Te tua o Ru raua ko Rei
Te Tua nō Rū rāua ko Rei The story of Ru and Rei
ꞌŌu te evangeria i tae ei ki Tongareva, tē noꞌo ra tētaꞌi tangata, ko Tū Tekorona ē tāna vaꞌine ꞌakaperepere, ko Rei Sikinamai. E ꞌokotaꞌi ā rāua tamāꞌine, ko Sina Urukaikai, ē kua vaitata roa a Rei nō te ꞌānau ꞌakaꞌou.
In the beginning before the arrival of Christianity to Tongareva, there lived a man called Tu Tekorona and his beloved wife, Rei Sikinamai. They have one daughter, called Sina Urukaikai, and Rei is about to give birth again.
Kua mārama ꞌua tātou ē tē vai pōpōiri ꞌua ra tēia pā ꞌenua i taua tuātau ra, ē, ꞌe tūranga rangatira tikāi tō te au tāne ꞌakaipoipo, nō te mea, nā te vaꞌine e rave ana i te maꞌataꞌanga o te ꞌangaꞌanga ngutuꞌare e tae ꞌua atu ki te ꞌangaꞌanga tautai.
We understand they were still living in the islands during that time still with the belief in their own tradition that a married man is of a high standard, because the woman does most of the work and even fishing.
Kia tae ki tētaꞌi pōpongi māreꞌureꞌu, kua tū vave a Rei ki runga ē kua ꞌakateꞌateꞌamamao i tā rāua ꞌapinga nō te ꞌaere atu ki te karo pāꞌua; kāreka a Tū, tē moe tīnainai ꞌua ra aia i roto i tōna moenga. Kia papa te au mea katoatoa, kua ꞌakaara atu a Rei i a Tū ē kua ꞌaere atu rāua ki taꞌatai.
One calm morning, Rei got up quickly and prepared their things for getting paua; while Tu was fast asleep in his mat. When everything was ready, she woke Tu up and they went to the beach.
Kua ꞌoe atu rāua ki muri mai i te au pā-motu mamao, ē tei reira ꞌoki tētaꞌi kāōa maꞌata ē te ꞌōꞌonu ki raro, kua koropiniꞌia e te pāꞌua. Kia mou meitaki te tūtau i tō rāua vaka, kua rere atu a Rei ki roto i te tai ē kua kāpiki marū mai, “E Tū ē, e noꞌo koe e karo i tā tāua pāꞌua; nāku e ruku.”
They paddled around the back of the furthest islets, and that is where one of the biggest coral and the deepest and surrounded with paua. Once they have secured their canoe, Rei dived into the sea and called in a soft voice, “Tu, you stay and clean our paua; I will do the diving.”
Kua ruku atu a Rei ki raro, kāreka a Tū, tē ꞌākara ꞌua ra aia i te rauru o tāna vaꞌine i te maꞌoraꞌanga i runga i te kiri-ā-tai e ngaro ꞌua atu. Kia ea mai a Rei ki runga, kua kī ꞌoki tōna ngā rima i te pāꞌua mamaꞌata ē kua tuku atu ki roto i te vaka. “E karo ake koe i tēnā, ka ꞌoki ꞌakaꞌou au.”
Rei dived down, however Tu, was looking at his wife’s hair floating on the water until it disappeared. When Rei came up, her hands were full of huge paua and she put it in the canoe. “You clean these ones, I will go and get some more.
I te rima o tōna eaꞌanga mai, kua vaitata roa tā rāua kakapu i te kī, inārā, nō te maꞌana o te tai, kua ꞌoki ꞌakaꞌou aia ki raro; ē, i tēia taime, kua roa atu tōna noꞌoꞌanga ki reira.
On the fifth time she came up, their bucket is nearly full, however, since the sea was warm, Rei decided to go down again, this time, she took a while to come back up.
I reira kua ea viviki mai tētaꞌi vaꞌine kē, ko tei ꞌakatūtū i aia ki a Rei. Kua kake aia ki roto i te vaka ē kua ꞌuti i te tūtau o te vaka ma te kāpiki, “E ꞌoe, ka ꞌoe tāua. Kua rava tā tāua pāꞌua.”
