386 PHILOLOGY. 



Which may be rendered as follows : 



I was lying in the Tambu-tapani, 



We were going to learn a dance, 



A red cock crowed in the court-yard, 



I awoke suddenly and went to crying ; 



I am going to string the flowers of the kundravi, 



For a necklace in the harmonious dance. 



This is evidently intended for a dance of females. A woman represents herself as 

 sleeping in a house called Tambu-tayani, on the night before a festival ; she awakes at 

 the crowing of a cock, and recollecting that the morning is to be devoted to learning a 

 dance, she falls to crying at finding that it is already late, her tears being probably due, 

 in some measure, to the circumstance that tayi (to weep) is needed by the poet for the 

 jingle of the verse. She then proceeds to prepare the necklace of flowers which is worn in 

 the dance. Turumakt is the only word, the meaning of which is uncertain ; it is possible 

 that a mistake was made in taking it down, as there is a syllable too much in the line ; it 

 may correspond, in the Mbua dialect, to the Lakemba word saumaki, to return, or cause 

 to return, which may be used for repeat, rehearse, call to mind. Tiko is used nearly like 

 koto in the preceding song, " I awoke suddenly, and remained so." Hgai and mbau 

 both seem properly to mean to go, and are both used as auxiliaries. Suru, to enter, or 

 pass through, is here used as a transitive verb, meaning to insert, as flowers in a garland. 

 Takari (at Ovolau saggati) is the name given to the space around the outside of a house. 

 Kau is a contraction for ka au, " and I." Vuu is the figure of a dance. Makerevaki 

 means " in good accord, well arranged." 



The song which follows was also obtained at Sandalwood Bay, and is valuable not 

 only as a good specimen of native composition, but as containing many allusions to their 

 peculiar customs : 



Ni avu Rewa tola ndrondro na eva, 

 Sa ayi toka ni uu i Rewa ; 

 Ma kurea no a sinu ka ygera, 

 Me ra Suru salusalu nai aliwa, 

 Suru sinu ka umbeti a lemba, 

 Ra mbola rua, kau tombena. 

 Ma kerea ko yandi, kau serea ; 

 Andi, ko luvata na oru lemba, 

 Kau viriani ki na loya leka. 



Ru Sakava na lemba kau akava, 

 Me ra ne levu mai a marama ; 

 Ta laic" i Suru ki na Suyiawa. 

 Sundru tiko ko Tinai-Sar/i-lamba ; 

 A otwla meke ka suli vakaava 1 

 Ka'o ni vo'ua sa mai Zola. 

 Vuravura na vanua saurara. 



