Ko e fasi 'o e tu'i 'o e 'Otu Tonga
Encyclopedia
"Ko e fasi o e tui o e Otu Tonga" is the national anthem
of Tonga
. The title literally means "song of the king of the Tonga Islands" in the Tongan language
but is in daily life better known as fasi fakafonua, which translates to "national song". The lyrics of the anthem
were written by Prince Uelingatoni Ngū Tupoumalohi, with the music by Karl Gustavus Schmitt. It was first used in 1874.
:
.gif)
Tongan music of the Tongan anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. The title literally means "song of the king of the Tonga Islands" in the Tongan language
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
but is in daily life better known as fasi fakafonua, which translates to "national song". The lyrics of the anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
were written by Prince Uelingatoni Ngū Tupoumalohi, with the music by Karl Gustavus Schmitt. It was first used in 1874.
Tongan lyrics (modern spelling)
- E otua māfimafi
- ko homau eiki koe
- ko koe ko e falalaanga
- mo e ofa ki Tonga.
- Afio hifo emau lotu
- aia oku mau faí ni
- mo ke tali homau loto
- o malui a Tupou.
English lyrics (literal translation)
- Oh, almighty God!
- You are our Lord,
- It is You, the pillar
- And the love of Tonga.
- Look down on our prayer
- That is what we do now
- And may You answer our wish
- To protect Tupou.
English Lyrics
- Oh almighty God above
- Thou art our lord and sure defense
- As your people, we trust thee
- And our Tonga thou dost love
- Hear our prayer for thou unseen
- We know that thou hath blessed our land
- Grant our earnest supplication
- And save our king Tupou.
Tongan music notation
The music written down in the tuungafasi or Tongan music notationTongan music notation
The Tuungafasi or Tongan music notation is a subset of the standard music notation, originally developed by the missionary James Egan Moulton in the 19th century for singing church hymns in Tonga.- The notation :...
:
Tongan music of the Tongan anthem