Some Folk-Songs and Myths From Samoa

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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!