| Tu'u Ko Iho's Moai Kavakava Puppets (part I) | ||
| He-oho-mai Tu'u Ko Iho i te popohaga a te ara mai Tore Tahuna, he-tu'u ki Punapau. | Tu'u Ko Iho came one morning along the road from Tore Tahuna, and arrived at Punapau. | |
| He-tikea i A'Hitirau, A' Nuko te Magó, e-haúru-ró-á. | He saw Hitirau and Nuko Te Mangó110 asleep there. | |
| He-noho te Ariki, he-maroa; | The King stopped [lit.: stayed and stood]; | |
| he-û'i te mata, ina he kîko, ina he ate, ina he kôkoma, he ivi nó. | his eyes saw that they had no flesh, no liver, no bowels, just bones. | |
| Ko Hitirau te puoko a te mata'u, Ko Nuko te Magó a te maûi, he-va'e a te puoko o Hitirau. | There was Hitirau [with his] head on the right, Nuko Te Mangó on the left, [his] legs by the head of Hitirau 110a | |
| He-û'i te Ariki. | The King watched them. | |
| He-ragi-mai etahi akuaku Ko Moaha mai ruga mai te maúga, mai Tagaroa: | An akuaku cried from the top of mount Tangaroa: | |
| "Ka-ara korua, ku-tikea-á tokorua îka kîno e te Ariki". | "Wake up, the King has seen your ugly corpses!" | |
| Ai ka-garo, ai ka-garo, he-oho te Ariki Ko Tu'u Ko Iho. | Stealthily, stealthily, went King Tu'u Ko Iho. | |
| He-ragi-hakaou-mai: "Ka-ara, rava-haúru ké, korûa!". | [The akuaku shouted again: "Wake up, you sleepyheads!" | |
| He-ara, he-ragi: "Pehé-á?". | They woke up, they exclaimed: "What?" | |
| "Ku-tikea-á tokorua îka kîno e Tu'u Ko Iho". | "Tu'u Ko Iho has seen your ugly corpses." | |
| I-ara-hakaou-era mai te haúru-haga, he-kîko-hakaou te ivi era oruga o te hakari, he-tu'u pahé tagata ora. | As they woke up again from their sleep, their bones grew flesh on top of their bodies, they became like living men. | |
| He-oho, he-ao amu'a, he-pu amu'a. | They went, they overtook him and stood in his path111 | |
| He-û'i-atu te Ariki, ka-tata-mai te repa riva erua. | The King saw two fine young men coming. | |
| He-aroha-mai: "Aûé te Ariki ê! Ka-oho-mai e te Ariki ê!". | They saluted him: "O, King! Welcome, King!" | |
| He-ragi-atu te Ariki: "Ko-korua-á, ko mahaki!". | The King exclaimed: "You too, companions!" | |
| He-û'i-mai te akuaku: "Pehé taa me'e piri, i-oho-mai-ena koe?". | The akuakus asked: "What have you met on your way here?" | |
| He-ki-atu te Ariki: "Ina". | The King answered: "Nothing." | |
| He-garo, ai ka-oho-nó a te ara Tu'u Ko Iho. | They disappeared, and so Tu'u Ko Iho continued on his way. | |
| He-pu-hakaou-mai hokohá repa riva, he-ragi-mai: | Four fine young men crossed his path again, and exclaimed: | |
| " Aué te Ariki e, koho-mai!". | "Welcome, King!" | |
| He-ragi-atu te Ariki: "Kokorua-ana ko ga kope, ka-oho-mai!". | The King answered loud: "It's you, lads, who are welcome!" | |
| He-û'i-mai te akuaku: "Ai ai ai ai, taa me'e ma'a!". | The akuakus asked: "Aye, aye, aye, the things you know!" | |
| He-kî-atu te Ariki: "Ina, ina he me'e ma'a". | The King answered: "No, there is nothing I know." | |
| He-ki-hakaou-mai te akuaku: "Ina-ó he me'e piri ki a koe e te Ariki e, i-oho-mai-ena koe?". | The akuakus said again: "Didn't you meet anyone on your way here, King?" | |
