The Fiji Times

Na Viti Taimi (The Fiji Times)

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1-8-69 Au nanuma lesu koi au (The year was 1869)

Na Viti Taimi e duri kina mai Ovalau (The Fiji Times was establishe­d on Ovalau)

Se ravuravu voli kina na itutuvi kuta nei Radi ni Bau (T’was still when Cakobau wielded the club)

Ni vo e lima na yabaki me qai taura o Ranadi Sau. (Five years before Fiji’s cessation)

O Misi Qirivini ni se tiko voli e Viti (George Griffiths was in Fiji)

Tauyavutak­a mai Levuka nona bisinisi (He started his business in Levuka)

Me taba ivola me kacivaka o domoi Viti (A newspaper to be the voice of Fiji)

E na tiki ni vale ni volavola nei Misi Kini. (Located beside Mr Kean’s office)

Suva Taimi e dua na veva au nanuma (The Suva Times is another paper I remember)

E dau tu voli e Viti ni se qai tekivu o Suva (Was establishe­d when Suva was made capital) Miramira ni Katudrau band (1965)

Wesitani Pasivika e dau tabaki tu mai Levuka (The Western Pacific was establishe­d in Levuka)

Sa na qai cokovata me Viti Taimi vakadua (It was merged to form The Fiji Times)

Sa torocake tiko na nona bula me kaukauwa

(The company grew in strength)

Me tauyavutak­a tale na Positovesi e Levuka

(It begins a post office in Levuka)

E volitaka na sitaba se na ivola e na veivanua (Sold stamps and letters throughout Fiji)

Ni vakarewa na kuila me qai sogota na matanituya. (Up until cession when it was wound down by government)

Sa votu e dai e Viti na yabaki me kilai (The years have since passed)

Me dua na senituri na nona kunekune voli mai (A century since its establishm­ent)

Sa na qai vakasucu na marama e se yalowai (Before another newspaper emerged)

O Adi Nai Lalakai me dau takitaki voli mai (It’s name was Lady Nai Lalakai)

Nai Lalakai me’u tukuna mada me macala

(Let me describe what the Lalakai is )

Ni rairai levu sara na lewe i Viti era lecava

(Since many in Fiji do not know)

Oqori na nodra veleti ra dau talitaliya na tukada (It is a traditiona­l serving platter used by forefather­s)

Me veleti ni magiti ni nodra takitaki na marama (in which women would bear food on)

Sa tini sa vinaka Ratu Ravuama Vunivalu

(In the end thank you Ratu Ravuama Vunivalu *First editor of Nai Lalakai)

Na nomu digitaki au me bau nanumi tale a yacaqu (For making my name known)

Me’u takitaki tiko ina vei yatu yanuyanu

(That I may be a source of delicacy/informatio­n to every island)

O au a bui nei Viti a noqu bula sa rui balavu

(I am an old lady of Fiji, I have lived so long)

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