Ko Nga Moteatea, Me Nga Hakirara O Nga Maori

KO TE TANGI A TE IKAHERENGUTU, MO ANA TAMARIKI, I MATE TAUA ETAHI, I MATE KONGENGE ETAHI

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9

KO TE TANGI A TE IKAHERENGUTU, MO ANA TAMARIKI, I MATE TAUA ETAHI, I MATE KONGENGE ETAHI.*

Nei ka noho, kapakapa tu ana, te tau o taku manawa
Ki a aku tamariki.
E tia, tenei au, e tama ma, ko te aitanga a Tane, e tuohu i uta ra.
E piko nei,
Me te mamaku,
Ki a aku tamariki.
Kei whea ra? e, te tamaiti, i karangatia ai,
“Nau mai, e tama.”
Ka riro ra ia, i te taiheke nui.

Ka noho, tenei au, e tama ma, i runga i te kahui papa,
Papa mania;
Papa tahia;
Tahia rawatia;
Kei ai he titiro i te ra, e tu iho nei;
Te maunga, e tu mai ra;
Ki te hau-kainga, i whakaarohatia mai, e te konohi tonga.

Tenei, me ruru, ki te whare,
Na Whiro-te-tupua;
Kei te wareware, taku ngakau,
Nga hanga a te rau;
Mei kaia ranei, te marama? i mate ai.
Mei kaia ranei, te pari? i horo ai.
Nga huri nei? i pirau ai,
Mei taua mea, ka ruru nga atua, ki a tatou,
Ka ngaro, i te ngaro, a te moa.

10

Ko te rau kau ’no, te whakawaia ana, ki te whanau a Pani,
A Rongotau,
Nana, te kahui kura,
Nga taonga whakamanamana, e tama ma, a o kuia
Aua atu, ko tawhiti,
Naku pea, koutou koi tiki atu, ki Hawaiki,
Ahu mai ai,
Ka tupu koutou, hei tangata;
Ka ranga e o tupuna nga hau o te Po
O te pukupuku,
O te tau mate.
Hoki mai no ana, ki te pukai, wheo ai.

I tohia ai, koe,
Ki te tohi, o Tutorohakina,
O Tu-te-nganahau;
Kia karo riri, tama,
Kia karo nguha,
Kia karo patu;
Kei te whakahira koe,
I te riri kaiapa, na o matua, ki roto Kairau:
Kia ruku atu koe,
Te ruku, a te Kawau,
Ka ea to ika, he haku, no te moana uri.
Ka ko, o rongo, i runga Haumatao;
E uia mai koe, e nga whenua,
“ Ko te tama a wai ?”
Ka toa, ka rangona,
Ka tu, i te ihu o te waka, ka rangona;
Ka amohia, te iwi, ka tiketike ki runga;
Koia, patu apiti,
Te kiri kai-mata;

Kihai, taku tamaiti, i waiho e au, i roto Ngaengae,
Ki’ whakaata koe, e Totara i ahua, ki te pu whakakeko;
Ki’ tere matoru, koutou, ko matua, ki roto Manukau;
Ekore, au e mihi
Atu, ki a koutou.

* This lament, said to have been originally composed by Te Ika-here-ngutu, was sung by Te Wherowhero, on the death of his brother kati, or George Grey. It is always sung by the aged chiefs if many members of their family die.

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Title: Ko Nga Moteatea, Me Nga Hakirara O Nga Maori

Author: George Grey

Publication details: The Honorable Robert Stokes, 1853, Wellington

Part of: New Zealand Texts Collection

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence