Fusi tau vilingia koe ikuna                     

He tauhivā moe faifatongia                     

Kavei loa ‘ene tu‘u tauhoa                                   

Navei he ‘apasia moe ‘ofa                                   

Malu ‘a fonua mo tu‘uloa                                   

 English Translation 

1. My respect of the sacred creation story

It began in Moana and Vahanoa

As it has unfolded since the beginning

From the first rock, Touiaofutuna

2. That was our common ancient lore

With Hikule‘o, Maui, and Tangaloa

Of Pulotu, Maama, and Langiātea

As realms divided amongst the Gods 

3. Toa tree at Va‘epopua, never to forget

Maiden Finepanilolo and her treasure

It‘s sweet-smelling oil tipped at Mata‘aho

Let us applaud, and join the celebration

 4. Risen in order are ‘Uta and Lalo

As Uhoo‘upolu and Ha‘amoheofo

Molofaha and Maliepō still in guard                    

Ula-mo-Leka 'ulifano kihe moto

 Chorus.

As the light of mind and freedom

The heart is our mountain, our flag

Die for people and land, our banner

Hoisted in full, our collective success

Keeping relations and fulfilling duties

As long-lasting, binaries of strings

Twice tied on both respect and love

As people and land of lasting peace

Koe kinikini / huluhulu nounou

 ‘Oku lave ‘ae ta‘anga hiva talafonua koe “Talatupu‘a Toputapuhā” kihe tupu‘anga mālie atu mo loloto fau ‘o Tonga talu mei he kilukilua mo hono moto/kaveinga mā‘uhinga mo kinoninoifia tu‘uloa mo tolonga, ‘o ngāue‘aki lelei ‘ae fa‘ahinga lalahi ‘e tolu ‘oe heliaki koe “lea kihe me‘a ‘e taha kae ‘uhinga kihe me‘a ‘e taha,” ‘aia koe heliaki fakafetongiaki, heliaki fakafekauaki, moe heliaki fakafefonuaki. 

‘Oku kamata ‘ae ta‘anga hiva talafonua ni he tupu‘anga ‘o Tonga he kamata‘anga ‘i Moana he Vahana moe Touiaofutuna koe motu‘a maka (kupu / veesi 1), ‘aia ‘oku fa‘oaki hono ‘ilo he fonua/kalatua mo talaki he tala/lea koe ongo vaka fakafonua, ‘o taku koe taufatungamotu‘a ‘oe fonua ‘oku tukufakaholo he ngaahi kuonga mo talatukungutu he ngaahi to‘utangata.

Na‘e hoko kihe makape hake ‘ae kau ‘Otua tupu‘a ‘a Hikule‘o, kau Maui, moe kau Tangaloa na‘a nau vahefonua mo vaengafa ‘a Pulotu (Fisi), Maama (Tonga), mo Langiātea (Samoa) (kupu / veesi 2) moe makape ‘ae ‘uluaki Tu‘i Tonga ‘a ‘Aho‘eitu he fu‘u toa ‘i Popua ‘ia Tangaloa ‘Eitumātupu‘a mo Va‘eopua (ne fua ‘Ilaheva) he Mata‘aho (kupu/veesi 3).

‘Oku nau fetaulakitu‘u ‘i ‘Uta (Kauhala‘uta, Tu‘i Tonga) mo Lalo (Kauhalalalo, Tu‘i Ha‘atakalaua) he Uhoo‘upolu mo Moheofo (Muifonua, Tu‘i Kanokupolu), ‘o no‘otaki ‘ehe ‘apa‘apa Molofaha (Motu‘apuaka) mo Maliepō (Lauaki) ‘etau nonofo mo ‘ulifohe ‘ehe toutai-punake Ula-mo-Leka (Fokololo) kihe moto/kaveinga (kupu/veesi 4), ‘o humaki he loto‘i Tonga ‘oku navei koe faimatekina moe faitōnunga he kavei koula koe malu‘anga ē fonua (tau/kōlesi).

 A brief English summary

The sung poetry of history of people and land “Sacred Creation Story” (cosmogony) about the beautiful and deep history of Tonga since timespace immemorial in its best and permanence both affectively and effectively deploys the three divisions of heliaki, meaning “metaphorically/symbolically saying one thing and historically/really meaning another,” namely, qualitative epiphoric heliaki, associative metaphoric heliaki, and constitutive metonymic heliaki.

This sung poetry begins with the origin of Tonga in the beginning at the Moana in Vahanoa and Touiaofutuna the first rock (verse 1), constituted or composed in culture / history and transmitted or communicated in language through the ages and generations as social vessels.

This was followed by the rise of Goddess/Deity Hikule‘o, Gods/Deities Maui, and Gods/Deities Tangaloa, allocated with divine realms (and functions) Pulotu (Ancestral Homeland and Afterworld, Fiji), Maama (Earth, Tonga), and Langiātea (Sky, Samoa) (verse 2) then the rise of the 1st Tu‘i Tonga, ‘Aho‘eitu, associated with the toa tree at Popua in his Sky Father Tangaloa ‘Eitumātupu‘a and Earth Mother Va‘epopua (formerly ‘Ilaheva) at the offshore island Mata‘aho (verse 3).

These converged in ‘Uta (Kauhala‘uta, Tu‘i Tonga) and Lalo (Kauhalalalo, Tu‘i Ha‘atakalaua), combined in Uhoo‘upolu and Ha‘amoheofo (Muifonua, Tu‘i Kanokupolu), guarded by both Molofaha (Motu‘apuaka) and Maliepō (Lauaki) and steered by navigator-poet Ula-mo-Leka (Fokololo) to our motto (verse 4), rooted in the Tongan heart tied to symbolic death as the golden straps, marking harmony and prosperity (chorus).