| How Yams were Brought from Hotu Matu'a's Homeland. | How Yams were Brought from Hotu Matu'a's Homeland. | |
| Part I | ||
| I te raá mo oho-mai o te miro o Hotu Matu'a, he-oho-mai te tagata Ko Teke te igoa he-û'i: "Ahé te miro o te Ariki ka-oho?" | On the day when Hotu Matu'a's boat was due to arrive, a man came, by the name of Teke, and asked: "When will the King's boat arrive?" | |
| He-ki te tagata: " Apó". | The men answered: "Tomorrow". | |
| He-koa Teke, he-kî ki te tagata: " Anirá i te pó he-oho au ki te hare o te Ariki Ko Ma'eha. | Teke was happy39, and he said to the men: "Tonight I'll go to Ariki Ma'eha's house. | |
| Ana noho au i te hare o Ma'eha, maaku e-hakavanaga ki a Ma'eha, e-oho-atu korua i te pó, e-toke-mai i te uhi; | When I am in Ma'eha's house, I will amuse him with talk and you will go in the night to steal the yams, | |
| e-hatihati te uhi, ana toke-mai, e-haka-pi'ipi'i; | break the yams as you steal them, and grind them with your hands40; | |
| rua iti, rua nui ana hakapi'ipi'i, ki agiagiai e tatou te igoa o te uhi". | the small and the big41 you must grind them with the hand, so that we may know the names of the yams". | |
| He-kî te tagata: "Ku-mao-á ". | The men said: "OK" | |
| He-oho Teke, he-o'o kiroto ki te hare a Ma'eha, he-vanaga i te pó. | Teke wents, entered Ma'eha's house, and talked in the night. | |
| He-oho-mai te mahigo toke i te uhi i te pó, rua nui, mai te ahiahi i-toke-mai-ai ka-o'o-ró ki te ao nui. | The party came to steal the yams in the night; they stole everyone, large and small, from dusk to midnight. | |
| He-hetu ahaho, he-pakapaka-kina. | Noises were heard outside, snapping was heard42. | |
| He-kî A'Ma'eha ki a Teke: "He-aha te me'e nei?". He-kî Teke: "He va'e taau ooku". | Ma'eha said to Teke: "What is that?" Teke said: "It's my feet."43 | |
| He-o'o ki te ao nui, he-popohaga, he-toke. | Midnight came, and dawn, they kept on stealing. | |
| He-û'i-hakaou A'Ma'eha: "E repa, ka-pó-tahi raá i-hetu". He-kî Teke: "Koau, taau he va'e ooku". | Once again Ma'eha asked: "Friend, this is the first time44 I hear those noises". Teke said: "It's me, it's my feet". | |
| He-otea; he-hakamao te tagata mo uga kiruga ki te miro; to'o-tahi-á te uhi kiruga ki te miro, mo ma'u-mai mo nei mo oka. | Came the morning; the men finished by taking (the yams) to the boat; they took all the yams to the boat; to bring them here (to the island) to plant them. | |
| He-ea Teke, he-ragi-mai: "He-ró koe, ka-ea-mai koe, ku-pae-á to'ou kaíga, he-toke e te kori; ku-pae-á te uhi e te toke, rua iti, rua nui". | Teke came out (of the house) and called (Ma'eha, saying): "Hey, come outside! Your plantation is ruined; thieve have robbed it; thieves have taken all the yams, large and small!" | |
| He-ea-mai Ma'eha. He-oho kiroto ki te uhi, he-û'i, he-tagi. | Ma'eha came out. He entered the yam plantation, saw, and wept. | |
| He-to'o-mai i te parehe, i te morega uhi mata, he-kî: "Te uhi nei he hatuke a Ma'eha". | He took the small and the larges pieces of green yams45 and said: "This yam is Ma'eha's hatuke yam". |
Note 40 A small piece of every type of yam.
Note 41 Those which you take out of small holes and big holes (roa iti, roa nui), meaning, all, small and large alike.
Note 42 As the men were breaking the yams
Note 43 Which are making this noise.
Note 44 potahi raá: first night and day.
Note 45 The yam pieces, still unripe, which the men had left behind as specimens.