This is when a different woman came up, and she made herself look like Rei. She climbed into the canoe and pulled the anchor up and called, “Paddle, we are going. We have enough paua”
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Kua ꞌirinaki tikāi a Tū ē ko tāna vaꞌine tēia, nō reira, kua ꞌāriki aia i tei ꞌakaueꞌia ki aia. Mei te rima maire te mamao i a rāua ki te ꞌenua. Kia ea mai a Rei ki runga, kua pōꞌitirere aia i te kiteꞌanga ē tē ꞌoe atu ra a Tū ē tētaꞌi vaꞌine kē. I reira tōna kāpikiꞌanga atu ma te reo auē, “E Tū ē, ka uta koe i te ꞌatu ꞌOropunga ka karo ei koe i a Rei.”
Tu actually thought this is his wife, so he agreed to what she said. When they were about 5 miles from shore, Rei came up and was surprised to see Tu padding away with a woman. This is when she called out crying, “Tu, when you get to Oropunga you will be looking for Rei”.
Kua paꞌu mai tēia vaꞌine, “E ꞌoe, ka ꞌoe tāua. Ko au tēia ko Rei.”
The woman replied, “Paddle, we are going. This is I Rei”
Kua kāpiki maꞌata ꞌakaꞌou a Rei, ē, i tēia taime, kua ꞌakateitei aia i tōna reo ma te auē, inārā, kāre rava tāna tāne i ꞌuri mai, nō te mea, kua ꞌakatūkēꞌia aia e te vaꞌine-tuputupuā o te moana.
Rei shouted so loud, this time, and her voice was really high pitched and crying, however, her husband did not look back, because the Giant woman of the Sea has changed him.
“ ꞌEiaꞌa ꞌua mai ē” kua auē maꞌata a Rei, “tai toru toru ama nō Punakau kia iri ei Rei.”
“Why is that,” Rei cried so loud, “one, three, three from Punakau is where Rei got stranded.”
Kāre rava a Tū i ꞌāriu mai. Kua ꞌotuꞌotu ꞌua tāna auē, ē kua ꞌakamāroꞌiroꞌi aia i te kau atu ki runga i te motu vaitata mai, ē nō te mamao i tōna kauꞌanga, kua tae atu aia ki uta i te parepareꞌanga o te rā. Kua roꞌiroꞌi tikāi aia ē kua riro te tangitangi o te manu ꞌei tūpae mai i aia.
Tu did not even turned around. She was crying really really bad, and then she tried her best to swim to the closest islet, and because she was far away, she reached land at sunset. She was so tired and the birds singing helped to comfort her.
Tē noꞌo ra ꞌoki i runga i taua motu tētaꞌi tangata, ko Tūrāi ꞌoki tōna ingoa. Kua ꞌaere rāua ko tāna tamaiti nā te pae tai ē kua kite atu rāua i taua vaꞌine i te noꞌo tū ꞌuaꞌanga i te tapatapa o te tai. Kua ꞌakakite mai aia i te tumu i tae mai ei aia ki runga i taua motu, ē kua arataki atu rāua i aia ki te ngutuꞌare ē kua utuutu meitaki i aia.
On that islet lived a man called Turai. He was walking with his son on the beach when they saw the woman sitting up at the edge of the beach. She told them the reason she ended up on the islet, so they took her home with them and looked after her well.
Kia pou te rua epetoma i tō rātou noꞌoꞌanga, kua ꞌānau mai tēia vaꞌine. ꞌE māꞌanga tamāroa tāna ngā pēpe, ē kua tapa i tō rāua ingoa ko Tū; nō tāna tāne ꞌakaipoipo tētaꞌi, nō te tangata i ꞌākonoꞌia ai aia tētaꞌi. ꞌE noꞌoꞌanga mataora tikāi tō rātou i runga i taua motu, ē kia tae ki te pakariꞌanga o tēia ngā tamariki, kua ꞌirinaki tikāi rāua ē, ko tō rāua metua-tane ꞌānau tēia.
The woman gave birth while staying with them after two weeks. She had twin boys, and she named one after her husband Tu, and the other after the man that looked after her. They lived a happy life on the islet and when the twins grew up, they thought the man was their biological father.
