| The Arrival of Hotu Matu'a. Five of the First Explorers Return Home. | The Arrival of Hotu Matu'a. Five of the First Explorers Return Home. | |
| Part I | ||
| He-popohaga. He-kî A'Ira, A'Raparega: "Ka-oho, ka-oga te miro o te Ariki O'Hotu Matu'a!". | Dawn came. Ira and Raparenga said: "Go and observe the boat of King Hotu Matu'a!" | |
| He-oho, he-oga, he-û'i ki Motu Nui; ko te miro e-hakapipiriró-á ararua. He-ragi-mai: "I te miro-á o te Ariki". | They went and took a look towards Motu Nui; both boats were there together 25. They cried: "The king's boats are there!" | |
| He-oho A'Ira, A'Raparega, he-oga, he-û'i mai Orogo ko te miro. | Ira and Raparenga went and took a look, and from Orongo saw the boats. | |
| He-ragi: "¡E haho ê! Kaíga kîno, kahukahu oheke mai te unu, kahukahu oheke mai te vere, kahukahu oheke ka-toe". | They cried: "Ahoy, you out there on the sea! It's a bad island, weeds26 grow where you pull them up27, weeds where you uproot them, weeds is what there is more than enough." | |
| He-kî te tagata oruga o te miro o te Ariki: "Ku-ragi mai-á A'Ira a Raparega i te kî rakerake". | The men on the King's boat said: "Ira and Raparenga called out, giving us bad news." | |
| He-kî te Ariki: "Ka-hakahoki: Kaíga kîno hoki, kahukahu oheke, tai u'a ka-okooko, tai pâpaku ka-ora ". | The King said: "Answer them that [our land is bad too; there are weeds too; high tide destroys everything; at low tide there is salvation."]27a | |
| He-ragi: "Kaíga kîno hoki, kahukahu o heke, tai u'a kaokooko, tai pâpaku ka-ora ". | They cried: "Our land is bad too; there are weeds too; high tide destroys everything; at low tide there is salvation." | |
| He-kî A 'Ira: "Ki a tâtou a tâtou ka-ragi tahaga-nó". | Ira said: "No point in us shouting". (They don't pay attention to us)28. | |
| He-ragi Ira: "Miro tamaaroa mo oho a Hotu Iti, miro tamahahine mo oho anei; o Hotu Matu'a te miro e-oho ará, o Ava Reipua anei". | Ira cried: "Let the King's boat go towards Hotu Iti, the Queen's towards here. Let Hotu Matu'a's boat go over there, Ava Reipua's boat come over here"29. | |
| He-ragi Ira: "Ahaho-á te miro ana oho; te îka kîno, te ihu roroa o Tama". | Ira shouted: "Let the boat pass further out, because there are dangerous spots, the reefs of Tama!"30 | |
| He-oho; he-hakamanamana te Ariki tamaaroa Hotu Matu'a i te Hakanonoga. | [The boats] went; King Hotu Matu'a performed magic over Hakanononga31. | |
| He-oho-mai te miro a te aro era, a te aro nei. He-oga-mai te miro o Hotu Matu'a ki variga te Toremo. | The boats went that side and this side. Hotu Matu'a's boat leaned to round Toremo32. | |
| He-û'i-mai te Ariki, kutu'u-atu-ana te miro o Ava Reipua, Ariki tamahahine, ki Motu Kau. | The King saw that the boat of Ava Reipua, the Queen, had already arrived at Motu Kau33. | |
| He-rutu-mai Hotu Matu'a: "Ka-hakama'u te konekone". | Hotu Matu'a recited (the magic words): "May the konekone detain her!"34 |
Note 26 The natives do not know the meaning of the term kahukahu oheke, but they imagine that it is the name of a particular weed, or of weeds in general.
Note 27 Unu and vere are archaic terms which mean "to pull up with the root, to uproot", but the difference between them is no longer known.
Note 27a the text in square bracket was missing from the Spanish translation.
Note 28 They do not allow themselves to be discouraged, whereas we want to leave this island.
Note 29 He does not explain why he advises Ava Reipua to go straight to Anakena but Hotu Matu'a to go round the southeastern coast of the island.
Note 30 Ihu roroa o Tama, close to Hotu iti, are reefs deep in the sea, literally: "big noses".
Note 31 A spot in the ocean which Ava Reipua had to cross not to take the lead.
Note 32 Go around towards that side (north side) of the island. Toremo is a promontory near Parehe Mountain in Poike.
Note 33 An islet near Hanga Oteo.
Note 34 The meaning of konekone is no longer known.