Samoan Songs And Poems

For Children

Translated by ALBERT WENDT.

Si Fee

(Poor Octopus)

Octopus! Octopus!

Touch your head and see what’s on it.

But the octopus glares at me: he is angry with what has happened.

Aue! Octopus, his tentacles have been eaten by the sugale, the way of the sugale is to hide and ambush the eight-tentacled octopus.

Pea Pulepule

(Spotted Flying Fox)

Spotted flying fox, take pity on us, we came hungering after your ribs and kidneys.

The way of the flying fox, is to eat with suspicion.

O le Gapia

Came from the inland saw four flying-foxes hanging, a flying fox for your father and a flying fox for your mother, leave four flying foxes to make enough the gapia. laia! laia!

0 le Sue

(The Sue, a fish)

The sue wakes in early morning and lights his stone oven, Chastised by the avaava for trying to use wet palm fronds to light the fire.

0 le Alili

(The Alili, a shellfish)

The alili is a small creature who lives in a shell.

He’s not big but small and is good for children.

The alili lives in the reef and is seen when the tide recedes.

He doesn’t have wings and he doesn’t know how to cling tightly.

Moa Uli, Moa Sina

(Black Rooster,

White Rooster)

Rooster e, I came to let my rooster fight!

Black Rooster!

White rooster!

The rooster is angry and wants to fight.

Toloa

(Swamp Hen)

The toloa, the toloa e, is a bird of the forest but lives in the swamp.

He’s afraid of people, dives underwater looking for fish, and eats mud.

His usual habit, his usual habit, he only cries when he journeys out to the world.

He’s like a bus or a seaplane.

0 le Lulu

(The Owl)

This gentleman the lulu has deepest eyes, he hides in shady trees, eats lizards and moo and the hearts of fat-rich chickens.

This bird and his way: when it’s evening he cries piercingly but the truth is he wants to know the trees where the chickens are sleeping This bird looks like an aristocrat because when he flies all the small birds scream, But we don’t know whether they are happy or laughing at him.