Kua tupu te manamanatā ki a rāua i tētaꞌi rā i tō rātou
A problem happened to them one day when they
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ꞌaereꞌanga ki te ꞌakateretere paꞌī-kīkau i taꞌatai. Nō te tere i te paꞌī-kīkau o tō rāua tuakana, kua pēꞌi rāua i te paꞌī ki te toka ē kua papaki i a Puꞌera. Kua auē tō rāua tuakana ē kua ꞌoki atu kua ꞌakakite ki te metua. I reira, kua tupu te manako kino ki te metua ē kua ꞌakakite aia ki tēia tamaiti kia amoamo i tēia ngā tamariki ē, kāre ē ko ia tō rāua metua.
Went sailing kikau canoes at the beach. Their older brothers canoe was so fast, so they threw the canoe with a stone and slapped Puera’s cheek. He cried and went and told his father. This is when the father came up with an idea which is bad, to tell the twins lies he is not their father.
Kua tupu ꞌakaꞌou tēia tū ki a rātou i te rua o te rā; ē, i taua rā, kua ꞌōpara rāua i tō rāua tuakana ki roto i te tai. I reira,kua auē tēia tuakana ē kua ꞌoro ki uta ma te kāpiki mai, “Kua karanga mai taku pāpā ē, kāre ē ko ia tō kōrua metua; ꞌe pāpā kē rāi tō kōrua!”
This also happened on the second day; so on that day, they pushed their older brother into the sea. He cried, and ran to the beach and called, “My father said, he is not your father; you two have a different father!”
Kua ꞌakamā a Tū mā ē kua auē ꞌaere atu ki kō i tō rāua māmā ma te pati atu ki aia kia ꞌakakite mai ē ko ꞌai tikāi tō rāua metua-tāne. Kua papa te māmā i tō rāua kāpuaꞌanga mai ē kua riro te reira ꞌei vai-puꞌipuꞌi ki roto i te ngākau o tēia ngā tamariki.
They were embarrassed and cried all the way to their mum to ask her who is their real father. Their mother told them their family tree and this became a thorn in their heart.
I tō rāua pakariꞌanga, kua ꞌaere atu rāua ki te ꞌipukarea o tō rāua ngā metua i te kimi i tō rāua metua-tāne. Kua tano atu rāua ki te kāinga tikāi o tō rāua metua, ē kua ꞌaꞌaki rāua i te ꞌara ꞌakaperepereꞌia a tō rāua tuaꞌine.
As they grew older, they decided to visit the island of their parents to find their father. They got to their fathers’ house, and they picked the favourite bandanas fruit of their sister.
Kia ꞌakarongo a Tū i tā rāua tarotaroꞌanga nō runga i tō rāua tupuꞌanga, kua kite aia ē nāna tikāi tēia ngā tamariki.
When their father Tu heard their story of their upbringing, he knew that these are his children.
ꞌE tēia ꞌoki tā rāua papaꞌanga:
This is how they told about their family tree:
ꞌĀnau ake i a Kosi - Kosi was born
Kosi ꞌea? Who is Kosi?
Kosi Moeana. Ko tō māua tupuna ia, ko Kosi. Kosi Moeana. This is our ancestor, Kosi.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Tū – Tu was born
Tū ꞌea? Who is Tu?
Tū Tekorona. Ko tō māua ia metua, ko Tū. Tu Tekorona. This is our father, Tu.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Rei – Rei was born
Rei ꞌea? Who is Rei?
Rei Sikinamai. Ko tō maua ia metua-vaꞌine, ko Rei. Rei Sikanamai. This is our mother, Rei.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Sina – Sina was born
Sina ꞌea? Who is Sina?
Sina Urukaikai. Ko tō māua ia tuaꞌine, ko Sina. Sina Urukaikai. This is our sister, Sina.
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Kua ꞌakaue atu rāua i tō rāua metua kia taꞌu i tētaꞌi aꞌi maꞌata ē kia titiri i te vaꞌine tāna i ꞌapai mai ki roto i taua aꞌi ra, nō te mea, ꞌe tuputupuā te reira nō te moana, ꞌe atua nō te punga i roto i te tai.
They made their father prepare a big fire to throw the woman that he brought from the sea into the fire because, she is a giant of the ocean, the god of waste in the sea.
Tātāꞌia e Rautūtī Taringa.
