ʻOku fakamatalaʻi atu ʻi lalo e ongoongó ni ʻi he lea faka-Tongá 

Tributes to mark the Queen Mother’s death should use correct Tongan metaphorical expressions to avoid any disrespect to Their Majesties and the deceased, Rev. Dr Mohenoa Puloka has warned.

Dr Puloka said Their Majesties the King and Queen of Tonga were still alive and the wording of tributes to the Queen Mother, whose death was reported on Sunday,  should not make the public into thinking the condolences  were meant for Their Majesties.

“Fakafeta’i ‘Eiki​, ‘oku kei Tonga pe ‘a Tonga, kei huhulu e Huelo’i La’a Koula, he ‘oku kei lakoifie Tamasi’i Tu’i, Tupou V1…”, Dr Puloka said in Tongan.

(Translated: “Thanks be to God Tonga is still Tonga, the golden rays of the sun still shine as His Majesty the King Child is still alive and healthy…”)

Dr Puloka referred to the form of Tongan respect in which the king and the royals were mentioned using the zodiacal system instead of calling them by their birth names.

Traditionally and according to Tongan poets, the king is referred to as the sun, the queen as the moon and their children were referred to with the rest of the planets.

Rev. Dr Mohenoa Puloka

Since the death of the Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata’aho, many tributes have referred to Her passing on social media using the phrase “Kuo to e laʻā ʻo Tonga” (Translated: The Sun of Tonga is set).

Some tributes have said: “Kuo pulonga e māhiná”. (Translated: The Moon is dark or invisible.)

These were normal references to the royals in times of death, but they were wrongly applied to the deceased Queen Mother.

Dr Puloka said it was more respectable to leave the “cosmological moon” to be used to refer only to Her Majesty Queen Nanasipauʻu.

Dr Puloka said there were special metaphorical expressions to be used for the Queen Mother.

“Ka ‘oku kehe ange naunau ‘o e Kuini Fehuhu”, he said (Translated: But the Queen Mother’s entitlement was especially exceptional.”

He said the Queen Mother could be referred to with certain kakala ʻeiki (honorary garlands with significantly fragrant flowers) such as Ve’eve’e Heilala Tatakamotonga (kakala ‘o Tungi Mailefihi),  Pa’angahea, Papaifa, Faka’ofilani, Faka’otusia, Nusi Palataha, Fakamatamoana, Faka-loto-Mu’a, Heilala fakavahamapa and fakavainiaku’aki e mapo’i hingano mei Tau-‘a Tonga.

Dr Puloka, who is also a member of the Takalaua lineage, made the comments after some warnings had been made on social media for commoners to stop the fiematamu’a or being impertinent and using the Queen Mother’s photos as their profile image on Facebook.

Those who supported the idea agreed and said commoners should know their limits when it comes to royal matters.

However, some said she was the Queen Mother of Tonga and there was no disrespect at all when using her photos as their profile image.

The main points

  • Tributes to mark the Queen Mother’s death should use correct Tongan metaphorical expressions to avoid any disrespect to Their Majesties and the deceased, Rev. Dr Mohenoa Puloka has warned.
  • Dr Puloka said Their Majesties the King and Queen of Tonga were still alive and the wording of tributes to the Queen Mother should not make the public into thinking the condolences were meant for Their Majesties.
  • “Fakafeta’i ‘Eiki, ‘oku kei Tonga pe ‘a Tonga, kei huhulu e Huelo’i La’a Koula, he ‘oku kei lakoifie Tamasi’i Tu’i, Tupou V1…”, Dr Puloka said in Tongan.
  • (Translated: “Thanks be to God Tonga is still Tonga, the golden rays of the sun still shine as His Majesty the King Child is still alive and healthy…”)

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1 COMMENT

  1. FAKATOKANGAʻI ANGE: ʻOku ʻikai ngofua ke hiki ʻa e ongoongó ni ʻo toe pulusi ʻi ha feituʻu kehe hangē ko hano cut and paste ʻo pulusi ʻi he Feisipuká. Ka ʻoku ngofua pe ke ngāueʻaki ʻa e share button ʻa e Feisipuká ke sea ʻaki ʻi he ngaahi mītia fakasōsialé. ʻOku mau ʻamanaki ʻe fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻa e fakatokangá ni.

    ‘Oku totonu ke mātuʻaki tonu ʻa hono ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi lea heliaki ki he Kuini Fehuhú ʻi he ngaahi pōpoaki fiekaungāmamahi heʻene halá ke fakamamaʻo ha hoko ia ke fai ai ha taʻefakaʻapaʻapa ki Heʻena ʻĀfifió, ko ha fakatokanga ʻeni ʻa Faifekau Dr. Mohenoa Puloka.

    Ne pehē ʻe Puloká ʻoku kei lākoifie lelei pe ʻa e Tama Tuʻí Tupou VI pea pehē ki he Taʻahine Kuiní Nanasipauʻu Tuku ʻaho.

