samoan sayings about death

She then related what she had seen. Introduced with the verbal particle ua, the saying also refers to a persons disposition. Upu alofa: A pious wish addressed by the head of a family to a favourite child. In Aleipata, too, Pili showed the people how to fish with nets, but the expedition was unsuccessful. The saying is also used as an upu fa'amaulalo. The plait of the fine mats ('ie toga) should be uniformly fine and close. I have developed a Samoan mentality. To push the cross-piece back and forth (in order to spread the net). O le sala a tautai e totogi. ", "Everybody will undergo the sentence of the grave. A fala se'ese'e is an old dirty mat used to sit on during work. The Fijian met with failure, but the Samoan caught many fishes. Upu fa'alumaluma applied to a fop or a dandy who only thinks of grooming himself and is useless for serious things, such as war. Upu alofa: expressions of love, compassion, and sympathy. Upu fa'alumaluma applied to a person who knows everybody and talks about everybody. Blessed is the moon; it goes but it comes back again. In other societies, death is regarded as a specter no one talks about. The club fight took place on the three malae in Falafa. 15. A fisherman at his work or returning from the sea, being asked whether he has caught anything, will give a negative answer if he wants to keep all the fish for himself. In return, families return gifts to the visitors. Upu fa'aulaula, alofa or fa'anoanoa: He who comes too late must content himself with what is left. O le fogava'a e tasi. Look at those stars that are waving on it: This is the symbol of Jesus, who died on it for Samoa. The protection afforded by a house built of breadfruit wood. Even though a loved one would wish us to move on and enjoy our lives, it is often a difficult step to take. The inhabitants of the old village Papa (near Satupaitea, Savai'i) once noticed a big school of fish out in the sea. Upu fa'amafanafana. 11. O le va'a fau po fau ao. Upu fa'aalualu: General invitation to assist in the reconciliation of quarrelling parties. Same meaning as No. 172). Upu fa'anoanoa or alofa, applied to things that were well begun, but ended badly. Hence, house building and boat building are the two most respected trades. It is also used jestingly at the preparation of food or kava, when the portion set aside is likely to prove insufficient and the whole available supply had better be used. Hence the fish appear first at an insignificant little village while the politically important towns have to wait. Like the swift that never rests. 32. Your email address will not be published. 174. See No. A Samoan proverb which means that current trials are coming to an end. SCNT: Samoan Contemporary New Testament . They are proverbial expressions, mostly in elliptically mutilated form, taken from the mythology, the history and the everyday lives of the natives and serve to illustrate their opinions and utterances. The tifitifi is a small fish. The tautai, however, knowing that the net was strong enough to hold him said, E le afaina. (It does not matter; there is no danger.). When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. A man from Faleata tried to net one of the pigeons that had been enticed to the tia, but he failed. The following morning it is properly put in order. Your will is as the flight of an old pigeon. To this the Samoans compare a brother who will rush in among troops after his wounded brother, even if he should be killed himself. This explanation is by no means exhaustive. Ua fa'anoa fua le matulau i le faanoa a gatala. The yam is a perennial plant. - 152 The front entrance was used by those who came with a request. Fetu'una'i muniao. So it is with governmental power. 77. A bunch of bananas also served as bait for the manuali'i. A beautiful Samoan quote about love meaning that brothers protect their sisters. Mutia is a short kind of grass found on much-used roads. I shouldn't say fat, that might offend him, but he's Samoan and claims to have seen ghosts. He then fits it in place and with his wooden mallet (tafao) hammers it down, his assistant holding it. Fatu'ulu. Ua talaga a pa sina. The saying is used when some person meets with some unexpected fortune while his thoughts and actions were directed to something else. Upu faifai: You have not shown by your deeds that you wish me well. Laua is the name of a bay in Falelima as well as the name of one of Falelima's five divisions. The matulau share the gatalas grief without reason. Mocking words referring to loveless, undutiful parents. The grammars and dictionaries present a few muagagana, but leave them often untranslated and unexplained. Central to this culture is the Faamatai. When the parents returned, they were so terrified at the young one's inability to eat, that they left all caution aside and could be caught easily. Samoan traditional woven mat(Credit: Wikipedia). 93. 134. Later the shark went to Foa and proposed to Sinafalemoa, the daughter of the chief. O le upega le talifau. I'LL BE STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU NOTHING WILL EVER COME BETWEEN US Chris Brown. Upu fa'aaloalo applied to the wife of a chief or a tulafale: May you be blessed with many children. Upu fa'amafanafana: comforting, consolatory expressions. The evil a man does, lives after him. Like the twisting of a cord. Ia uluulu matafolau. A paddle lying on this half deck may easily fall off. Ua ola a moamoa. Volume 58 1949 > Volume 58, No. From this we have the saying: O le fa'afiti a tautai. Upu faifai applied to a person who talks nonsense or behaves foolishly; also to one who neglects his personal appearance. An admonition to live in peace and harmony. Samoans follow a code of living and culture called the Faa Samoa which means the Samoan Way. It provides for the way Samoans behavior should be and how they relate to each other. If the assistant is inattentive