Last Word
These are only 12 …well, 11 (plus 1 extra)… out of over 400 alagaupu that my grandfather recorded in his notebook. I’ll work on sharing more of them with you in upcoming posts – but yes, I may have to save my most favourites for myself and the lauga that I will put together… someday lol.
Apparently, like many other tulafale (talking chiefs), my grandfather used to recite these alagaupu over and over to himself as he went about his day, constructing and memorizing lauga in his head.
Ever see an old Samoan man talking to himself? That’s probably what he’s doing, too :).
The meanings I’ve given these alagaupu here are based on how my uncle and his matai peers use these expressions in their own lauga, but language is pliable.
Your own understanding of these alagaupu might be completely different from ours, and just as correct.
Would love to see your own interpretations – and any other alagaupu you might want to share – in the comments.
x
I’ve read and am in total awe of your Grandfather’s eloquence.
Thank you so much for sharing your Grandfather’s wisdom.
Love and Blessings.
My grandfather was only a gatherer of Samoan wisdom 🙂
Thank you, Victoria
Is there a english translated version of the tusi faalupega?
I DONT KNOW HAHAHAHA
Aha, that 400+ alagaupu book is starting to flow, nicely done. You are a natural writer/communicator, probably like your grandfather. Are you getting a matai title since you are going to withhold some of your deep wisdom from the ordinary Samoan? .LOL.
Nice of you to share your family’s treasures.. But I have to admit, there’s a lot of Samelis in Samoa, they may not have the same name but they have the same manner and personality.. LOL
It only took a hundred years but I eventually got around to this post.. I need to find an alagaupu about procrastination *sigh* lol..
Thank you for your (somewhat uncharacteristically) kind words 😀 I’m not getting a matai title any time soon, but I gotta put at least a few of those alagaupu bullets away just in case. You just never know when the extra ammunition will come in handy..lol
Oh wait… is keeping the good stuff for myself just me being Sameli?
😮
Number 11 can be more easily summarised as seeing is believing. 😁
Its ok, e kuai kuai ae ka ke ma’oga ai..LOL..
hahaha…choooohoooo!! uncharacteristically kind words?.. you mean I may not be truthful?..hahaha.. Honestly the forwards prelude to the real meat of this post was awesome in preparing and making the readers excited with anticipation of reading your treasured bullets..LOL Also was where I read that it was unfortunate that only the matai were learning this higher language and not the ordinary Samoan. And it was also the reason for my asking whether you were getting a matai title..hahaha
But as far as being Sameli, only you can answer that question..LOL.. Nah! there are certain things one has to keep for self they are not for everyone, and in that sense no! I don’t think so. You are not Sameli, unless you are worry that the server might give you a smaller portion than what others are getting..or run out before your turn..hahaha
Hahaha @ kuai kuai ae aua e ke popole, e ke fiu e ai 😂😂😂. I think that’s the perfect alagaupu for all my procrastinations lollll.
Eh! ka fia ‘ai..LOL
Hhhhhh
Hi,
Tryn think of a name for our baby boy something starts with Tautua?or Faaoga?
Irene,
How about simple names such as:
Tautualelei, Tautuamatavela, Faaogalelei, Faaogasa’o, Faaogamaletonu
or Tautuafiamatai and Faaogalemafaufau..LOL
Hi Irene… I don’t know what your level of Samoan language understanding is, so just want to give you a heads up – JJW has given you some great name ideas, but don’t use his last 2 suggestions. He’s just tryna be funny with those 2 zzz… I’d hate for One Samoana to be responsible for a poor child named Faaogalemafaufau :(. Lol.
Thanks for sharing HGG! CherryK here n still living in Samoa! 😁 Ive heard a few of those alagaupu’s and the others will come in handy!
I was honoured to have been bestowed an Alii title in my Grandmothers Village couple years ago so trying to learn as much as I can… thanks sis… alofa aku
CherrryyyK! So nice to see a familiar name in the comments 🙂 Woww congratulations on the title. Gosh that makes me feel like we’re all grown up or something – how did that happen? Lol. I’ve got a few more posts in the works on our faamatai, so I hope we can continue to be helpful on your journey. Much alofas, sista x
Thank You Hamogeekgirl!
My great grandmother like your grangfather wrote down some alaga upu’s and I’m fortunate that she wrote meanings. Thank you for your heart in wanting to share. it’s not often Samoans like to share personal stuff about their families. Fa’afetai tele lava!
Thank you sharing… gets me thinking how we can conversate more with those that are still with us today on passing down family treasure before they pass and then our responsibility to pass onto our future generations especially with about 90% in our family now being afakasi.
Hi HGG and everyone else that will come to read this,
It never ceases to amaze me what one can unearth on the internet given; a) a substantial amount of free time on their hands and b) being stubborn (tenacious) enough to filter through every webpage search for the word “alagaupu”.
Welp, let’s just say I hit the jackpot.
