Adam and Eve were the first humans God created and they enjoyed an idyllic life in the Garden of Eden… until! It’s highly likely you already know this story, which will help you to understand what’s going on when you read it in Samoan.
Play the audio above and follow along, using the English translations to help you learn. Then practice Samoan vocabulary from this story in the free quiz below.
Atamu ma Eva | Adam and Eve
Ina ua mae’a fausia e le Atua le lalolagi, na Ia faia le tagata mai le efuefu, mānava atu le ola ia te ia ma vala’au o ia o Atamu. Na tu’uina e le Atua Atamu i le Fa’ato’aga i Etena, fa’atasi ma le togāla’au matagofie ma lā’au, ma le tele o manu ‘ese’ese.
After God created the earth, he made a man out of dust, breathed life into him and called him Adam. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden amongst beautiful plants and trees and many different animals.
Na fiafia Atamu i le Fa’atoaga i Etena, ae na le’i umi ae ua fa’anoanoa. Na silafia e le Atua e lē lelei le nofo to’atasi o se tagata, ma i le isi aso, a’o moe Atamu, na to’esea ai e le Atua se tasi o ivi ‘aso’aso o Atamu ma fausia ai le fafine. O le igoa o le fafine o Eva ma na o lā matua fiafia fa’atasi i le fa’ato’aga.
Adam enjoyed the Garden of Eden, but soon he became lonely. God knew that it was not good for a man to be alone, so one day, while Adam was asleep, God took one of his ribs and created a woman. The woman’s name was Eve and she and Adam were very happy together in the garden.
Na ta’u atu e le Atua iā Atamu ma Eva e mafai ona la’ua ‘aia fua o so’o se la’au e manana’o ai i le Fa’ato’aga i Etena vaganā fua o le la’au e tasi. “Afai e te lua ‘aia fua o le la’au fa’asāina,” na fai atu ai le Atua ia lā’ua, “e mai le La’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga, o le ā oulua feoti.”
God told Adam and Eve that they could eat the fruit of any plant they wanted in the Garden of Eden except for the fruit of one tree. “If you eat the forbidden fruit,” God told them, “which is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you will surely die.”
Na usiusita’i Atamu ma Eva i le Atua. Na o lā’ua ‘aia fua o lā’au uma na sili ona o lā fiafia i ai, ae na ō lā’ua le tagofia lava le fua o le Lā’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga. E la te le’i manana’o e feoti.
Adam and Eve obeyed God. They ate the fruit of all their favourite plants and trees, but they did not touch the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did not want to die.
I se tasi aso, na iloa ai se gata i le fa’ato’aga. “E tatau ona e tofoina le fua o le lā’au lea,” fai atu ai le gata. “E suamalie, o se fua e sili le susua.”
One day, a serpent appeared in a grove of trees. “You must taste the fruit of this tree,” the serpent said. “It is the sweetest, most delicious fruit you will ever taste.”
“E lē mafai,” fai atu Eva i le gata. “O le fua lena o le Lā’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga. E fa’asā. Afai ma te ‘aia, o le ā ma feoti.”
“We cannot,” said Eve said to the serpent. “That is the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is forbidden. If we eat it, we will die.”
“Oooo leai, e le sa’o lea!” fai atu le gata. “O le ‘aia o lenei fua o le ā avatu atu ai iā te oe le malamalama o le lalolagi – o le ā e iloa mea uma o lo’o iloa e le Atua. Ma e suamalie. Ia, tofo i ai.”
“Oh no, that is not true!” the serpent said. “Eating this fruit will give you all the knowledge of the world – you will know everything that God knows. And it is delicious. Here, taste it.”
Ina ua mae’a sina taimi, na tago atu Eva i le fua ma ū loa. E sa’o lelei le gata – o se fua sili atu lona suamalie ua ia tofoina. Na ia liliu atu iā Atamu.
After some thought, Eve took the fruit and bit into it. The serpent was right – it was the most delicious fruit she had ever tasted. She turned to Adam.
“Tofo i le fua lea,” fai atu Eva iā Atamu. “O se fua sili ona suamalie i le fa’ato’aga atoa.”
