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Legends and Traditions of Easter Island

translated from Sebastian Englert's Leyendas

Nuku Kehu, Builder of Hotu Matu'a's House.
Told by Mateo Veriveri
Ko Arone Rapu i-vânaga-mai-ai:      Arone Rapu told me:
Te maori aga hare a Hotu Matu'a Ko Nuku Kehu toona igoa.      The house-building expert of Hotu Matu'a, Neku Kehu [was] his name.
I a îa te hare te aga.      It was him who built [Hotu Matu'a's] house.
Ki a tata mo mate A'Nuku Kehu, he-oho te rago, he-tupa-mai mo haaki-mai i te agaga o te hare.      As soon as Nuku Kehu was about to die, stretcher [bearers ] came, carried [him] that he may teach house-building.
Ina kai ma'a rivariva te tagata i te aga o te hare.      People did not know well the building of houses.
E-aga-era te tagata i te hare; i-oti-era te ato, i-hú-era te tokerau, he-marere te hare kiraro.      Some people would build a house; once the roof finished, once the wind blew, the house fell apart.
E-ato-era i te hare, ina he toga o te hare, he oka nó to te hare; te ua e-marere-era te hare i te tokerau, te ta'u, te ta'u.      They would roof a house, [but] it had no post for supporting the roof, only sideway poles; [that was] the reason why houses fell to pieces in the wind, year in, year out.
He-oho ki a Nuku Kehu, he-to'o-mai mo haaki-mai i te agaga o te hare.      They went for Nuku Kehu, brought him so that he may teach [them] the building of houses.
Etahi nó maori a Hotu Matu'a, Ko Nuku Kehu. Mai Hiva-á i-oho-mai-ai A'Nuku Kehu ararua Ko Hotu Matu'a.      Nuku Kehu was Hotu Matu'a's only expert. He had come with Hotu Matu'a from Hiva.
He vî'e a Nuku Kehu i-noho i Hiva-á, Ko Maramara Kai te igoa.      There was a wife of Nuku Kehu who had stayed in Hiva, Maramara Kai was her name.
Ai ka-tagi Nuku Kehu, ka-garo te raá i Hiva, i A'Maramara Kai era. Thus sorrowed 89a Nuku Kehu as the sun set towards Hiva, towards Maramara Kai


Note 89a The original text has tani, a misprint for tagi.


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