Some Folk-Songs and Myths From Samoa
[section]
1. |
It is [still] dark, [but] the day is dawning; |
2. |
The woman Ui and Lua-ma'a |
3. |
Start on their journey before daylight, |
4. |
And take with them a bag [containing the offering]. |
5. |
Above them were the fetau and the fasa trees; |
6. |
They set up there their offering. |
7. |
Ui sat up in the fasa tree at Sanga. |
8. |
Sun, Sun, stand thou forth with thy [glorious] presence. |
9. |
Thither he flew, intending to stand on the fasa. Ui speaks— |
10. |
O Sun, come here; |
11. |
To eat your man alive for food. The Sun speaks— |
12. |
O Ui, I desire to drink kava. Ui speaks— |
13. |
Let me explain about the kava; |
14. |
This is the kava [planting] of an industrious man; |
15. |
It stood in a rocky place; |
16. |
It grew there and was reserved for a special use; |
17. |
The pieces of its root were scattered about; |
18. |
I will split up these roots of kava; |
19. |
And I will scrape them with the kava scraper; |
20. |
And strain it out with the strainer, that it may be clear; |
21. |
I will rinse out my mouth; and now let me chew it. La speaks— |
22. |
O Ui, search the bag; |
23. |
Bring forth the ‘fau’ strainer from the bag; |
24. |
Strain out the kava. Ui replies— |
25. |
I am about to mix the kava with water, |
26. |
But I will mix it in a ‘tava'-wood bowl; |
27. |
I will strain it that it may be quite clear. |
28. |
Now I will proceed to portion out the kava; |
29. |
Let me spread out the cold food [that goes with the kava]. |
30. |
O Sun, eat thou; |
31. |
There is a taro; it is a ‘maga-na'a’ |
32. |
There is a taro; it is a ‘fai-fai-tagata’; |
33. |
There is a fish; it is an ‘ata'ata’; |
34. |
There is a fish caught at the mouth of the reef-opening; |
35. |
There is a fish hatched in the rock. |
36. |
There is a fowl, full grown and plump. |
37. |
Let your food be changed to that; |
38. |
Eat the bonito of the deep. |
39. |
But, first, let me make an explanation [to you]; |
40. |
None of our family is here for you to eat. |
41. |
Turn thy face this way; |
42. |
There is none of our family in [this] thy food. |
43. |
‘Ui, come here to me, [says La,] |
44. |
There is a chief in thy womb. |
45. |
When he is born, call him Tanga; |
46. |
[In] Atafu-uli, and Atafu-mea.' |
O!