URIANGA RUA O TE TUA
Te Tua nō Rū rāua ko Rei The story of Ru and Rei
ꞌŌu te evangeria i tae ei ki Tongareva, tē noꞌo ra tētaꞌi tangata, ko Tū Tekorona ē tāna vaꞌine ꞌakaperepere, ko Rei Sikinamai. E ꞌokotaꞌi ā rāua tamāꞌine, ko Sina Urukaikai, ē kua vaitata roa a Rei nō te ꞌānau ꞌakaꞌou.
In the beginning before the arrival of Christianity to Tongareva, there lived a man called Tu Tekorona and his beloved wife, Rei Sikinamai. They have one daughter, called Sina Urukaikai, and Rei is heavily pregnant.
Kua mārama ꞌua tātou ē tē vai pōpōiri ꞌua ra tēia pā ꞌenua i taua tuātau ra, ē, ꞌe tūranga rangatira tikāi tō te au tāne ꞌakaipoipo, nō te mea, nā te vaꞌine e rave ana i te maꞌataꞌanga o te ꞌangaꞌanga ngutuꞌare e tae ꞌua atu ki te ꞌangaꞌanga tautai.
We understand they were still living in the dark ages during that time, and believes in their own tradition that a married man is of a high status, because the woman does most of the work and even fishing.
Kia tae ki tētaꞌi pōpongi māreꞌureꞌu, kua tū vave a Rei ki runga ē kua ꞌakateꞌateꞌamamao i tā rāua ꞌapinga nō te ꞌaere atu ki te karo pāꞌua; kāreka a Tū, tē moe tīnainai ꞌua ra aia i roto i tōna moenga. Kia papa te au mea katoatoa, kua ꞌakaara atu a Rei i a Tū ē kua ꞌaere atu rāua ki taꞌatai.
One calm morning, Rei got up quickly and prepared their things for getting paua; while Tu was fast asleep in his mat. When everything was ready, she woke Tu up and they went to the beach.
Kua ꞌoe atu rāua ki muri mai i te au pā-motu mamao, ē tei reira ꞌoki tētaꞌi kāōa maꞌata ē te ꞌōꞌonu ki raro, kua koropiniꞌia e te pāꞌua. Kia mou meitaki te tūtau i tō rāua vaka, kua rere atu a Rei ki roto i te tai ē kua kāpiki marū mai, “E Tū ē, e noꞌo koe e karo i tā tāua pāꞌua; nāku e ruku.”
They paddled around the back of the islets to the furthest islet, and where one of the biggest and deepest coral reef surrounded with paua. Once they have secured their canoe, Rei dived into the sea and called in a soft voice, “Tu, you stay and clean our paua; I will do the diving.”
Kua ruku atu a Rei ki raro, kāreka a Tū, tē ꞌākara ꞌua ra aia i te rauru o tāna vaꞌine i te maꞌoraꞌanga i runga i te kiri-ā-tai e ngaro ꞌua atu. Kia ea mai a Rei ki runga, kua kī ꞌoki tōna ngā rima i te pāꞌua mamaꞌata ē kua tuku atu ki roto i te vaka. “E karo ake koe i tēnā, ka ꞌoki ꞌakaꞌou au.”
Rei dived down, however Tu, was mesmerised at his wife’s hair floating on the water until it disappeared. When Rei came up, her hands were full of huge paua and she put it in the canoe. “You clean these ones, I will go and get some more.
I te rima o tōna eaꞌanga mai, kua vaitata roa tā rāua kakapu i te kī, inārā, nō te maꞌana o te tai, kua ꞌoki ꞌakaꞌou aia ki raro; ē, i tēia taime, kua roa atu tōna noꞌoꞌanga ki reira.
On the fifth time she came up, their bucket is nearly full, however, since the sea was so warm, Rei wanted to go again, and this time, she took a while getting the paua.
I reira kua ea viviki mai tētaꞌi vaꞌine kē, ko tei ꞌakatūtū i aia ki a Rei. Kua kake aia ki roto i te vaka ē kua ꞌuti i te tūtau o te vaka ma te kāpiki, “E ꞌoe, ka ꞌoe tāua. Kua rava tā tāua pāꞌua.”
