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Legends of the Maori

Part VI. — Songs of the Maori

Part VI.
Songs of the Maori

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A Love Ditty

Tenei au kei te take o te rimu see kei te take koriti te manawa e e e.
Here I am at the foot of the rimu where the buds expand with love.
E haha te hau nei? He tonga te hau nei whina te pu kei a hiku tarure, te manawa.
How is the wind? It is the south wind. Then forward the tribe after the tail now loosed.
Tu mai koe tua o te puia tawhiriwhiri mai te ringa, te manawa.
Stand behind the steam of the hot spring and wave your hand, my love, to me.
Pikanga he raenga ka tangi kau atu nei i te huka hoe a te hoa a Warehi, ki te manawa.
Disappearing from my sight round yonder point, I weep in vain as I see the white foam churned by the vanished paddle of Warehi.
Nawai te hoiho e rite mai i Paingaroa? He Muriwai te moko piwa te manawa.
Whose horse is that galloping from Paingaroa? It is Muriwai of most beautiful form, my love.
Homai te pu ki runga tahitia a kia awhinatia ko hine ki te mahue nawa, E tama te mahue nawa.
Give me the gun. I’ll wield it with one hand, and with the other I will embrace my love; Ah yes, my dearest love.

page 232

An Old-Time Love Lilt

Hou paipa hou, hou paipa tawhito, hou paipa kai na te kuare te manawa e e e!
New pipes, all new, new pipes, all old; new pipes that are smoked by the fools!
Hei aha te puuru, hei aha te kereko? Ko te rerehati taku piwa te Manawa e e e!
What care I for blue shirts, what care I for calico? The red shirts are to me more beautiful, O!
Ka tangi piukera ra runga o wairere riringi haere; koia pea te whira, te manawa
The sound of the bugle is heard above the rushing stream, and the graceful willows weep at the sound.
Puke tiketike te puke nei Karewa, iri noake taku aroha te manawa.
The mountain Karewa is a high mountain but my love excels it greatly in height.
E kore au e piukera ki toku nei raiki, kei kiia nei au he rare te manawa:
I will not trumpet forth my affection for her lest I be held to be a fool.
Kia piri kia tata katahi au ka piukera kia whakaronga te ran e pae nei te manawa.
When I near her, when I clasp her fond and true, my love I’ll trumpet forth that the hundreds thronging round may hear and understand.
Pakaru wini whare kapieta i te rae, tohu ake au ko hope iti te manawa.
A broken piece of window glass shone brightly from the river’s bend; we thought it was the beaming eyes of my slender-waisted darling.
E kore rika taku. kai ki Ruato, rika rawa atu ki hope iti te manawa.
I have no relish for food at Ruato, I can only enjoy it in my slim-waisted darling’s presence.
Tika, e kui, e mate nei au e e e mo te tuahine o Rewaiti, te manawa e e e.
Listen, O dame, I am sick unto death for the love I have for the sister of Rewaiti.
Tika, e kui, kehea te rori tika? kei te matarawe ki Tokapuna.
Tell me, O dame, where does the right road lead to? To the happy place of Tokapuna.
page 233 Tika e kui kuatatia koia Taiawa e e e, kei hoki te ranukongu tutahi ko piwariki am o ko manawa e e e.
You are right, dame, to gaze towards Taiawa before the drizzling mist hide the star so beautifully shining and drive its glory away.

page 234

Like Clouds of Smoke Ascending

Auahi-werohia ki Tararu raia kei raro te tane e aroha nei au
Me aha atu hoki he wa moana nui nana i arai kei Paritu ahau kei rangi tawhiti koe.
Rangi te koko e ai haere ana, ore ki te tangata he whakapahcho tonu ta te raumati hanga ka rohe au te waru.
Kauraka ra nge au e whaka wehiwehia roto nei he mahara he waka na te tangata koi eke ki runga ra he wera te hanga kino.
Waihekeheke ai te rere mai a te toto, na te aha i wero mai na te ao
Kereru manuka wai au.

[Translation]

Like clouds of smoke ascending from Tararu’s lovely vales
Even so, my thoughts O loved and dear one! go flying north to thee,
To thee from me in loneliness by many seas divided
From Paritu my wistful gaze goes far across the boundless sea
To distant lands where thou art now.
The tui birds with freedom unrestrained
Their loves and joys exchange
But we by custom’s stern and rigid law
Our feelings must repress.

page 235

Though Slowly Sinks the Sun

Ee to e te ra, kia ata tuku atu,
Ko koe hei arahi mo taku tau kahurangi,
Ko te iti o te tama i nuia e te ngakau
Toro mai to ringa kia awhiawhi taua
E tokotokoa ana e hauhauaitu
Te moenga ki te po, taututetute ana mai,
Te awhenga i Paerau, ko wai e kite atu?
Nau mai, e Maraea, ka haere taua
Ki to Kai-whakaora mei ora mai hoki koe,
Nau te ki nei kei te Atua te tikanga.
Me aha i te ngakau e kukume ke ana,
Te putanga ki waho ra kai awherangi taua,
He aroha kai kino no roto i te ngakau e e e!

