Tangi 'a Tungī 'ia Tuku'aho ^Featured

Tangi 'a Tungī 'ia Tuku'aho

'Ioho he 'eni ē fakapŌ, Tala kia 'Ata mo Hihifo
Tala he ki Mu'a ke nau 'ilo, ko hoku 'ate eni kuo tŌ.
Pea kuo ongo ki hoku 'uto.
'Ioho ko en iē tau ē, kuo kapa 'i hoku loto fale.
Hoku fana taungamalie; kuo tau tonu 'i hoku 'ate.
Nofo ā koe fine Tongatapu, kau 'alu 'o vakai ki Vava'u.

Kia Lavinia mo Finau, na 'oku ta'ofi 'i Pouvalu.
О fufu 'i Kafoa mo Talau, ko hoto kuila fakamanumanu (fakalaulaukau)
Kuila Ō Ha'apai pea mo Vava'u.

Falefā ko e ha ha'o poa? Ki hotau tā ne fu'u makonga,
Ne 'ikai ta ha fu'u mo'ata, kae tuku pe si'i falahola,
Ko e fakama'unga si'i talanoa, 'a ha taukei mo ha finesola
О ne 'ilo loto ko 'eta koloa, 'a hou'eiki hotau kuonga,
Ka ke 'ofa mu'a 'o fakatotoka, ho'o fa'a lea mo e launoa.

     The Crying of Tungī for Tuku'aho (translated by Adrienne L. Kaeppler)

Shout this distressful murder loudly, tell 'Ata [chief of Kolovai] and Hihifo [the western part of Tongatapu, where Kolovai is located]
Also tell Mu'a [a combination of two villages, Lapaha and Tatakamotonga, inthe eastern part of Tongatapu], so they will know that my star has fallen
And it brought pain to my brain.
Proclaim this battle that has captured my house.
The shot was really on target; it struck right at my liver.
Goodbye, women of Tongatapu, I'm going to seek him at Vava'u.

To Lavinia and Finau, maybe they kept him at Pouvalu [Eight Posts, probably a large house in Vava'u],
Or maybe he is hidden at Kafoa and Talau [two elevated places in Vava'u: Sia ko Kafoa and Mt. Talau],
My feather-streamered treasure (good-looking and well-behaved) [of whom I am proud],
Treasure of Ha'apai and Vava'u [central and northern islands of the Tongan archipelago].

Ceremonial attendants, what is your opinion? Our being struck was vicious,
They didn't cut down a commoner, but put down this dear chief,
[He is] the theme of everyone's talk, of local people as well as female visitors.
He was recognized as the heart of our treasures, the chief of our time,
But please be calm, stop all talking and nonsense.