Mikimiki

COUNTRY: Cook Islands
LANGUAGE: Tahitian

A Tahitian langauge song from the Cook Islands. The mikimiki tree is one of the strongest and tallest to grow on the atolls of the large Tuāmotu Archipelago, which is part of French Polynesia. When there is a strong storm people gather under the mikimiki tree for shelter.

Original lyrics:
Te mikimiki, ‘āriāna ‘oe, pātiri teie e haruru nei
E horo tāua i raro a’e i teie tumu mikimiki
‘A, ‘a, ‘auē, ‘āriāna ‘oe, pātiri teie e haruru nei
‘A, ‘a, ‘auē, ‘āriāna ‘oe, ‘ānapanapa te uira

English Translation:
The mikimiki, we’ll see you soon, here is the thunder striking now
You and I must run under this mikimiki tree
ugh, ugh, ugh, we’ll see you soon, here is the thunder striking now
ugh, ugh, ugh, we’ll see you soon, lightning is sparking

Vocabulary:
Mikimiki = Tuamotuan word for Pemphis acidula ; Tahitians say ‘Ā’ie. This tree is
so important in the Tuāmotu islands that the word is borrowed throughout
French Polynesia. The wood is very strong and the tree is one of the tallest on
atolls.
Pātiri = thunder
Haruru = strike
Tumu = tree
‘Ānapanapa = spark
Uira = lightning

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Te mikimiki when there is thunder, when there is lighting, when there is rain
You give shelter, te mikimiki, so my love and I can meet again

‘A, ‘a, ‘auē, ‘āriāna ‘oe, when there is thunder, mikimiki
‘A, ‘a, ‘auē, ‘āriāna ‘oe, when there is thunder, mikimiki

[wpspoiler name=”Map of the Cook Islands” style=”aatw-map”][mappress mapid=”15″ center=”-21.2, -159.7″ zoom=”9″][/wpspoiler]