Suddenly a different woman came up, and she transformed herself to look like Rei. She climbed into the canoe and pulled the anchor up and called, “Paddle, lets paddle. We have plenty of paua”
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Kua ꞌirinaki tikāi a Tū ē ko tāna vaꞌine tēia, nō reira, kua ꞌāriki aia i tei ꞌakaueꞌia ki aia. Mei te rima maire te mamao i a rāua ki te ꞌenua. Kia ea mai a Rei ki runga, kua pōꞌitirere aia i te kiteꞌanga ē tē ꞌoe atu ra a Tū ē tētaꞌi vaꞌine kē. I reira tōna kāpikiꞌanga atu ma te reo auē, “E Tū ē, ka uta koe i te ꞌatu ꞌOropunga ka karo ei koe i a Rei.”
Tu actually thought this is his wife, so he agreed to when told what to do. While they were about 5 miles from shore, Rei came up and was surprised to see Tu padding away with a different woman. Then she called out crying, “Tu, when you get to Oropunga you will be looking for Rei”.
Kua paꞌu mai tēia vaꞌine, “E ꞌoe, ka ꞌoe tāua. Ko au tēia ko Rei.”
The woman replied, “Paddle, carry on paddling. I am Rei”
Kua kāpiki maꞌata ꞌakaꞌou a Rei, ē, i tēia taime, kua ꞌakateitei aia i tōna reo ma te auē, inārā, kāre rava tāna tāne i ꞌuri mai, nō te mea, kua ꞌakatūkēꞌia aia e te vaꞌine-tuputupuā o te moana.
Rei shouted again so loud, this time, and her voice was high pitched and she was crying, however, her husband did not bother to look back, because he was changed by the Giant woman of the Sea.
“ ꞌEiaꞌa ꞌua mai ē” kua auē maꞌata a Rei, “tai toru toru ama nō Punakau kia iri ei Rei.”
“Why is this happening,” Rei cried so loud, “one, three, three from Punakau is where Rei will be stranded.”
Kāre rava a Tū i ꞌāriu mai. Kua ꞌotuꞌotu ꞌua tāna auē, ē kua ꞌakamāroꞌiroꞌi aia i te kau atu ki runga i te motu vaitata mai, ē nō te mamao i tōna kauꞌanga, kua tae atu aia ki uta i te parepareꞌanga o te rā. Kua roꞌiroꞌi tikāi aia ē kua riro te tangitangi o te manu ꞌei tūpae mai i aia.
Tu did not even bother to turn around. She was really crying uncontrollably, and then she willed herself to swim to the closest islet, and because she was far away, she reached land at sunset. She was very tired, however, the singing of the birdshelped to comfort her.
Tē noꞌo ra ꞌoki i runga i taua motu tētaꞌi tangata, ko Tūrāi ꞌoki tōna ingoa. Kua ꞌaere rāua ko tāna tamaiti nā te pae tai ē kua kite atu rāua i taua vaꞌine i te noꞌo tū ꞌuaꞌanga i te tapatapa o te tai. Kua ꞌakakite mai aia i te tumu i tae mai ei aia ki runga i taua motu, ē kua arataki atu rāua i aia ki te ngutuꞌare ē kua utuutu meitaki i aia.
There lived on that islet a man called Turai. He was walking with his son on the beach when they saw the woman sitting up at the edge of the beach. She told them the reason she ended up on the islet, so they took her home with them and looked after her well.
Kia pou te rua epetoma i tō rātou noꞌoꞌanga, kua ꞌānau mai tēia vaꞌine. ꞌE māꞌanga tamāroa tāna ngā pēpe, ē kua tapa i tō rāua ingoa ko Tū; nō tāna tāne ꞌakaipoipo tētaꞌi, nō te tangata i ꞌākonoꞌia ai aia tētaꞌi. ꞌE noꞌoꞌanga mataora tikāi tō rātou i runga i taua motu, ē kia tae ki te pakariꞌanga o tēia ngā tamariki, kua ꞌirinaki tikāi rāua ē, ko tō rāua metua-tane ꞌānau tēia.
After two weeks of them staying together the woman gave birth. She had twin boys, and she named one after her husband Tu, and the other after the man that looked after her. They lived a happy life on the islet and when the twins grew up, they thought the man was their biological father.
