Nukukehe album
All songs written by Opetaia Foa'i
(certain tracks written by Opetaia
Foai and Malcolm Smith)
1/ NUKUKEHE
Au na fofou fia kikila kia koe
Taku atu ai kina tino uma
Ko au na fafia mimita lahi
Ona fai e au na pehe mo koe
Teki au fakalogo kua sui tou olaga
Tiga e lahi na mea faigata
Kae taumafai lava ke taunuku
Taunuku te malaga fetaui ai taua
Tele tele kehe kehe
Tele kehe
Te lagona halamo
Na lagona halamo
Kua kehe mea
Te fanoanoa i te pa atuga ki na
Ho ve kua fai toku tuai atu
Kua teka atu na aso lelei
Na iei aganuku na
Aganuku lava moni
Kehe mai te olaga
Te olaga ona mea fou
Taofi ai na galuega lelei
Liliu kina uiga faigofie
Tatau na hakili he auala
Fakamimita uma ki tatou
Fakamakeke talia tali lelei
Teki kua tuai atu
O te nuku atunuku
na fia taunuku ai te malaga
Te malaga kua leva na fia tau
A DIFFERENT LAND
I dreamt of meeting you
And proceeded to tell everyone about you
I was so proud
I even wrote songs about you
I hesitated when I heard you’d changed
But still braved the elements to see you
The journey itself an adventure
An introduction leading me to you
Many many differences differences
Many differences
Overcome with sadness
I was overcome with sadness
Things have changed
I was saddened to have finally met you
As I came a little too late
Your prime was long ago
When there was real pride in you
This is a different place now
Spoilt by things that are new
People no longer tending the land
But opting to take the easy way out
We need to find a way
To make us all proud again
We need to be strong
In actioning the right answer
Before it’s far too late
This land, this land I’ve always wanted
to go to. A journey, for a long time
I needed to make.
2/ MANATU
Oku kohu e he masani ai
Kehe hoki ma na sevae
Kave ai i hetahi fenua
Tagi tagi ai au mo toku kaiga
Taku mai pe i fea toku matua
Ve na puli e fakailoaina
Taku mai pe i fea toku tamana
Na galo atu i te taeao nei
E mamafa, e manako , e fakamatala
Te uiga o te folau
Tuku mai he tali e fakamalie ai au
Manatua lelei te vaitafe
Aku feleni e sakili mai au
Fakataumafai ae he mafai
E au o tali ki ei
E manatu fia manatu
Toku kaiga
E fia manatu toku kaiga
Nofonofo filemu lava venei
Ite pogiha, toku mafaufau e tiga
te fanoanoa - te pogiha - te fanoanoa
Te mamao ko tau malaga na fai
Ae heai lele he tino e malamalama ai
Kae haloa koe koe ke onosai mai
Aua e iai na mea taua fakatali mai mo koe
Tau tala moni lava te na
E koe ke fakamakeke ma fakamalohi
Kae amutia koe te manaia ko tou lumanaki
Ka pa koe ki iei
HOMESICK
These clothes feel so strange on me
Stranger still are these shoes
Taken to another world
I’m now crying for my home
Tell me where my mother is
She forgot to explain things to me
Tell me where my father is
I thought I heard him leave this morning
Heavy thoughts
what I need is an explanation
The purpose of this journey
Searching for answers in this small room
I can only think of my river
My friends are searching for me
But no matter how hard I try
There’s no way for me to answer them
I’m homesick , I’m longing
For my family
I’m longing for my home
Here I sit all by myself
In this darkness
My head is filled with hurt
With sadness - this darkness
3/ SEI MA LE LOSA
Fakalogologo i te tala
Fakalavelave ai tou huhuga
Fakateki au ma te fanoanoa
Kua galo atu te tamatoa
Kua galo atu ai ma te avanoa
E fakafetai atu ai au
Kavatu ai na alofaaga ienei
mai na tino o te Pasifika
Tagi tagi kite
Fakalavelave
Sei ma le losa
Mo oe mai i le Pasifika
Sei ma le losa
O le matou alofa lena
Maimau kana fetaui ki taua
Lahi na kupu e fia talanoa ki ei
Kavatu te salute
Ma talitonu mai
E manatua lava koe
E tupulaga oku fanau
Sei ma le losa
Mo oe mai i le Pasifika
Sei ma le losa
O le matou alofa lena
THIS FLOWER AND THIS ROSE
I heard on the news tonight
An accident took your life
I felt sadness quickly fall
For we have lost a true warrior
Gone is the chance
To thank you for what youıve done
So Iım sending you love and respect
From the people of the Pacific
Mourning this sad loss
This flower and this rose
For you from the Pacific
This flower and this rose
Our gesture of respect and love
Iım sorry we never got to meet
So many things I would have said
Instead I salute you and be assured
That my childrenıs children
