ToWarpit

ToWarpit

To Warpit u wana uwe?
ToWarpit i biti,
Ina Wana ra pui.
A kalangar i tangtangi,
Ta ra ula bubukai.


Upi pau ra market,
Ma ra kalangar i ki.
Ma mulai i bitbiti,
ToWarpit una wa,
Ma pa ina bura ba.
Una tikan upi ta kamuk.
Iau pa inaga bura ba.

Iau Kul Kaugu Loko

Iua Kul Kaugu Loko

                             Photo by Esau Mellie, Facebook Timeline 2013. A rooster
                                     and its master sharing peanuts in Kokopo, East New 
                                    Britain.

Iau Kul Kaugu Loko ( I bought my rooster) is a popular song about a rooster that a person bought and kept as a pet. It would wake up its master crowing early in the morning. Roosters crow in the mornings and this song, in a way, is a tribute to their "duty" as time keepers. The second verse of the song is in admiration for the pet rooster's fighting ability using its spurs (tikuluna). It describes its crest (kere) as befitting the look of a chief ( Ia ra luluai ta).The song is written here following the Kuanua dialects of Kabakada and Rakunai. There is a slight variation between these two dialects and Raluana dialect.The variation: Vidir ra lala (Kabakada and Rakunai); Vidir ra lolo (Raluana). Iau Kul Kaugu Loko has been sung for generations in East New Britain. Before you sing this song note that I am not the composer but sharing for Kuanua speakers who may wish to pass on the song to their children of today to keep in touch with Tolai folklore.

1.

Iau kul kaugu loko.

Kaugu tena mono oo.

Kaugu tena mono oo.

Ra mutumut.

Ra kavunvun.

Ra malamalana.

I wangun pa awet.

Mara kakarikuku.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Ma irukatuka,

Ma irukatuka,

Ma ikakarikuku.

2.

I toke ra kere.

Ia ra luluai ta aa.

Ia ra luluai ta aa.

Ra mutumut.

Ra kavunvun.

Ra malamalana.

I wangun pa awet.

Mara kakarikuku.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Ma irukatuka,

Ma irukatuka,

Ma ikakarikuku.

Kulinga

Kulinga Kulinga

                                                   Photo of kulinga (rainbow lorikeet) by Judy Lacey, Facebook Timeline 2014.

Kulinga is the Kuanua word for lorikeet and this is a song about the lorikeet. Kulinga Kulinga (lorikeet lorikeet) tells of the noisy lorikeet and how beautiful its feathers are. It ends with the longing to trap one and keep it forever.

1.  Kulinga Kulinga awa tangitangi mat,

    Tangtangi mat.

    Tara ula bubukai.

    Tuk kaboko ina bulit awat.

    Ma awat ta ki watika.

    Kulinga Kulinga awa tangitangi mat,

   Tangtangi mat.

   Tara ula bubukai.

2. Kulinga Kulinga ia ra iwuna ta,

    Iwuna ta.

    A lia na wartumu.

    Tuk kaboko ina bulit awat.

    Ma awat ta ki watika.

    Kulinga Kulinga ia ra iwuna ta,

    Iwuna ta.

    A lia na wartumu.

 

Kakailai

SONGS IN KUANUA (AUMANA KAKAILAI)

The songs appear here are not my compositions but written from childhood memory and intended for sharing with other Kuanua speakers who may wish to pass on to their children. They form part of children's literature in Tolai society. We sang them in primary and high school during my school days.

Photo:  Ismael Isikel

A Kuvur

A Kuvur is a song about the long sea travels that Tolai men undertook in the past to search for shells used in making traditional money. They traveled as far as Nakanai in the west of the island to trade for the shells because it was plentiful at Nakanai. Many times during their travels night birds would fly past above them. They could tell a bird by its chirping and one of them is the Kuvur, also known as Kuk. It is called Kuk because it chirps high pitched kuuuk sound during flight or when perched on a tree..

A kuvur itangtangi tauni avet.

A kuvur itangtangi tauni avet.

Ubara ra lolalolo.

Avet ta takpa ra palatabu.

Akana Towarubu,

Ra kalevovor.

Kongkong Iki Ra Wiliwil

This is about a Chinese riding a bicycle carrying a parcel of vegetables known in Kuanua as pepenge.

Kongkong iki ra wiliwil.

Ikap ra pupulu na pepenge.

Akave kana gunan?

Nat na beo ipukai.

Lawit, lawit, lawit.

Nat Na Tenge

A tenge is a wren and this one is about a wren that was trapped on a rosewood tree.

Iau gire ra nat na tenge,

Iki tara buringai bulbulit.

ToWilem idek wake,

Ma inongonongone.

Una mai Talaigu,

Dora tun ra dor beo.

Ivirua tara bulit, bulit, bulit.

Tenten Maro Malakuna

The rover from Malakuna is an expert hunter and his dog is the best in catching pigs.

Tenten maro Malakuna,

A tena rowarowoi.

Kana pap a tene tuna,

Kana pap a tene tuna.

Ikorot raumana boroi.

Loko ai ra luluai.

Una pam ra likutan.

Am ta wuana magitana.

Una karat ra limana.

Una pam, (una pam), una pam, (una pam).

Am ta wua-na magitana.