| He-kî-atu Tu'u Ko Iho: "Ina". | Tu'u Ko Iho answered: "No." | |
| He-oho-hakaou te Ariki, he-pu-hakaou-mai amu'a, he-û'i-atu te Ariki ko te repa riva, etahi te kauatu. | The King went on his way again, they crossed his path again, in front, the King saw they were fine young men, ten of them. | |
| He-aroha-mai: "Ka-oho-mai, aûé te Ariki e!". | They saluted him: "Welcome, King!" | |
| "Ko-korua-ana". | "And you too." | |
| "Ina gáîo i-piri-atu ki a koe, i-oho-mai ena e te Ariki ê?". | "Didn't some lads meet with you on your way to here, King?" | |
| He-kî-atu te Ariki: "Ina". | The King answered: "No." | |
| He-kî te akuaku: "Ina kai tikea totatou îka kîno". He-garo. | The akuakus said [i.e.: thought] "He has not noticed our ugly corpses." They disappeared. | |
| He-oho te Ariki, he-tupuaki ki te hare o Hagapoukura, he-tata-mai ka-rau, ka-rau, ka-rau, ka-piere te akuaku. | The King kept going, he drew near the house of Hangapoukura112, akuakus were coming in their thousands. | |
| He-ragi-mai: "Aûé te Ariki ê, e Tu'u Ko Iho ê, ka-oho-mai mai to'u kaîga, mai Tore Tahuna!". | They exclaimed: "O, King Tu'u Ko Iho, welcome from your land, from Tore Tahuna!" | |
| He-haka-hoki-atu te Ariki A'Tu'u Ko Iho: | King Tu'u Ko Iho answered: | |
| "Ko-korua-á, ka-oho-mai, aûé, te mahigo-ê!". | "It's you who are welcome, children!" | |
| "Ina-á me'e i-piri ki a koe e te Ariki e?". | "Have you met anyone, King?" | |
| "Ina". | "No-one." | |
| He-kakata, he-koa, he-tagi te karaga, he-garo te akuaku. | The akuakus laughed and rejoiced and cried for joy, and disappeared. | |
| He-tu'u te Ariki ki mu'a ki te hare o Hagapoukura, he-uru kiroto ki te hare, he-moe. | The King arrived in front of the house of Hangapoukura, he entered the house, and lay down. | |
| Ku-oho-hakaou-mai-á te akuaku, ku-noho-mai-á i te aro o te hare, imu'a, itu'a, i te tara o te hare, ararua tara. | The akuakus had come back again, they were standing at the entrance, in front, behind, at the ends, both ends. | |
| He-hakarogo-mai ki te vânaga o Tu'u Ko Iho. | They were listening to Tu'u Ko Iho. | |
| Ina kai vânaga. | He was not speaking. | |
| He-nonoho-á; he-iri te raá ka-tini-ró. | They waited and waited; the sun rose to the zenith. | |
| Ina kai vânaga te Ariki. | The King did not speak. | |
| He-kî te akuaku: "Ina kai tike'a te îka kîno o Hitirau, o Nuko te Magó; | ||
| E-hakarogo-atu-era te tariga o Tu'u Ko Iho, o te Ariki. | The ears of Tu'u Ko Iho, the King, were listening. | |
| He-paka te akuaku, he-oho; he-marere te pukuraga o Hitirau, ka-piere, ka-piere te pukuraga. | The akuakus departed, they went; the followers of Hitirau scattered, thousands of followers. | |
| He-haúru te Ariki. | The King slept. (continued) |
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Note 110a They were sleeping head to foot.
Note 111 Ao means to move quickly ahead, to leave behind someone who was ahead of you. Pu means to meet someone by crossing his path in front of him.
Note 112 Between Vinapú and Vaihú.