Will remember you
This flower and this rose
For you from the Pacific
This flower and this rose
Our gesture of respect and love
5/ ALAMAGOTO
Ua ou va’ai
Ou mata i ai
Le susulu ia mai ole la
Ona ou pese
Pese ai lea
Siva fo’i ai ma le fiafia
Le nu’u le nu’u
Matagofie
Sa maua sa maua
Ou feleni
Uo ma uo
E masani ai
Le nu’u le nu’u matagofie
e iei fiafiaga
le malaga i le tausaga fou
e iei fiafiaga
Atunu’u na ou ola mai ai
Pese mai e failogaina ai
ei ei Alamagoto
Siva mai e failogaina ai
ei ei Alamagoto
Ua leva ou Malaga ese atu
Tele mea sui i lou olaga
Le mafaufau mea
Na amata mai ai
Ae valau mai e foi atu
ALAMAGOTO
I have seen it with my own eyes
The sun shone so brightly
Making me sing
Soon I was dancing
Overcome with joy
This land this land
Feels so good
I found I found
Warm friends
And companions
I’m familiar with
This land feels so good
So much for me to celebrate
This journey in the new year
So much for me to celebrate
This land where I was born
All sing to celebrate
Alamagoto
All dance to celebrate
Alamagoto
Left this land a long time ago
Much has happened in my life
Never looking back
To where I came from
Still she calls me
To return home
6/ TAMATOA
Te tagata ko Tavita
Hikihiki lava
Na Uiga mimita
O te Pasifika
Fakatu te tagata
I te lalolagi
Tete na fili
Paku foki ai
Ko ai la te igoa
Tua
Fakamalohi ai
Te Tatou tamatoa
Lagolago ki ei
Taku mai la te igoa
Tua
Ma talitonu mai
Ka maua e ia
Te tulaga hilia
O te Tamatoa
Tamatoa o te Pasifika
O te Tamatoa
Tamatoa o te Pasifika
This man called
Tavitia
Is proudly holding
Up the ways of
The Pacific
He stands Boldly
Taking on the world
His opponents they shake with dear
Just before they fall
What is his name
Tua
Let’s all get behind him
He’s our warrior
Tell me his name
Tua
Believe me when
I say
He will be
The champion of the world
This Warrior
Our warrior of
The pacific
This warrior
Our warrior of the Pacific
(te fenua o)
8/ TOKU MATUA (Land of my mother)
I wrote this song for my mother, it is written in her language, and is
about her home, the Island of Tuvalu. The effects of global warming are
already visible in the South Pacific. The Island of Tuvalu is sinking as
the rising sea begins to take over. This song expresses my concern and
my wish to go to there before it is lost to the sea.
E isi se nuku e iloa ne au There is a place that I know of
Se fenua e uke mea fou A land threatened by something new
Ae fakamataku au e alofa I fear for it’s safety
mo aso mai I am concerned for it’s future
aso mai mua
Au e manako e oko ki ei I need to go there
Koi maua ne se avanoa It might be my last chance
Koe tuai o goto ki lalo Before it sinks below
Te fenua o toku matua This land of my mother
Au e fia pese i luga I want to dance in this land
Au e fia siva i luga I want to sing in this land
Ke kau atu au ki fenua nei I need to swim in this land
Au e fia pese i luga Let me dance in this land
Au e fia siva i luga Let me sing in this land
Ote fenua o toku matua This land of my mother
Mafaga-la ose mea fakamataku A disaster, a catastrophy
Koe tuai o galo atu When it returns to the sea
Fakatagi nei a loto o tino Breaking the hearts of it’s people
Ko la ne ola i te atu nuku Taking the name of it’s people
Koe tuai o goto ki lalo To forever live below the sea
Koe tuai o goto ki lalo To forever live below the sea
I luga i luga Up on up on
Fia pese fia siva ki fenua nei I want to sing I want to dance in this
land
I luga i luga Up on up on
O te fenua ne vau ei toku matua This land from where my mother comes
Fia pese pese fia siva siva I want to sing I want to dance
Ke kau atu ki fenua nei I need to swim in this land
9/ LOIMATA E MALIGI
Loimata e maligi
Toku loto fanoanoa
Ko galo atu
A fakapelepele
Omai te fakamafanafanaga
Solo te mae tenei
Ko galo atu
Na tamafine
Faigata fakamalamalama
Tino gafulu ma te toko iva
Ave ai te lumanai
A te atunuku
Loimata e maligi
Toku loto fanoanoa
Ko galo atu
A fakapelepele
LET THE TEARS FALL DOWN
Let the tears fall down
My heart is filled with sorrow
For we have lost
Many loved ones
Let the healing flow over me
and wash this pain away
For we have lost
Many of our young women
It’s hard to understand
That 19 lives were taken
And along with it
The future of a small nation
