Ko e 'Ofa 'a e Ki'i Hoositahí
A Little Seahorse in Love
 
A high quality 48 page hard cover book
with 14 enchanting colour illustrations –
all watercolours

The price for the books is $20.

by Dr Michael Schirmer

 
 
 
 
This Tongan-English edition is published to honour and commemorate
His Majesty’s Eighty-Fifth Birthday.
 
 
 
 
 

KO E TALATEU

Teka e peau ‘i matafanga
Ma‘u pe, movetevete pea maha
Pea tuku tokakovi honau hala,
Laku nge‘esi fingota he ‘one‘one ma‘a.

Ongo malie founga ‘a e tahi,
Fa‘a tototaufa, fa‘a angiangi,
Hiva ki he havili mo e fekau ‘a e matangi –
Pea mo koe ‘eku tama ‘oku ou ‘ofa taha ai.

‘Uluaki fiema‘u ke ke fakafanongo!
He ka ‘ikai ‘e ‘ikai hao ha ongo,
Kae ‘oua ké ke ongo‘i ha muhu pe ha le‘o
Talanoa kia koe fakalongolongo.

Mafola e Pule‘anga ‘o e tahi
Me‘a mo‘ui matamatakehe nofo mo kakau ai
Ngaohi kotoa pe ‘e he Fakatupu-Mai.
Kitautolu, kinautolu tatau pe ‘ene ‘ofa‘i.

PRELUDE

Waves roll in upon the seashore
Constantly, dissolving, and
Leave behind uneven traces,
Casting seashells on the sand.

So the sea in tuneful manner,
Often stormy, often mild,
Sings to wind and weather’s order –
And for you, my dearest child.

First you need to hearken. Silence!
Otherwise it can’t get through,
Till you hear a voice or murmur
Talking quietly to you.

Over vast aquatic kingdoms
Where strange creatures dwell and swim –
All created by one Maker.
He loves us as much as them.

 
 
 
 
“Ko e ha ‘okú ke fiema‘u meia kimautolú?” ko e ki‘i le‘o vaivai ia na‘e ha‘u mei he taha ‘iate kinautolu.
“Malo e ma‘u e ‘aho ni,” ko e tali ia ‘a e
Ki‘i Hoositahí. “Fakamolemole, ‘e fefe ha‘aku a‘u ki he Vao ‘Alakí?”
“ ‘Oku fu‘u loloto, ofi ki he tele‘a fasi‘i, mo loloto mo loloá. ‘Oku fu‘u loloto ‘aupito ko ia kuo te‘eki pe ke mau a‘u ki ai.”
Na‘e ulo lahi hifo ‘a e maama ‘o e la‘aá ‘i honau sino ngaue mamalie mo fuo hange ha fafangú, pea nau toki tete ai pe.
Na‘e ‘a‘alo fakavavevave ‘a e Ki‘i Hoositahí ‘i
honau tafa‘aki mó ‘ene kole fakamatoato, “Kataki tokoni mai kiate au!”
Na‘e ‘i ai e ongo na‘e hangé ha kilisitalá, “Ko e Feké, ‘eke ki he Feké!”
“Malo ‘aupito. Mou o a!” ko e ui atu ia ‘a e
Ki‘i Hoositahí kia kinautolú.
“Monu‘ia lahi, monu‘ia lahi,” ko e tatangi mai ia ‘enau talí.
Na‘e ‘ilo ‘e he Ki‘i Hoositahí mei he‘ene fa‘eé ‘o kau ki he feké; ko e fa‘ahinga me‘a mo‘ui ko ení ‘oku ngali fakatu‘utamakí ka hé ‘ikai té nau fakalavea‘i ia.
Té nau fana te‘elama‘i pe honau ngaahi filí - hangé pe ko e fanga paká pea mo ‘enau helekosi fakailifiá - ka té nau hao pe ‘i he kele ‘o e tahí. Ka té ne lava ‘o ma‘u
mei fe ‘a e Feké he taimí ni?
“Pea ko hai koe? ” Ko e ki‘i ika si‘isi‘í ange ia, na‘e kakau ange ko e fie‘ilo.
“What do you want from us?” came very faintly from one of them.
“Good day,” answered the shy Little Seahorse. “Please, how do I get to the Algae Forest?”
“That’s deep down near the ravines, so deep
down that we have never even been there.”
The sunlight glowed through their gently nodding, bell-shaped bodies and they floated ever onwards. Hastily, the Little Seahorse paddled alongside them pleading desperately, “Please help me!”
There was a crystal-like sound. “The Octopuses, ask the Octopuses!”
“Thank you very much. Goodbye!” called the
Little Seahorse after them.
“Lots of luck, lots of luck,” tinkled their reply. Of course, the Little Seahorse knew of the Octopuses and understood from his mother that these apparently dangerous creatures would do him no harm as they would only spray their black ink against attackers – like the crabs with their terrifying scissors – and then escape in the dark cloudy water. But where could he find the Octopuses now?
“And who are you?” A tiny, little fish swam over curiously.
 
