NOTES ON THE TANNESE. 



665 



meaning'. They are sung first to give the tune, and may be 

 repeated before any verse. The tune resembles that in 

 Bateman's Hymn Book fur " Come to Jesus just now." 

 The song is not more than four years old. The subject is 

 the shooting of Yehti'i (called Yeru in the song) by Pusi. 

 The song is in the Kwamera dialect, but Yeri'i was a man 

 speaking the Weasisi dialect. Hence there is an attempt to 

 use some Weasisi words. 



1. 



Ua reii ren rao 

 Ua ren ren rao 

 Ua ren ren rao 

 Ua ren rao 

 Ren ren rinrao 



1. 



These words have no meaning 

 so far as we know. 



•' Awe ! N uit keikei ! 

 Awe ! Nuit keikei ! 

 Awe ! Niut keikei ! 

 I ripen iau 

 Yakatereng paison." 



" Oh, beloved Niut^ 



Lead me there 



That 1 may feel the poison. ^ 



In kuri rineivi ; 

 In ktiri rineivi ; 

 In kuri rineivi, 

 Ravahi meven ; 

 Rumaha ravoheraka 



Pupum ti-ratiuta ; 

 Pfipum ti-ratiuta ; 

 Pupum ti-ratiuta — 

 Rinahti"' Yeru, 

 Mahti nuprei niriis. 



The evil spirit prompted 



He takes (it) and goes. 

 Rumaha takes (it) away. 



4. 

 By and by he will ascend* 



He has shot at yeru 



And shot the trunk of a nirus.^ 



Awe ! kaha Pusi ; 

 Awe ! kaha Pusi ; 

 Awe ! kaha Pusi — 

 Rinaruke^ Yeru, 

 Murani neiriis." 



" Aha ! my grandfather Pusi ; 



He has shot Yeru 

 And shoulders his snider. 