Let the tears fall down
My heart is filled with sorrow
For we have lost
Many loved ones
In memory of the 19 young girls who lost their lives when a fire broke
out in the Motufoua boarding school on the Island of Vaitupu, Tuvalu in
2000
10/ HALOA OLOHEGA
Muhumuhu mai te igoa o
te motu
Na kave e Ilai i te 1856
Lea mai ko he mea aloha
Mai he tama Igilihi
Kitea e ia tino kai katiga
E he nonofo na tino i ei
Heki totokia ni mea ki latou
E he nonofo na tino i ei
Kamata na talanoaga
Mo Olohega
Fai ai te fakafokiga
Ko Olohega
Olohega Olohega
Haloa Olohega
E lahi mea kino na fai
e Ilai
Ko vaka gaoi ko ia na fehoahoani ai
Maua ai ana koloa fakafita lahi te nuku
Maua foki e ia te fenua fa
Ko Olohega
Te talohaga e fai mo te
kaiga o Ilai
E lahi mea i anamua
He tatau ona fai
Kae mafai na hui e koutou uma
fai tonu lava te faiga
E tahi lava te fakaikuga
E maua ai te fiafiaga
POOR OLOHEGA
Whisper to me the
name of this land
Taken by Eli in 1856
He said it was a gift
Gifted to him by an Englishman
He saw natives eating coconuts
But they were passing through
They didn’t grow anything
So naturally this wasn’t their home
We need to start the
discussions
On Olohega
It will surely lead to the return
of Olohega
Olohega Olohega
Poor Olohega
Among the crimes committed by Eli
The slavers and slaveship he did help
Gaining treasures while people suffered
Also gaining their fourth Island
Called Olohega
A request for the
family of Eli
Many wrongs were made long ago
That will never go away
But you can change some of that
By doing what is right
There is only one conclusion
That will satisfy everyone
12/ TE HIVA
Te matagi malu kua hau i te loto
Vehehi ai toku tino i te fakalogologo
E he mafai na fai, fakafiti na lagona
Ko na pehe vena
E fakafiafia ma fakamimita
Tumau fakamau te migomigoi
Ko te uila kua hau
Fakaola ai toku loto
Fakatamilomilo fai taga fakatamilomilo
Fakafiafia ma fakamimita te hiva
Na hiva te gali te gali ona hiva
Kolikoli malie migomigoi na hiva
Na hiva te gali te gali ona hiva
Hiva fakamalie mai
Heee e o migomigoi
e o hiva fakagaligali
e o kolikoli ma te kolikoli
e o hiva fakamalie
E vena foki te fakalogo o na fenua
Egelani ma Falani, Europa ma Amerika
E tutuha lava te fiafia e lagona
Luelue ki latou
i te faiga o te hiva
Koli ki lalo e
Koli ki luga e
THE SIVA
The cooling winds soothing my soul
Moving me as I listen
I can’t seem to hold back this feeling
Making me happy and proud
Holding steady while I do the Migomigoi
Lightning strikes me reviving my soul
Spinning around, showing moves,
spinning sround
So happy and proud in “Te Hiva”
Dancing so gracefully
So graceful are the dances
Kolikoli sweetly and
Migomigoi in the dance
Dancing so gracefully
So graceful are the dances
Dance ever so sweetly
Boys chant
It’s the same reaction
When heard in other places
England, France, Europe and America
They also get excited
They begin to sway
Dancing “Te Hiva”
Girls chant
13/ TESEMA
Na hauni i Aukilani tolu tahi
O te mahina nei
Tesema Tesema
O fiafia a matou na fai
Mo te tausaga fou
Tesema Tesema
Olo ai te malaga i vakalele
I hetahi nuku
Tesema Tesema
Hahala mai te vevela o te nuku
Taunuku ki ei
Tesema Tesema
Vehea tou malaga
Kua lahi atili he mafai taku atu
Taumafai taku mai ke iloa nei au
Tele tele tele leleiga
O te gali o te gali
O fiafiaga
Tele tele tele leleiga
O te gali o te gali
O fiafiaga
Papaki mai ki tatou tolu tahi
O te mahina nei
Tesema Tesema
Feiloaki ai ki matou kia Efi tapa
Ma Simoe
Tesema Tesema
Nonofo ai te pahehe ite fale
O Aggie Greys
Tesema Tesema
Kitea ai e matou na fakailoga
Mo te tausaga fou
Tesema Tesema
DECEMBER
Making plans in Auckland
31st of this month in
December December
Preparing our celebrations
For the new year
We’re on a plane heading to
another country
in December December
Hit by a heatwave
Arriving in this land in
December December
How was your trip, how was it?
There’s so much I can’t tell you now
try and tell me, really I want to know
So many many things
All good all good
The celebrations
Arriving on the 31st of this month
December December
We were met by Efi and Simoe
December December
Ended up staying at Aggie Greys
December December
All witness to much celebrations
Celebrations for the new year
December December
Back to top
|