and looks away, the plank will not fit in and the work miscarries. E le se tunuma ma moe fa'atasi. When these migrant members attend a funeral in their homeland, they will pay to get there and bring a good amount of money with them. Should anyone, in the excitement of the work or to show off, give orders to his neighbours, no one will heed him, for only the tautai may give orders. When this contraption has been destroyed deliberately or otherwise, the fishermen will come and rebuild it. Used of a weak, sickly old man. Used by a person to show that he intends acting on his own responsibility and will not allow anyone to deter him from his goal. 107. In return the owner will receive a gift of food. 123, 201. The cure of the alamea. Paraphrase for: To remove someone from a family, a meeting, or a village. O le a sosopo le manu vale i le fogatia. The lower end rests in a - 151 stand, to which it is tied by means of a rope (umele). The true meaning is that you should do the most difficult task first. 92. In the war between the birds and the fishes (No. The city is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoas second largest island. Upu fa'afiti, fa'amaulalo: ou te le toe si'itia le matalalaga. E gase le paa i lona vae. A tulituliloa 'ua o le mago i Foa? 121. The independent state of Samoa goes as far as having the Christian cross on its flag. Fa'aoti (from oti, to die) is a figure of speech for fa'auma (completely, so that nothing is left). Affiliate Disclaimer: Lingalot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Ua aliali le va'ava'a o le tava'e. O le lamaga ua fa'atau aitu. Both fish are frequently caught together. Ia tafatafa fuga, 'ae 'aua le tafatafa maono. One day the boys went fishing for their father. We The softness of the octopus. A boat that is being built day and night. All the tulavae made by a section of the village are joined into a fata. The fault was committed in the bush, but it is now talked about on the highway. According to the communistic system of the Samoans, a travelling party is allowed to beg fish-hooks at the houses where they call. 176. The wider meaning of the saying is: To stand up for a friend or relative, to help him bear his misfortune, to forgive and cover up his mistakes. Patupatu amo fale. The thief soon found out that the fetish did not harm him, so he stole again. The following morning the fisher embarks in his canoe, unties the hooks, and fastens the line of one to his right leg and the other to his left leg. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Upu fa'amaulalo and upu faifai. 110. E a le uga i tausili, 'ae tigaina fua le atigi alili. The mago escaped through a side opening. Ua se aga e tasi. Death, in Samoan tradition, is considered Gods Will. It has traditionally been believed that Samoans should die at home. Both are well protected by the law of the land. With people it is different. The eels rushed the people and started to devour them. The enemy between the houses. Va i fale ve'a. 2. 29. 169. O le lupe na fa'ia mai i le fuifui. A person who has supplied a tulavae for the fata is entitled to take part in the fishing and to share in the catch. 8. The work is progressing fast. Thus also did Vaomua. If they work in common, one will rely on the other and nothing is done. Ua fa'afaiva o matu'u. May the cluster of nuts bow to the midrib of the coconut leaf. The word savini means the beating of the young birds' wings at their first attempts to fly. A figure of speech for vavalalata, to live in close proximity. A successful hunt. As an upu fa'amafanafana: E le afaina, ua e pa'u i se niu umiTake comfort, it is to a person of rank that you have succumbed. Ua fa'amea tapena i ua. Applied to people who meet and take counsel together. Fa'asega tu launiu. The translation is not made in correct English, but as far as possible literally according to the German original. (Only 5 copies made.). The whole contraption is known as matau, or more simply, pa. To polish the pa, pieces of coral are used: the rough kind called puga, as well as the softer 'ana. Ua vela lana umu i lo tatou nu'u. The trade wind blows mostly during the cool season and brings fine weather for sea travel. This figure of speech presupposes that a single pigeon was spied by a hunting party and that it was artfully enticed and caught in presence of all the hunters. Here are some examples: Notice the structure of the Phrases in Samoan. Ua pona i vao, 'ae liai'iina i ala. A new road is ala fati. Upu fa'anoanoa: expressions of repentance and remorse. To'ai fa'a i'a a po. Upu fa'amafanafana referring to a disunited family or village community whose reconciliation is at hand. If the tautai has no luck, people will say it is the punishment for some sin he has committed and that he must try again until he makes a catch. 7. Remarks of translator: 1. ", "What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul. Ufiufi manu gase. Now, family members often remain in the homeland, and migrant members send them money. The chiefs Lefaoseu of Atua and 'Ulumu of Tufutafoe were going to have a competition in pigeon snaring. ", "Make sure to send a lazy man for the Angel of Death. The catching place is full of decoy pigeons. Those who do not want it, despise something that is desired by the majority. 6. Malu i puega. O le tiuga a Matala'oa e tiu ma afifi. Its purpose is to support the fishing rod, the spear, etc., lest they obstruct the narrow hold of the boat. All Rights Reserved, What to Say to Someone Who has Lost a Pet, Traditional wraps, white shirt & tie for men / Muumuu for women, Open for visitation, closed for the funeral. A visiting matai applies these words to himself when he thinks that, owing to his presence, his - 161 hosts are prevented from discussing their affairs. Inspirational Samoan Quotes & Sayings. There the instruments remain together, one knowing the other. Even European building material is rarely used in the construction of native houses. To catch the first pigeon of the day is considered a special achievement. When the men prepared for the hunt of the manuali'i they first made an offering to the gods, such as a bunch of bananas. Upu vivi'i used of a person or a community that performs an undertaking unassisted. The heron is compared to an egoistical person who refuses to share his belongings with his fellowmen. At other times, it may help those who are coping with a strained relationship with the loved one. Pili cast his net by himself. 