| The Burial of Hotu Matu'a | ||
| He-to'o-mai te ga poki i te rago, he-hakaeke i te pâpaku, he tupa i te pâpaku; he-oho, he-tu'u ki Akahaga. | The sons [of Hotu Matu'a] took a stretcher, loaded the corpse, carried the corpse, went, arrived at Akahanga. | |
| He-keri i te rua, ka-hoa-ró kiraro nui. He-paega hai keho, he-hakatopa i te pâpaku, i a Hotu Matu'a kiraro ki te rua. He-oho-mai te poki atariki ki te puoko, etoru ga poki o Hotu Matu'a i te va'e. | They dug a very deep grave. They covered [its walls] with flag-stones, they lowered corpse, Hotu Matu'a, down the grave. The eldest son put himself at (lit.: came to) his head, the [other] three sons of Hotu Matu'a at his feet. | |
| He-tanu hai oone, ko te oone ko te me'e rakerake kaka'i. | They covered him with soil, soil [mixed] with nasty sharp things76. | |
| He-puoko ina kai tanu hai me'e rakerake; hai one i-tanu-ai; o te poki atariki i-tanu-ai hai one. He-haga ko te poki atariki mo hore o te puoko, mo toke. | The head was not covered with nasty things77; with sand it was covered; it was the eldest son who covered it with sand. [That was because] the eldest son intended to cut off the head, to steal it. | |
| He-oti te tanu. He-pó. He-tiaki e ráûa, e te ga poki. He-kî te poki atariki ki te poki ra'e: "Ka-oho koe, ka-haúru!". He-oho te poki ra'e, he-haúru. | The burying is finished. It is night. They are waiting, the sons. The eldest son says to the first son 77a: "Go and sleep." The first son goes, he sleeps. | |
| He-kî-hakaou ki te rua poki: "Ka-oho, koe, ka-haúru!". He-oho, he-haúru. | He says again to the second son: "Go and sleep." [The second] goes and sleeps. | |
| He-kî ki te toru poki: "Ka-oho, koe, ka-haúru!". He-oho, he-haúru. | He says to the third son: "Go and sleep." [The third son] goes and sleeps. | |
| He-noho te poki atariki hoko-tahi-nó. | The eldest son remains alone. | |
| He-popohaga, he-mâtaki, he-hore-mai i te puoko, he-tanu-hakaou i te rua. He-ea te poki atariki, he-to'o-mai i te puoko, he-tere, he-ma'u i te puoko, he-na'a. | Dawn breaks, he opens [the grave], he cuts off the head, he covers up again the grave. The eldest son comes out [of the grave], takes the head and flees, carries the head and hides [it]. | |
| He-tu'u ki te tahi raá, he-û'i ko te takaúre; ku-muîa-á te takaúre. | Later 77b, he sees that there are flies; the flies had been swarming. | |
| He-ma'u ki te tahi kona; te tahi raá, he-hoki, he-u'i, ku-ma'u ki te tahi kona; he-piro; he-hakahopu i te puoko, he-tata, he-ma'u-mai ki Patuga. | He carries [the head] to some place; one day he goes back, looks [at it] (he had carried it to some place); it stinks of putrefaction; he bathes the head, cleans [it], carries it to Patunga77c | |
| He-kakaro i te maéa, ma'ea oraro; he-kakaro ite ma'ea oruga, mo pu'a. | He hollows out a stone, a stone below; he hollows a stone above, to cover it 77d | |
| He-viri hai kahu i te puoko, he-haha'o kiroto ki te ma'ea, he-pu'a aruga hai rua ma'ea, he-hakarere i te puoko o te Ariki O'Hotu Matu'a imu'a i te hare, ka-moe-nó te puoko. | He wraps the head with a cloth, he puts it inside the stone, he covers the top with the second stone, he leaves the head of King Hotu Matu'a [buried] in front of the house, let the head rest [there]. | |
| He-oho te poki atariki ki Hiva; ku-korohua-á; ku-garo-á, ina kai agiagi-hakaou e te poki atariki. | The eldest son went to Hiva; he had grown old; he had been forgotten, the eldest son was not heard of again | |
Note 77 The obsidian flakes mixed with the soil of the grave.
Note 77a i.e. the first of his three brothers.
Note 77b lit.: "It comes to one day."
Note 77c This is a translation of the Rapa-Nui text. Englert's Spanish translation mentions a swarm of flies (enjambre de moscas) which does not appear here and so might refer to another version of the legend: "Entonces llevó la cabeza a otro lugar; otro día volvió y vio que (nuevamente) había un enjambre de moscas. La llevó a otro lugar; se pudrió la cabeza, la puso en agua, la lavó y la llevó a Patunga."
Note 77d i.e. he hollows out two stones, one to form a container, one to form its lid.