Fijian Green Color, Healing and Language Around the World
Dictionary Poetry and Found Poem from the Island of Fiji and the Fijian Language.
Ruru Times
In Fijian spoken in the Pacific islands
“cadra” is to rise
said of the sun, moon or stars
means just appearing
to appear or happen suddenly
as a plant sprouting
peace in a time of war
“na icadracadra ni siga”
describes the dawn of sunrise
“Igadigadi” is a place to relax
or pass the time peacefully
while “maravu” describes a calm and peaceful sea
ruru is a calm or peaceful sea or wind
and the easing of pain or sickness
may we find “ruru” in these times
Sautū Enough For Peace
In some societies peace
a metaphorical commodity
enough food to share
plenty of food for peace
or for a peace offering
In Bauan Fijian or Feejeean
spoken on Fiji
there is a word for peace
and plenty “sautū”
“Soro” is to sue for peace
to humble one’s self
and present something
May we each have
“sautū”
peace and plenty enough
to have peace
And “tikolò”
to be silent
to have enough sense to hold one’s peace
to hold back the words
not needed for peace
Topic(s) of this poem: peace, peace day, peaceful, silence, world peace Form: Prose Poem A dictionary peace poem on Fiji or Bauan Fijian or Feejeean who call the Magellinic Clouds “hearth of peace and plenty.’
Peace Verbs
Find nothing in ancient
or modern languages analogous
to the different forms of the Fijian verb
especially the different terminations
for in the reduplications
and partly reduplicated forms
and those which express causation and intensity
we have something very similar
to a world away’s Hebrew
Before and After Fijian Peace
“Sauvatu” a stone set up
or marked as a “tabu” or restricted food
“Sausauvatu” or “sauvinaka”
at peace
peaceably
not at war
“Sauvoce” to take the bark off .
ai Sauvola, a doko ; s au with broad
flat ends for beating down reeds
in clearing grounds .
Beckoning Peace
In Fijian “vakatabatabataki”
means to beckon peace
or to hold peace
“soro” is to sue for peace
Think about your hands, what kind of signal or movement would you make if you were trying to beckon peace or hold it or sue for it?
Fijian Green
In Fijian there is a word “bativou”
for a person who prefers green fruit
rather than fruit fully mature
“vou” is new and by extension “bativou”
a person attracted to those younger
often said of men attracted to a younger woman
Another word “Mata drokadroka” suggests a fresh gleaming face
a baby-face or youthful countenance
while “matadrokadroka” is also queasy
sickly green faced
“Drokadroka” the color green
describes vegetation and sometimes fish
but not water or the sea
means green or uncured firewood
following a tradition
Fijians names of colors always associated
with specific objects
“Kara-karawa” blue things
the sky, the sea, fish
as in “sa karakarawa na draki”
a relatively cloudless day with a blue sky
formerly meant either blue or green
inspired by the color of light
bouncing from Fiji parrots
depends on the viewing angle
“Drokadroka” used for the abstract color of green
mainly plants
“karakarawa” a species of edible parrot fish
blue and green as implied by the name
Chlorurus sordidus
Topic(s) of this poem: colors, environment, healing Form: Prose Poem
Originally published at https://www.poemhunter.com on April 3, 2020.