54. Ua saia fua le ma'ave'ave le fua. III.MANUAL WORK INSIDE AND OUT OF THE HOUSE. Vaomua of Saua in Satupaitea (Savai'i) was building a big boat. He will often use the long hours of the fono to do this work. All the crabs came to see the baby Sina and they brought food for the mother as is right and proper. (Samoan Proverb) The grasshopper flies about, but the kingfisher watches him. Mocking words referring to common people who begin to eat before the high chiefs, and to similar cases. 125. Upu fa'amaulao: I am inferior to you. The motion of the hunter's hand is visible. Only the manutagi is still caught in the old way and, if the report be true, the chiefs of Aopo and Tiave'a will, occasionally, net pigeons according to the ancient rules of the hunt. The Samoans maintain that if the parents were left undisturbed, they would remain with their young and allow themselves to starve to death. The barracuda that sleeps apart. 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Head of a chief or a tulafale: may you be blessed with many.. People who meet and take counsel together his personal appearance something that is right and proper a po fa'afiti! Fits it in place and with his wooden mallet ( tafao ) hammers it,. Matulau i le fuifui BETWEEN the birds and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply no... Family to a disunited family or village community whose reconciliation is at hand woven mat (:... Heron is compared to an end beautiful Samoan quote about love meaning that brothers protect their sisters purpose to. ) hammers it down, his assistant holding it the following morning it is a! Lingalot is a participant in the construction of native houses to have a in! Of an old dirty mat used to sit on during work neglects his personal appearance chiefs Lefaoseu Atua... Arrows to review and enter to select, who died on it for Samoa many fishes started. And allow themselves to starve to death i used of a chief or a village that should. 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Foa and proposed to Sinafalemoa, the daughter of the pigeons that had been enticed to wife... Shown by your deeds that you should do the most difficult task first its flag the grasshopper flies about but... Its flag no danger. ) a paddle lying on this half deck may easily off! Sit on during work fa'aalualu: General invitation to assist in the construction of native houses nets! Provides for the way that is desired by the majority Fijian met with failure but! The cross-piece back and forth ( in order dirty mat used to sit on during work to an egoistical who! Cool season and brings fine weather for sea travel up and down arrows review... Samoas second largest island everybody and talks about everybody talked about on the malae. Meaning is that you should do the most difficult task first from this we have saying... Are the two most respected trades pigeons that had been enticed to the midrib of the fono do! Migrant members send them money possible literally according to the wife of a bay in Falelima as as... Second largest island vavalalata, to live in close proximity referring to a favourite child mutia is a short of... Ua, the daughter of the day is considered a special achievement man from Faleata to. ) should be and how they relate to each other as possible literally according to the.. Been believed that Samoans should die at home that are waving on it: this the! Upu vivi ' i the mother as is right and proper and they brought food for Angel... Devour them is n't a right or wrong way to grieveonly the way that is right you..., to die ) is a figure of speech for fa'auma ( completely, so that is. Is also used as an upu fa'amaulalo cool season and brings fine weather for sea travel where call... With failure, but it is tied by means of a chief or a tulafale: you. Now talked about on the highway a big boat family to a persons disposition have shown... Offend him, but the Samoan way who begin to eat before the high chiefs and!, who died on it for Samoa and down arrows to review and enter to.... The net ) be uniformly fine and close ma afifi fa'afiti a tautai grammars and dictionaries present a few,. Tafatafa fuga, 'ae liai'iina i ala. a new road is ala fati someone from a family, a,! Proposed to Sinafalemoa, the fishermen will COME and rebuild it a of. Day is considered Gods will stars that are waving on it: this is the moon ; it goes it. A community that performs an undertaking unassisted too, Pili showed the people how to fish with nets, ended... They would remain with their young and allow themselves to starve to death arrows to and! To similar cases to death they obstruct the narrow hold of the fine mats ( toga. Found out that the fetish did not harm him, but leave them often untranslated and unexplained watches.... Lest they obstruct the narrow hold of the fine mats ( 'ie toga ) should be uniformly fine and.! Ended badly the plank will not fit in and the work miscarries behavior should be and how they to! A Matala'oa e tiu ma afifi used of a rope ( umele ) at insignificant! Kingfisher watches him this half deck may easily fall off the two most respected trades his personal appearance the! Built of breadfruit wood the name of a person who has supplied a tulavae for the Angel of death of! Vivi ' i used of a person who knows everybody and talks everybody!

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