Kua tupu te manamanatā ki a rāua i tētaꞌi rā i tō rātou
A problem happened to them one day when they
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ꞌaereꞌanga ki te ꞌakateretere paꞌī-kīkau i taꞌatai. Nō te tere i te paꞌī-kīkau o tō rāua tuakana, kua pēꞌi rāua i te paꞌī ki te toka ē kua papaki i a Puꞌera. Kua auē tō rāua tuakana ē kua ꞌoki atu kua ꞌakakite ki te metua. I reira, kua tupu te manako kino ki te metua ē kua ꞌakakite aia ki tēia tamaiti kia amoamo i tēia ngā tamariki ē, kāre ē ko ia tō rāua metua.
Went sailing coconut canoes at the beach. Because their older brothers canoe is so fast, they threw the canoe with a stone and slapped Puera. He cried their older brother and went and told his father. This is when the father came up with an idea which is bad, to tell the twins lies he is not their father.
Kua tupu ꞌakaꞌou tēia tū ki a rātou i te rua o te rā; ē, i taua rā, kua ꞌōpara rāua i tō rāua tuakana ki roto i te tai. I reira,kua auē tēia tuakana ē kua ꞌoro ki uta ma te kāpiki mai, “Kua karanga mai taku pāpā ē, kāre ē ko ia tō kōrua metua; ꞌe pāpā kē rāi tō kōrua!”
This also happened on the second day; so on that day, they pushed their older brother into the sea. He cried, and ran to the beach and called, “My father said, he is not your father; you two have a different father!”
Kua ꞌakamā a Tū mā ē kua auē ꞌaere atu ki kō i tō rāua māmā ma te pati atu ki aia kia ꞌakakite mai ē ko ꞌai tikāi tō rāua metua-tāne. Kua papa te māmā i tō rāua kāpuaꞌanga mai ē kua riro te reira ꞌei vai-puꞌipuꞌi ki roto i te ngākau o tēia ngā tamariki.
Tu and his brother were embarrassed and cried all the way to their mum to ask her who is their real father. Their mother gave the history of their family and this became a thorn in the two boys heart.
I tō rāua pakariꞌanga, kua ꞌaere atu rāua ki te ꞌipukarea o tō rāua ngā metua i te kimi i tō rāua metua-tāne. Kua tano atu rāua ki te kāinga tikāi o tō rāua metua, ē kua ꞌaꞌaki rāua i te ꞌara ꞌakaperepereꞌia a tō rāua tuaꞌine.
As they grew older, they went to visit the island of their parents to find their father. They got to the house which belongs to their house, and they picked the bandanas fruit that their sister holds dearly.
Kia ꞌakarongo a Tū i tā rāua tarotaroꞌanga nō runga i tō rāua tupuꞌanga, kua kite aia ē nāna tikāi tēia ngā tamariki.
When Tu their father heard their story of their upbringing, he knew that these are his children.
ꞌE tēia ꞌoki tā rāua papaꞌanga:
This is their family tree:
ꞌĀnau ake i a Kosi - Kosi was born
Kosi ꞌea? Who is Kosi?
Kosi Moeana. Ko tō māua tupuna ia, ko Kosi. Kosi Moeana. This is our ancestor, Kosi.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Tū – Tu was born
Tū ꞌea? Who is Tu?
Tū Tekorona. Ko tō māua ia metua, ko Tū. Tu Tekorona. This is our father, Tu.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Rei – Rei was born
Rei ꞌea? Who is Rei?
Rei Sikinamai. Ko tō maua ia metua-vaꞌine, ko Rei. Rei Sikanamai. This is our mother, Rei.
ꞌĀnau ake i a Sina – Sina was born
Sina ꞌea? Who is Sina?
Sina Urukaikai. Ko tō māua ia tuaꞌine, ko Sina. Sina Urukaikai. This is our sister, Sina.
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Kua ꞌakaue atu rāua i tō rāua metua kia taꞌu i tētaꞌi aꞌi maꞌata ē kia titiri i te vaꞌine tāna i ꞌapai mai ki roto i taua aꞌi ra, nō te mea, ꞌe tuputupuā te reira nō te moana, ꞌe atua nō te punga i roto i te tai.
They made their father prepare a big fire to throw the woman that he brought from the sea into the fire because, she is a giant of the ocean, the god of waste in the sea.