ATEA
Nature and Divinity
O ke au i kahuli wela
82
ka honua
O ke au i kahuli
lole ka lani
O ke au i kuka‘iaka ka la
E ho‘omalamalama
i ka malama
O ke au o Makali‘i ka po
O ka walewale
ho‘okumu honua ia
O ke kumu o ka
lipo, i lipo ai
O ke kumu o ka
po, i po ai
O ka lipolipo, o ka
lipolipo
O ka lipo o ka la, o ka
lipo o ka po
Po wale ho -- ’i
Hanau ka po ...
in Polynesia
By Maia Nuku
At the time when the
earth became hot
At the time when the
heavens turned about
At the time when the sun
was darkened
To cause the moon
to shine
At the time of Makahiki
(the rise of Pleiades)
Then began the slime, this
was the source of the earth
The source of the darkness
that made darkness
The source of the deep
night that made night
The intense darkness, the
deep darkness
Darkness of the sun,
darkness of the night
Nothing but night
Then night gave birth ...