    ʻOku ʻuhinga ʻa e Faifekaú he ko ʻene tuʻu ʻa e tala e fonuá ʻoku taku heliaki e tuʻí ko e laʻā, pea heliakiʻi hono ʻohoaná ʻa ia ko e kuiní ki he māhiná pea ko e fale ʻaló leva ʻe heliakiʻaki kinautolu ʻa e toenga ʻo e ngaahi palanité.

    Ko hono fakalea leva ko ē ʻe he ngaahi pōpoaki fiekaungā mamahi ki he Kuini Fefehú ʻo heliakiʻi ʻene halá (mate) ʻaki e pehē “Kuo tō e laʻā ʻo Tongá” ʻoku ʻikai ke tonu ia he ʻoku ʻikai ko e tuʻí ʻoku halá.

    ʻI ha ʻīmeili ki he Kanivá naʻe pehē ʻe he Faifekaú:

    “Fakafeta’i ‘Eiki, ‘oku kei Tonga pe ‘a Tonga, kei huhulu e Huelo’i La’a Koulá, he ‘oku kei lakoifie Tamasi’i Tu’i, Tupou V1, mo e Ta’ahine Kuini ‘o e Taloni, Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho. Ka kuo langi ‘ume’umesi ‘a Tonga, he hahau na kuo tokaki he fisi’inaua ‘o Nuku’alofa. Kakapu ‘a Fangatapu pea masiva lea e punake ke talanga”.

    ʻE ʻikai fakamatāpule ke ngāueʻaki ki he Kuini Fehuhú ʻa e māhiná he ʻoku kei lākoifie ʻa Kuini Nanasipauʻu.

    Ne pehē leva ʻe Dr Puloka: “’E fakamatāpule ange ke tuku pe ‘a e māhiná (cosmological moon) ki he Ta’ahine Kuini ‘o e Taloní, Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho.

    Fekauʻaki leva mo e Kuini Fehuhú naʻe pehē ʻe Dr Puloka ʻoku makehe hono ngaahi lea heliakí ʻo na ia pea lahi.

    Ko e ngaahi lea leva ʻeni pe kakala ʻe lava ngāueʻaki ʻi ha pōpoaki fakamamahi ki he hala ʻa e Kuini Fehuhú, fakatatau kia Dr Puloká:

    Ve’eve’e Heilala Tatakamotonga (kakala ‘o Tungi Mailefihi),
    Pa’angahea,
    Papaifa,
    Faka’ofilani,
    Faka’otusia,
    Nusi Palataha,
    Fakamatamoana,
    Faka-loto-Mu’a,
    Heilala fakavahamapa mo e fakavainiaku’aki e mapo’i hingano mei Tau-‘a Tonga.

    Talu mei he hala ʻa e Kuini Fehuhú, Halaevalu Mataʻaho, ne lahi ʻa e ngaahi pōpoaki fie kaungāmamahi kiate ia he mītia fakasōsialé ne ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi fakalea ʻo hangē ko e pehē :“Kuo tō ʻa e laʻā ʻo Tonga”.

    Pe ko e pehē ʻe he niʻihi : “Kuo pulonga e māhiná”.

    Ko e ngaahi heliaki angamaheni pe ʻeni ʻoku fai ki he Fale ʻo Haʻamoheofó ʻi ha taimi ʻo ka tō ha poʻuli, ka kuo fai e tokanga ki hono ngāueʻaki he hala ko ʻeni ʻa e Kuini Fehuhú ke tonu telia e tala malu e fonuá.

    Ko e hala ʻa e Kuini Fehuhú ko ha kaveinga pelepelengesi pea kuo ʻosi ai e ngaahi fakatokanga he mītia fakasōsialé ʻo taʻofi ʻa e ngaahi tōʻonga te ne ala uesia ʻa e toputapu e tala e fonuá.

    ʻOku kau heni ʻa e mamahi ʻa ha niʻihi ʻi hono ngāueʻaki ʻe ha niʻihi ʻa e ʼīmisi ʻo e Kuini Fehuhú ke tā polōfailaʻaki ʻenau peesi he Feisipuká.

    Kaekehe kuo pehē ʻe he niʻihi ia ko ʻení ko e Kuini ʻofeina ʻeni ʻo Tonga pea ʻoku ʻikai ha lao ke ne tapui ʻenau fakalaulaunoa kiate ia he Feisipuká.

    Fekauʻaki mo Dr Mohenoa Puloka:

    Ko Dr Puloká ko e mēmipa ia ʻo e Ha’a Takalaua, pea ko e mokopuna ia ‘o Lelenoa matāpule ‘a Tungi Mailefihi, ko e motu’a faipu’i he kuonga ‘o e tango ‘a Malilefihi ki he ki’i ta’ahine ko Kuini Salote.

    Ko e matu’a ‘ene fanga fa’eé ko Mafi Malanga, Ma’umalanga, Nusi Lelenoa, Vatuvei, mo e fanga kui Malukava, Hopoate, Vaisima, ko e mātu’a fai fatongia ‘a Tungi mo Kalaniuvalu.