 
 
 

KO E HIVA ‘A E FONÚ


Kuo toe ‘osi atu e ‘aho ko e
Po‘uli e taputa kotoa pe,
Me‘a mo‘ui kotoa ma‘umohe.
Mahina ulo tatu mamalie

Va‘inga he funga ‘akau mo e malu
Fakalahi ‘enau misi ke a‘u,
Femaleleaki mo me‘e ‘i lalo ‘au.
Fakapoi ki he ta vaivai hoku mafu,

‘Oku ou hela‘ia ‘o ká u ka ngaué
‘Ete faka‘amu he taimí ni taha pé
Ke lauita‘u ‘a ‘eku mohé.
‘Oku ou fa‘a ongo‘i matamatakehé –
pea fefe!

Fiha e me‘a ‘eku sio ai peá u fakakaukau
Katoa e ta‘u ‘e teau kuo ‘alu.
‘Oku mahino lelei ‘ape kia au?
‘Oku ou si‘isi‘i ‘ikai hange ko ‘eku ha atu!

Te‘eki ai, koe‘uhí ‘oku ou ‘ofa ké u ‘ofa pehe fau Ke lahi ‘aupito e taimí koia ‘eku fiema‘u.
Mo e ki’i hola ko eni hoku tafa‘akí
‘Oku ou ongo‘i mo‘oni e fiefia aí.

Ko e matatangata e matatangata ke sio ki ai, ‘A hono le‘ó ‘oku ongo ki hoku lotó.
‘A e talangofua kakato ‘o ‘ene falala mai.
Ko hoku lelei taha té u fai

Ki he tamasi‘i ta‘elata, mo tuenoá,
‘A ia ‘oku lolotonga mohe ‘i he‘eku hivá,
Ke malu‘i mu‘a ‘e he‘eku ‘ofa mamaná.
Taimi ní, ngaahi misi malie ‘o e maama e mahiná, kamata!

THE TURTLE’S SONG


Now another day has ended
Darkness fills the water holes,
Every creature’s soundly sleeping.
Flickering gently, moonlight falls

Playfully on plant and shadow
Which, in their enhancing dream,
Sway and dance below the current.
Faint my tired heartbeats seem,

When I move, I grow so weary
And my only wish for now
Is to go to bed for ages.
Strange I often feel – and how!

Much I’ve seen and deeply pondered
All the past one hundred years.
Do I really understand it?
I’m much simpler than appears!

Yet, because I love to love so
Much more time is what I need.
With this runaway beside me
I feel happiness indeed.

Cute as cute can be to look at,
By his voice my heart’s impressed.
How implicitly he trusts me.
I shall do my very best

For the lonely, helpless boy,
Who is sleeping while I sing,
May my tender love protect him.
Now, sweet moonlit dreams, begin!

 
 
 
 
A Little Seahorse in Love