The Bible’s Creation Story is fundamental to the Christian faith. Because it is so well-known, it’s a great tool for learning a new language. Here’s a simplified version of the Creation Story in Samoan, with audio and English translations. When you’re done reading, do our quick vocabulary quiz at the end to see how well you’re picking up new Samoan words.
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.
O le Amataga o le Lalolagi | The Beginning of the World
I le amataga, na faia e le Atua le lagi ma le lalolagi. Na pogisā le lalolagi ma ua gaogao, peitai, na fetalai mai le Atua, “Ia malamalama.” Ona malamalama ai lea.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was dark and empty, but then God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light..
Ua silasila atu le Atua i le malamalama, ua lelei. Ona tu’u eseese ai lea e le Atua le malamalama ma le pouliuli, ua fa’aigoa e ia le malamalama, o le Ao; a ua fa’aigoa e ia le pouliuli, O le Po. O le afiafi ma le taeao o le ulua’i aso lea.
And God saw the light and that it was good. Then God divided the light from the darkness, and he called the light, ‘Day’ and the darkness he called Night. That evening and morning were the first day.
O le aso lona lua, na faia e le Atua le va nimonimo – o le lagi. Ua va a’i vai i lalo o le va nimonimo, ma vai i luga o le va nimonimo. Ua fa’aigoa e ia le va nimonimo, O le lagi.
On the second day, God created a firmament – the sky. It separated the waters below the sky from the waters above the sky. He called this sky, Heaven.
Ua fetalai mai foi le Atua, ia potopoto fa’atasi o vai i lalo o le lagi i le mea e tasi. Ua ia fa’aigoa lea, O le Sami, Ua fetalai mai foi le Atua, Ia iloa foi le eleele matutū. Ona fa’apea lea. Na ia fa’aigoa le eleele matutū, O le Eleele. Ona fetalai mai lea o le Atua, Ia tupu le vao mu’a mai le eleele, ma le la’au afu e tupu ma ona fua, e fua mai e taitasi ma lona uiga, o ia te ia lava o ona fatu i luga o le ele’ele, i le ua faapea lava. O le afiafi ma le taeao o le aso tolu lea.
Then, God gathered together the waters under the heaven into one place. He called this the sea. And God said, “Let there be dry land.” And it was so. He called this dry land, earth. And from the earth, God brought forth grass, herbs, fruit trees – all with seeds so they could reproduce. That evening and morning were the third day.
O le aso lona fā, na fetalai mai le Atua, Ia i ai i le va nimonimo o le lagi o mea e malamalama a’i, e iloga ai le ao ma le po; e fa’amalamalama a’i le lalolagi; i le ua faapea lava. Ona faia lea e le Atua o malamalama tetele e lua; o le malamalama tele – o le la – e pule i le ao, a o le malamalama itiiti – o le masina – e pule i le po. Ua silasila atu i ai le Atua, ua lelei.
On the fourth day, God said, Let there be lights in the heavens, to divide the day from night and to give light to the earth. And he made two great lights – the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night. And God saw that all the things he made were good.
O le aso lona lima, ua faia foi e le Atua o tanimo tetele ma mea ola uma e fetolofi – ma mea e tutupu i le sami, ma manu felelei i luga o le eleele ma le va nimonimo. Ona faamanuia atu i ai lea e le Atua, ua faapea atu, Ia uluola ma ia tupu tele, ma ia tumu ai le sami. Ia tupu tele foi manu felelei i le laueleele. Ona fetalai mai lea o le Atua, Ia tutupu mea ola mai le laueleele, taitasi ma lona uiga, o manu vaefa fanua, ma mea fetolofi, manu vaefa o le vao, e taitasi ma lona uiga, i le ua faapea lava.
On the fifth day, God created great whales and every living creature that moves – in the waters and in the sky. And God blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the sea and fill the sky. And then God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures, too – cattle, creeping things and other beasts of the earth, and it was so.
Ona faia lea e le Atua, o le tagata i lona faatusa, ua faia o i laua o le tane ma le fafine. Na ia tuuina i ai ia pule foi i laua i i’a i le sami ma manu felelei, ma manu vaefa ma le laueleele uma, atoa ma mea fetolofi uma e fetolofi i le eleele. Ua faamanuia foi e le Atua ia te i la’ua ma ua fetalai atu ia fanafanau ia ma ia uluola ma ia tumu ai le lalolagi. Ua silasila atu le Atua i mea uma ua na faia, faauta foi, ua matua lelei lava, O le afiafi ma le taeao o le aso ono lea.
Finally, God created a man in his own image, and a woman as well. And he gave them dominion over the fishes of the sea, the fowl of the air and every living thing on earth. And he blessed this man and woman and told them to be fruitful, to multiply and replenish the earth. And God saw that everything he had made was very good. And that evening and morning were the sixth day.
Ona malolo ai lea o le Atua i le aso lona fitu.
On the seventh day, God rested.
This Bible story was adapted by Lilieni and translated by Taimalietane Siioloa Arp, who also voices it in this audio. Music from https://www.bensound.com/.
More Bible Stories
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.
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.
O le Amataga o le Lalolagi | The Creation Story
How many Samoan words did you pick up from this story? See how you go in this quiz.