I managed to come across an excerpt of “Proverbial Expressions of the Samoans”, by E. Schultz, on the Journal of the Polynesian Society website. I was initially overjoyed at the discovery but then disheartened that it was only an excerpt as this is the most comprehensive publication I have seen to date on the subject of alagupu and muagagana but I found the other excerpts on the site. Sure, it isn’t handwritten or painstakingly obtained through any hard work and experience or handed down through generational lines but it is extremely detailed with origins and even cultural insights. Please find the links below:
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_58_1949/Volume_58,_No._4/Proverbial_expressions_of_the_Samoans,_by_E._Schultz,_p_139-184/p1
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_59_1950/Volume_59,_No._1/Proverbial_expressions_of_the_Samoans,_by_E._Schultz,_p_35-62/p1
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_59_1950/Volume_59,_No._2/Proverbial_expressions_of_the_Samoans,_by_E._Schultz,_p_112-134/p1
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_59_1950/Volume_59,_No._3/Proverbial_expressions_of_the_Samoans,_by_E._Schultz,_p_207-231/p1
http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_60_1951/Volume_60,_No._1/Proverbial_expressions_of_the_Samoans,_by_E._Schultz,_p_1-21/p1
Please share this with everyone and anyone that is interested in this subject. Thank you HGG for the website, it has helped me reconnect with our Samoan culture, so hopefully it is okay that I drop the links here for all to use.
E lelei le Atua, ia tatou faʻafetai ia te Ia ona o Lona alofa.
Manuia i le su’esu’ega!
Welp, don’t I feel foolish – just saw that HGG already commented on E. Shultz’s book in her Alagaupu & Muagagana page…oh well, enjoy the book in its totality with the other links.
Lol… thank you, though, for pointing out that book / link again. It’s really an amazing resource – and a reminder to me that at least some of our ‘scary’ European colonisers did good things for us.
x
You’re welcome HGG, it really is amazing what can be found on the web. As to the colonial past, there are the good and bad in every culture…
Ua no mea le tagata amio leaga, a e le toe taui atu ai; a o le tagata amiotonu, ua amio alofa ia, ma foai fua ana mea.
Salamo 37:21
I really enjoyed reading this – it was awesome.
Thank you for sharing our cultural knowledge.
I know that some of us have heard of these alagā’upu and muāgagana but unable to understand and apply them to several scenarios.. but it is an honour to research on their meanings, not only it will help others, but it will contribute more in my own cultural understanding of such..
I believe that my father, Rev. Siaosi Leleimalefaga will help me through this.. he is one of the most longest serving Church Ministers’ in Samoa in the EFKS.. was also a School Principal at Leulumoega Fou College!!
Will keep in touch..but thanks again to the initiator.. God bless your soul my dear..
Manuia faasausauga o lenei po..
You are welcome… you are blessed to have the help of your father. x
Thank you Hamogeekgirl, Malo fa’afetai for sharing these gems of our wonderful language. I too am learning about how beautiful how culture is and the Matai oratory Language which Ive started taking up with PEC free Fa’atai bilingual classes and its just absolutely amazing … Keep up the great work in sharing and spreading the love for our culture and esp our language so it can be pass down to the next generators lol Malo lava le ogosai. God Bless you and God Bless Samoa!! Alofa aku.
Hi there,
I loved your post thank you so much for sharing.
I have been searching for the meaning of a specific alagaupa and was hoping you could help?
E toa e le loto, a e pa le noo
Which in understand to translate too “strong in the heart, but broken in the back” and refers to a man whose will is stronger than his body.
My question is what lesson is this used to teach and what are the intended implications of this proverb? And what instances in speech would this be used?
I apologize for the long question but would be so grateful for your help!
Riley, I am literally in the middle if writing a blog post that will answer your questions about how any alagaupu is interpeted (for lessons) and used in a lauga. I hope you don’t mind me mentioning you in that post.
The short answer is: it means whatever a creative orator wants it to.
[edit]
Okay, just looking at your alagaupu properly.. First, it should probably read ‘e toa le loto’ (no second ‘e’), which means the heart/will is strong. ‘e toa E le loto’ doesn’t make sense.
Second, this line comes from the English language saying, ‘the spirit is willing but the body is weak’…but the wording of it in Samoan (how it’s phrased here) is a lot more derogatory. ‘pa le noo’ is literally referring to diarrhea.
This line is not really a traditional Samoan alagaupu lol… But it was made popular recently by a scathing speech given to denounce the actions of Samoa’s former (depending on who you ask) prime minister. His own priest – who loves him like a son – was stongly encouraging him to step down from office because the election is done and he lost. As far as I know, this prime minister still refuses to give up.
I’m interested to know now how you found this ‘alagaupu’ :). I hope you’re not planning to use it too often…
Or do. It’s funny :).
All new i need my faleo’o back
shoole still kicking lol
Faps.
Ua mai?
🙂
Hiiii