| Nonku nduri tiko ni karakaramba, |
I am wearied with the labour of poling |
| Sa talaki ma Kotoinankara, |
Dispatched with this message from the Cave-dweller, |
| "Matanivanua mai thithi manda, |
"Come, herald, run, |
| Mo lakovi rau na turanga, |
Summon the two chiefs to come to me, |
| Nonku toa sa mate vakathava ? |
Why was my fowl slain? |
| Au tambu kila no a kena thala." |
I know of no evil that he did." |
| Soraki ka tukutuku ko Mata, |
Thus the herald gave his message, |
| Ma mbolea mai ko Nakausamba, |
Nakausamba answers him boast-fully, |
| 'Matanivanua, mo na ngalu manda, |
"Herald, hold thy peace, |
| O kenda kethe na luve ni tamata, |
We are all the children of men, |
| Oi au na luve ni mathawa, |
I am the child of space, |
| Oi au na luve ni vula thandra, |
I am the child of the rising moon, |
| Vakathambethambe nga ko Wai-thala, |
Which Waithala made to rise, |
| Ka levu ko cava kei Mata, |
This herald is full of questions, |
| Au kaya mo na sa vavi manda, |
My way would be to have thee roasted, |
| Tha nde ko senga ni na laukana, |
It would be a pity not to have thee eaten,page 139 |
| Ni ko rui kaisi tha sara, |
For thou art the worst of lowborn men; |
| Au a lenkata na vula ma thandra." |
I have confined the rising moon." |
| Ko Nathirikaumoli ma vosaya, |
Then speaks Nathirikaumoli, |
| "Me tukuna ma Kotoinankara, |
"Tell this to the Cave-dweller, |
| Nona ruve e rawata vakathava? |
How came he by his pigeon ? |
| E kune e wai, se rawata matha? |
Found he it in the water, or found he it on land, |
| Ko la'ki tukuna me nda tu sa vala, |
Go, tell him that we will fight for it, |
| Sa vu ni tha nga ko Turukawa, |
Turukawa is the root of the evil, |
| Me tawase kina ko Nakauvandra, |
It is by him that Kauvandra is divided, |
| Sa tha nondatou tiko vata, |
It is not well that we should live together, |
| Me ngundu na masi me tou sa vala." |
Up with the flag and let us fight." |
| Kena moto ma rara no kivata, |
His spear lies ready on the shelf, |
| Na malumu me thavu e na wakana, |
And his club can be snatched from the eaves, |
| Ko wilika ma na sai mbalambala, |
Have you counted the spear-points of tree-fern? |
| Tiko sombu ndaru na okaokata, |
Sit down and let us number them, |
| E undolu vakatini sa rawa, |
Ten times one hundred in all; |
| Me tou tinia na masi ni vala, |
Let us hoist the pennants of war, |
| A ndrondro a ue ki sankata. |
The welkin rings with the tumult. |
| Mataisau era mbose toka, |
The craftsmen are sitting in council, |
| Era mbose, era ndui vosavosa, |
They consult, each gives his opinion, |
| Me nkai vosa mai ko Rokola, |
Rokola now speaks, |
| "Mbai vesi mo ndou la'ki vonota, |
"Go and fit close a rampart of vesi, |
| Matamata mo ndou la'ki karona," |
Give special heed to the gate," |
| Na mbongi ni vala ka sa tini toka, |
Ten days has the battle raged, |
| Kena wa ma mbuki ma so vota, |
The rope has snared them; they are dismembered, |
| Velavela ko Lutunasombasomba, |
Lutunasombasomba is dishonoured, |
| Sai koya nga na ndauloloma, |
He it is who is to be pitied, |
| Nda nkai nanuma tale nona vosa, |
Let us then recall his words, |
| "Tou a nkai kune ka ngona, |
"We are now in terrible plight, |
| O ndou nguthe tou na mbokola, |
You gloat over our corpses, |
| Me mai mbaleta nai vota vota." |
Thinking how ye will dismember them for the feast." |
| E tini na vuthu ka tambu na vosa. |
The poem is finished and there is silence. |
|
Vunivasa
|
Second Choir
|
| Ndungu toka ni singa ko Turukawa, |
Turukawa used to coo all the day long, |
| Sa tambu ndungu ni vakama taka, |
He did not coo at daybreak, |
| Tangi ko Ndengei ru sa lomana, |
Ndengei wept for love of him, |
| Isa nonku toa, na toa turanga, |
Alas! my fowl, my noble fowl, |
| U vula ndua koto ni tambu kana, |
For a whole month I have eaten nothing,page 140 |
| U vula rua koto ni lolovaka, |
For two months have I fasted for him, |
| Me ndua me thithi ki Narauyamba, |
Let one run to Narauyamba, |
| I tarongi rau na ngone turanga, |
And question the two young chiefs, |
| Oi ndrua, ru vanai Turukawa, |
Did ye shoot Turukawa? |
| Sa tambu ndungu ni vakamataka, |
He did not coo at daybreak, |
| "Tiko i ulunda na tiko vinaka, |
"Joy possesses us, |
| Ru sanga voli nai vakayandra." |
We did injure the Awakener." |
| Ra tukia ni mbongi na veivala, |
They joined battle at nightfall, |
| Ndua nai valu ma sorovi rawa. |
It is a war that can never be atoned. |
| Tambu ni sorovi mo ndru la'ki kamba, |
Never atoned; go, storm the fortress, |
| Era mba nai valu i ruarua, |
Both sides joined battle, |
| Ndua i yaviti yae; ndua i tambili, yae, |
Ah! one is clubbed, Ah! another is down, |
| Ului Ndreketi era sa mbini. |
The bodies of the Ului Ndreketi are piled high. |
| Seu nai valu i matasawa, |
The war spreads even to the shore, |
| Ia la'ki seu ki sawana, |
Aye, spreads even to the sea-shore, |
| Ru la'ki samuti ko Nakauvandra, |
The Kauvandra tribes are thrashed, |
| Vosa i cei a vuna vala? |
Whose was the word that set the battle going ? |
| Thimbi koto nai valu sa rawa, |
Lo! the death-dance for the ending of the war! |
| Lave a osooso ni turanga, |
Crash goes the club into the thick of the chiefs! |
| Enda vala, enda vala, enda vala-i! |
We fight, we fight, we fight-i! |
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