afford — Tongan Place Names 



11 



Vakangotoika, Vakautangu, 



Nae tuu i he fanga i Pahu. 

 Ke fanongo mai ho mau, 

 Koe ngataanga ia oe niotu. 



Ka ikai taui pea ke hu. 



Angi ae matangi tonga, 

 He-a-e-i-a-ho-la ! 

 He-he-i-a-he-he-a ! 



KoE Fakamatala 

 Koe mea ki Niuui : oku lau nae fai 

 ae tufa oe ngaahi motu o Tongatapu, 

 pea i he fanongo e he eiki e taha ki he 

 hnigoa Niuui naa ne mahalo koe lau ki 

 he niu oku i ai, o ne kalanga leva 

 "Ooku ia." Ka i heene alu ki ai ke 

 vakai hono totia kuo to, ta oku ikai ha 

 fuu niu e taha e tuu ai. 



"Kanatea taeofa." Nae ui pehe koe 

 nofo ai ae otua tahi ko Tui Lalotonga, 

 aia naa ne faa keina ae kakai (naa ko 

 ha fuu tenifa). Pea nae ai ha eiki 

 nae nofo i Nuku, ko Mapafietoa hono 

 hingoa: pea nae mole ha taha i heene 

 fanau koe ngaue kovi a Tui Lalotonga. 

 Pea mamahi ai a Mapa, o ne talatau 

 ki he faahikehe— ka ai hano toa ke ne 

 hau ke na fai. Pea fakamata e Mapa 

 mo hono kakai honau tao, pea nau 

 alu hifo ki tahi; he naa nau pehe kuo 

 pau ke tali he koe otua pea talaehai 

 te ne foi. Ka nae ikai iloa ai ae faa- 

 hikehe ; pea ita a Mapafietoa o ne aa 

 mo hono kakai ki Havelu o nau tutu 

 hono fale nae tuu ai. 



The vessel that sank the fish and the vessel 



loaded with yams. 

 That stood at the beach of Pahu. 

 Listen to me you. 

 These are all the islands. 



If not contested, then sue for pardon." 

 When blows the south wind 

 He-a-e-i-a-ho-la ! 

 He-he-i-a-he-he-a ! 



The Explanation 



As regards Niuui: it is said, when 

 the islands of Tongatabu were portioned 

 out, and when a certain chief heard the 

 name Niuui, he thought that it referred 

 to the coconuts that were there, and he 

 shouted, "I will have it." When he went 

 to see his inheritance he found that there 

 was not a single coconut tree standing 

 there. 



"Kanatea the unkind." It was called by 

 that name because there dwelt there a 

 god of the sea, Tui Lalotonga, who always 

 ate the people (perhaps it was a shark). 

 There dwelt at Nuku a chief by the name 

 of Mapafietoa, and one of his' children was 

 lost through the fault of Tui Lalotonga. 

 .And Mapa was much grieved and he told 

 the god, if he had any warrior to send him 

 to fight. And Mapa and his people sharp- 

 ened their spears, and they went down to 

 the sea, and they thought that Tui Lalo- 

 tonga was sure to accept the challenge 

 because he was a god ; and who could 

 say that he would be overcome. But the 

 god was not found there, and Mapafietoa 

 was angry and he forded with his people 

 to Havelu and burnt the god's' house that 

 stood there. 



Koe Taanga fiNi A TuFui" 



A Chant by Tufui 



I. Ke fanongo mai e lau loto na 

 Kau lave au ki he Tuatonga. 



Ki hoo mautolu liku he totoka 

 Ta vikia hono tokalinoa. 



I. Listen you who sing bass 



While I chant to you about the weather 



shore of Tonga. 

 When our weather shore is calm 

 We will praise its floating jelly-fish. 



" The expression means : if another poet cannot outdo this composition then let 

 him sue for pardon. 



"From manuscript in the possession of Mrs. Rachel Tonga, Pangai, Lifuka. 

 Translated by Miss Beatrice Shirley Baker. 



