Founga Naʻe Maʻu ai ʻe ʻEmelī Lisiate ha “Meʻa Ke Ne Lea ʻAkí”

ʻĪmisi

article on Emily Richards

Ne kaka hake ʻa ʻEmelī Lisiate ki he tuʻunga malanga fāsiʻí ʻi he Fakataha Fakafonua ki he Totonu ʻa e Houʻeiki Fafiné ke Filí ʻi he kolomuʻa ʻo ʻAmeliká, Uāsingatoni, D.C. Naʻá ne ʻilo ko e taha ʻeni ʻo e ngaahi aʻusia mahuʻinga taha ʻi heʻene moʻuí. Ko e taʻu 1889 ia, pea naʻe lahi ʻaupito hono tālangaʻi e ngaahi tefito ʻo e totonu ʻa e houʻeiki fafiné ke fili ʻi ʻIutaá pea mo e mali tokolahí. Neongo ne manavasiʻi ʻa ʻEmelī, ka naʻá ne ongoʻi mateuteu ke lea ʻo fakafofongaʻi hono koló, tuʻunga ko e fefiné pea mo e tui fakalotú.

Naʻe pehē ʻe ha maʻuʻanga fakamatala ʻe taha, “Ne ʻi ai e manavasiʻi ʻe ʻikai lava ʻe he finemui mei ʻIutá ke ongo atu ʻene lea ki he fuʻu holo kotoa—ne ʻikai lava ia ʻe he kau lea kehé—ka ki heʻenau ʻohovalé mo e fiefiá, ne ongo hono leʻo mahinó ki he tafaʻaki mamaʻo taha ʻo e falé, pea ko ʻene lea ko ha ikuna ne lava ke fakamoʻoniʻi.”¹

Neongo ʻoku ʻikai ha lekooti ʻo e meʻa ne lea ʻaki ʻe ʻEmelī ʻi he ʻaho ko iá, ka naʻe lipooti hake ʻe ha faiongoongo ʻe taha naʻá ne lea ʻi ha haafe houa nai. Naʻá ne fakahoko ha “ako maau mo fakapoto” ʻa ia naʻá ne ʻohake ai e ngaahi moʻoni mo e ngaahi fakakaukau ʻokú ne “veteki e loto fakamāú.” Naʻe hoko atu e tokotaha faiongoongó ʻo pehē ne maʻu ʻe he ngaahi lea ʻa ʻEmelií ha “laumālie angamalū” naʻá ne fakamolū ha ngaahi loto lahi ʻi he ʻaho ko iá ki he vahefonua ʻo ʻIutaá.²

Ka neongo ia, kuo ʻikai pōtoʻi lea maʻu pē ʻa ʻEmelī ia. Naʻá ne manatuʻi hano ʻoange ʻe ʻIlisa R. Sinou, ʻa ia ne hoko ko e Palesiteni Lahi ʻo e Kau Fineʻofá he taimi ko iá, ha faleʻi kiate ia: “Ko e fuofua taimi naʻe kole mai ai ʻa [Sisitā Sinou] ke u lea ʻi ha fakatahaʻangá, ne ʻikai ke u lava, peá ne pehē mai, ‘Sai pē ia, ka ʻi he taimi ʻe toe kole atu ai ke ke fakahoko ha leá, feinga pē ke ʻi ai ha meʻa ke ke lea ʻaki.’”³

Naʻe toʻo ʻe ʻEmelī e faleʻi ko ʻení ki hono lotó mo fakapapauʻi te ne mateuteu ke lea ʻi he taimi ʻe fie maʻu ai ke ne fakahoko ha leá. Hangē ko ʻEmelī Lisiaté, kuo pau ke tau mateuteu ʻi he taimi kotoa pē ke “fakaava [hotau] ngutú” (Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 60:2) ʻo talaki e folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá.