From the recording Nukukehe
"Arriving in New Zealand with my uncle from a small village in Alamagoto, Samoa. I was 9 years old and didn't speak the language, everything familiar to me had gone, I was homesick" Opetaia
Tokelau language
MANUATU (Homesick)
Lyrics Opetaia Foa'i
Music Opetaia Foa'i & Malcolm Smith
Oku kohu e he masani ai
Kehe hoki ma na sevae
Kave ai i hetahi fenua
Tagi tagi ai au mo toku kaiga
Taku mai pe i fea toku matua
Ve na puli e fakailoaina
Taku mai pe i fea toku tamana
Na galo atu i te taeao nei
E mamafa, e manako , e fakamatala
Te uiga o te folau
Tuku mai he tali e fakamalie ai au
Manatua lelei te vaitafe
Aku feleni e sakili mai au
Fakataumafai ae he mafai
E au o tali ki ei
E manatu fia manatu
Toku kaiga
E fia manatu toku kaiga
Nofonofo filemu lava venei
Ite pogiha, toku mafaufau e tiga
te fanoanoa - te pogiha - te fanoanoa
Te mamao ko tau malaga na fai
Ae heai lele he tino e malamalama ai
Kae haloa koe koe ke onosai mai
Aua e iai na mea taua fakatali mai mo koe
Tau tala moni lava te na
E koe ke fakamakeke ma fakamalohi
Kae amutia koe te manaia ko tou lumanaki
Ka pa koe ki iei
HOMESICK
These clothes feel so strange on me
Stranger still are these shoes
Taken to another world
I’m now crying for my home
Tell me where my mother is
She forgot to explain things to me
Tell me where my father is
I thought I heard him leave this morning
Heavy thoughts
what I need is an explanation
The purpose of this journey
Searching for answers in this small room
I can only think of my river
My friends are searching for me
But no matter how hard I try
There’s no way for me to answer them
I’m homesick , I’m longing
For my family
I’m longing for my home
Here I sit all by myself
In this darkness
My head is filled with hurt
With sadness - this darkness
© Spirit of Play Productions/Opetaia Foa'i