Na fa’aletonu Atamu. “O le fua lea mai le La’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga,” na ia fai atu. “O le fua fa’asāina. Afai ta te ‘aia, o le ā ta feoti.”
“Taste this,” Eve told Adam. “It is the most delicious fruit in this entire garden.”
Adam was troubled. “This is the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” he said. “It is the forbidden fruit. If we eat it, we will die.”
“Ua ou ‘aia,” fai atu Eva ia Atamu. “Va’ai, ou te lē o oti. Ma e matuā suamalie lava.”
Na va’ai atu Atamu i le fua ma tago atu loa ua ū.
Then, “I have eaten it,” Eve told Adam. “Look, I have not died. And it is delicious.”
Adam looked at the fruit and then he took a bite of it.
E le’i pine lava, ae ua iloa loa e Atamu ma Eva, ua lā lē lavalavā ma ua mamā. Na o la’ua ufiufiina loa o lā tino i lau o la’au.
Na o lā’ua fa’alogoina le leo o le Atua ua vala’au mai iā la’ua. Na o lā lalafi mai le Atua, aua ua o lā mamā.
Suddenly, Adam and Eve realized they were both naked and they became ashamed. They covered themselves with fig leaves.
Then they heard the voice of God calling to them. They hid from God because of their shame.
“Atamu,” vala’au atu le Atua. “Aiseā ua lua lalafi ai?”
Na ta’u atu e Atamu i le Atua, ua ia mā auā ua ia le lavalavā. Na ia ta’u atu fo’i i le Atua ua o lā ‘aia ma Eva le fua o le Lā’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga.
Then, “Adam,” God said. “Why have you hidden from me?”
Adam told God that he was ashamed because of his nakedness. He told God that he and Eve had eaten the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
“Na fa’aosoosoina a’u e le fafine,” fai atu Atamu, “ma na fa’asesēina o ia e le gata.”
Na lē fiafia le Atua. Na ia tuli ‘esea le gata mai le Fa’ato’aga i Etena ma na Ia fai atu iā Atamu ma Eva, “talu ai ua oulua lē usiusita’i, o lea o le ā oulua lē toe nonofo ai i le Fa’ato’aga i Etena.”
“I was tempted by the woman,” Adam said, “and she was deceived by the serpent.”
God was disappointed. He cast the serpent out of the Garden of Eden and then he said to Adam and Eve, “Because of your disobedience, you, also, cannot stay in the Garden of Eden”.
“Talu ai ua oulua ‘aina le fua o le Lā’au e Iloa ai le Lelei ma le Leaga, o le ā tuli’esea ai oulua e ō atu i le lalolagi ma o le ā oulua galulue malolosi e totōina ā oulua mea’ai, faia ō oulua lava lavalava ma fausia ō oulua fale. O le oti lea na ou folafolaina atu iā te oulua.”
“Because you have eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you must be cast out into the world where you will have to work hard to grow your own food and make your own clothing and build your own home. This is the death I promised you.”
Na tumu Atamu ma Eva i le fa’anoanoa a’o o lā’ua tu’ua le Fa’ato’aga i Etena, ae na fa’amanuia i lā’ua e le Atua, o le ā o la’ua fanau mai ni fanau i le lalolagi. Na folafola atu foi le Atua o le ā Ia tausia i lā’ua mai lugā, pau le mea e la te faia o le tatalo atu ia te Ia mo se fesoasoani.
Adam and Even were filled with sadness as they left the Garden of Eden, but God blessed them that they would have children in the world. God also promised that He would still take care of them from afar, all they have to do is pray to Him for help.
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Everyone loves Noah’s Ark…and because this Bible story so widely known, it’s easier to follow along with when you read it in a new language. Here’s Noah’s Ark in Samoan for you, with audio and English translations.
It’s the Biblical origin story for the many languages spoken by humans. In the Tower of Babel, people tried to build a tower to help them reach Heaven, but God had a different plan.
How much of Adam and Eve’s story could you follow along with in Samoan? How well did you absorb these words?