"Though all translators may be traitors, the duty of translation has at least the merit that it forces decisions about meanings, provisional though they may have to be. A historian writing in his own language may quote an ancient text as general evidence for his argument without really explaining it or elucidating its technical terms. But when such a passage has to be translated into another language it is no longer possible to proceed in this way." (Needham 3)

I have chosen to start my translations of the rongorongo texts with the day calendar mainly for these reasons:

1. The day should be familiar enough for us to understand even if the calendar artist is far removed from us both in space and time.

2. It is one of the very few texts of which I am certain about the general contents.

3. It is a text which is given in four versions, all complete without glyphs missing or partly destroyed.

Now, after having painstakingly investigated all four texts - allowing my imagination to have free reins - it is time to draw conclusions. At this point my imagination must be held in check, no step taken which might be wrong.

Given that I have correctly identified these four parallel texts as calendars for the day, then it is evident that we can confidently start by documenting this:

 

glyph type components meaning
sun (at least from noon onwards)
hetu'u1)
sun eating (i.e. growing)
hetu'u kai2)
a.m. sun eating and forcing the sky roof up
hetu'u3) hua4) toko5) kai

The name (given by me) of a glyph type is not arbitrary, often fetched from the words of Metoro and often pointing to a possible Polynesian reading. But such a name should not be used as a way of translating the glyph type in question. Instead these names are 'word labels' to make it easier to discuss the glyph types.

 

1) The Rapanui word hetu'u means both star and planet, whereas for the sun the word Raá is used (although of course the sun is also a star - and a 'planet' = moving 'star').

2) There exists another distinct type of glyph with arm and hand  ('rima')

which shows also the thumb, but there is no such similar type of glyph without thumb. Therefore the three-fingered hand (without thumb) turned inwards must be a significant part of the kai type of glyph, a person sitting and eating.
3) The young sun has not the standard 6 flames because the hua part interferes.
4) The hua part of the glyph indicates 'fruit' etc, i.e. the young generation.
5) The toko (te ragi) part of the glyph shows a stylized arm and hand used to indicate a kind of 'pillar' pushing up the sky ('Sky Propper').

These are the only results from the investigation of the day calendar which my critical mode of thinking is prepared to accept as valid, at least for the moment.

Axiom: These four parallel sequences of glyphs represent a day calendar.

Drawn conclusions: See above.

Method: Aristotelian logic is not possible to use here. Instead what I call Chinese logic is necessary (and sufficient):

"In labouring to apprehend (lit. exhaust) patterns fully, we are not necessitated to attempt an exhaustive and complete research into the patterns of all the myriad phenomena in the world. Nor can we attain our aim by fully apprehending only a single one of these patterns. It is simply necessary to accumulate (lit. pile up and tie together, chi lei) a large number (of phenomena). Then (the patterns) will become visible spontaneously." (The Chhêng brothers according to Needham 3)

Strictly seen, this axiom (and every other axiom too) is just a component part of cyclical (not circular) reasoning. The conclusions from an axiom have already taken part in the process of electing the axiom among all possible such candidates.

Furthermore, the conclusions drawn above are - strictly seen - not exclusively dependent upon the axiom and rules of reasoning (including the accumulation of a large number of 'phenomena'), because there will always be more 'phenomena' behind the conclusions than those which I have put forward.

Although I have tried to put everything on the table, tried to exhaust the day calendar glyphs, I have found that it is not possible (as the Chhêng brothers also said) to exhaust anything. Therefore, we need vigilance. Because no axiom and no conclusion is absolute. New 'phenomena' must be accepted, not denied.