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The following old Samoan funeral poem was recorded by Rev. George Pratt in A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, first published in 1862. Pratt describes it as a poem of considerable length composed in honour of Tātō of Safune.
The poem is presented here as part of Samoa Newshub’s work to preserve old Samoan language, poetry, and historical memory.
‘O le ifā mai, aue, ifā mai,
Tolilā‘au e Tolilā, I
‘A ‘o ai le taiā i fafo?
‘Ua le migao, ‘ua tala po;
Se‘ia ao e fa‘ataiō,
E alaga, ‘ua lato le malō;
‘Ua siofa le lagi, ‘ua faō.
‘A matou faamavae ai,
Saivaiaso, ma Tu‘uiletai,
Lu‘ulaufasa ma Tagatānu‘u.
‘O i maua na ua o mai,
Na ma ‘Olo‘apu mai Vaiafai;
Na ma sailia Faufiifeteai,
Ai se mea o saosao fa‘i ai.
‘O Sinasegi ma Sinava‘ava‘ai,
Ai se alofa lua ta‘ua mai,
Sau i lona lumāfale māvae.
Na ma ‘Olo‘apu mai Fale‘afa;
‘O le ā malu ifo sa Tuala.
‘A o‘o ifo le fulugāva‘a.
Talofa i nai tulafale,
‘A tau ina tatou fetea‘i,
Ai lau teva nei, e le afe,
‘Ua futu, ‘ua so‘o le atu sasa‘e,
‘O sa‘ili i le tafatafa‘i lagi.
Se ā ‘ea lenei? ‘ua ta te‘i,
Segia mai mauli, ‘ua ta fefe!
Ta ‘ino‘ino i Malaga ‘au‘e;
Sa fai atu lava ‘o le va‘a tele,
Fai lā a tatou gae‘e;
Ia te lavatia tai tetele.
Ia te tino e faasau e Meto;
E te alo e mau lava i le solo.
Se fa‘amomo‘i loto, se tu‘u faleupolu.
Fa‘afono atu lo tatou na motu,
Si‘osi‘omia le va‘a la ono.
Filoliupo ma Lemaluosaamoa,
Avatu i lau e fai ma faaoso,
I malū atu, ‘a ‘ua ma i le motu,
Na ma sa‘ilia Naumatiutuloa,
Pe maua i le vavaloloa?
Se gutupoto ia te talasāloa,
O ali‘i ‘ua ifinā ‘atoa.
Sema e, ‘o ai ‘ea e pisa?
Pe se soa le va i le faga?
Pe ni fa‘aili ‘ua tata?
Ofo mai se tautai pagotā,
Na ‘o Leasionō, ma Utā
Lesione, ma Palepaleaoa,
Si‘i ifo le va‘a e nofofā;
‘A e to‘alima i Agalela.
E ifo a‘u ma tagi, ‘a ‘ua lupea sina tu‘itu‘i
Le Atua e, to mai sau pule,
Fofisa‘iina mai Fuatatufi,
Se‘ia to ane se matai tuli.
Fofisa‘iina mai i Fuailalama
Ia Safune, ‘o ta‘ua o le pala;
Nī nai pu‘u ma mai La‘afa‘aga;
Na ‘o Su‘esu‘e lea ma Taga.
Avatu i laua e fai ma papa
Ia Va‘e‘au, e fai mou va‘a;
Tofoilevao e fai ma malama.
Alu atu Manu e ta‘ai tapā‘a;
Lo outou ili, ‘o le sau Lava‘a;
‘A e matafi ane ao valevale,
Ai le fualupe e tāu tasi.
Talofa i le fu‘a, nei tauvale,
Ne‘i le ‘auga le fao-tato
Ape ane, ‘a ni mea fa‘amālāma
Avatu le tuaefu e togisala
‘A e tautua na Lēuaiva‘a.
Source: Rev. George Pratt, A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, first published 1862. The poem is recorded as a funeral dirge in honour of Tātō of Safune. The original year of composition is not given.