[Translation]

Though slowly sinks the sun beyond my ken
It still will guide my cherished one
Like to the youngest, best loved child of all.
Stretch hither thy hand
And in spirit we’ll embrace,
E’en though some dire evil haunts me,
When at night I feel thee
Press ’gainst me so trustingly.
Ah me! Thou hast passed beyond Paerau,
Who can follow thee there?
Welcome Maraea, had’st thou lived
We would together go to thy Maker
Thou said’st it rests with him.
But still the heart repines uncomforted,
Some grief distracts the mind,
The outcome of a wounded soul.

page 236

A Leave-Taking

E kore koe, e Uri, e ata kitea atu i nga ra katoa i te rehu wai ta e au,
Whakapukepuke ai ngaru ki Waikawa na te tima kawe i whakakori te wai e au;
Tutu kau ai ngaia ki Turanga i punehu rere ki to o kotahi e au,
I hoki mai te waapu o poroporoaki, hei konei, e hine, kia atu noho e au;
Ka huri te waiata aroha kia koe, na tou hoa aroha.

[Translation]

You, O Uri, have gone from my gaze,
Like the setting sun o’er the turbid wave,
Far, far away to Waikawa;
No more shall I behold you.
The steamer that bore you on the waters
With spray besprinkled me—alas poor me!
Returning broken-hearted to Turanga
Whence my distressed thoughts
Ever go forth only to thee.
From the wharf I heard this thy last farewell:
O Hine, O cherished one, grieve not for me.

page 237

Love’s Memory

Kotahi rau macro te roa o Nepia taku aroha te kori haere ra e au;
Whakatau rawa iho te atatatau te mahara e kakapa nei, he rauiri rangi e au.
Waiho ko te aroha kia watea ana waiho te ruma mo nga tira haere e au;
He rangi ano e kino, he rangi ano e pai, he rangi ano e kite i nga tira haere au.
Ka eke ki runga tima ka tu mai to aikiha auwe a te hine ka mahue iho e au;
Ka huri te waiata aroha kia korua.

[Translation]

What though many miles distant from Napier
My love still ever moves on towards you
And restless still, still ’tis unsatisfied.
Quivering like a leaf stirred by the wind;
Naught but affectionate remembrance—
Naught but that in memory will remain,
Remain open to those parted from us so direfully.
There are days of sadness and of joy
And days too, of parting with loved ones
As when, from on board the steamer passing away
You waved a tender loving farewell
To me, alas, left here in grief, lamenting.

page 238

Elegiac Chant
A Taupo Chieftainess’s Lament

Tera te ata iti hohoro mai koia
Matatu noa ana ko au nei anake,
Kai te mura tonu o te pu a Rewi e ka ana.
E pa! I haria mai i tua
Kia rongo atu au i te papa koura
Hai taoro iho mo te kino
I taku tinana ka tueketia nei.
Ko tahau repera pai tonu tenei e te tangata
Ko te tika i to pono.
Horahia mai ra, kia ui atu au
Ko wai to ingoa? Ko te ana i Oremu.
Ko tau rakau kai te mata ngira tonu
Te ngotonga ki roto ra
Aue! Te mamae ra!

Ka ura mai te ra, ka kohi au he mahara
E hoa ma. E! He aha tenei hanga? E te rau e pae
Tirohia mai ra aku pewa i taurite,
Tenei ka titoko kai te ngaru whakakeo
E tere i Taupo.
Ko te rite i taku kiri, ka ura mai i te rangi;
Ka riro aku taonga i a te ha-ana-a-mai i tawhiti,
Tutata a Ngatiwhatua.
Whakarongo mai ra, e koro,
I Tongariro, i te puke ronaki
Te uru ki te whenua; i mahue matau
Te tira o te taniwha.
Me i hurihia iho, e au ana taku moe
Ki taku makau tipu—e.

page 239

[Translation]

Hasten, oh dawn—I tire with waiting,
For, alas, I stand alone.
The flashing of Rewi’s guns is seen
From afar, O sire.
Tell me of the golden reef
Which may buy me comfort and cure
This malady which afflicts my body.

* * *

Is it the cave at Oremu?
Your weapon is like the point of a needle
Thrust into quivering flesh—
Alas-how great is my pain!

With the blushing of the sun I gather thoughts,
O friends. Alas! what is this fell design?
Oh ye hundreds here assembled!
Gaze ye at my eye-lashes
Like unto the rounded waves
Which break on Taupo’s sea.
My skin is like unto the redness of the skies.
My treasures are scorched by this breath of fire,
Which comes from afar.
Yea, you say, even from Ngati-whatua who are at hand.
Listen unto me, O father,
From Tongariro your last resting place.
You have entered the bosom of the earth,
But alas! we are left to the company of this monster.
Why was I not buried with you?
Then my sleep would have been pleasant
With my beloved lord.

page 240

The Troubled Sleep
A Karakia

Piki mai! Kake mai!
Homai te waiora ki au,
E tutuhi ana koa
Te moe a te kuia i te po
E papaki tu ana te tangi
A te tai ki te Reinga.
Ka ao! Ka ao!
Ka awatea.—

[Translation]

Come hither! Draw nigh!
Ah! give to me of the waters of life
For troubled has been the sleep
Of the aged at night.
The resistless tide of misfortune
Sweeps on to oblivion
But now! It is dawn! It is dawn!
It is day—

page 241

The Lament of Te Neke
(A Chief of Te Atiawa)

Behold, far off, the bright evening star
Rises, our guardian in the dark,
A gleam of light across my lonely way.
Belov’d, wert thou the evening star,
Thou would’st not fixed so far from me remain!
Let once again thy spirit wander back
To soothe my slumbers on my restless couch,
And whisper in my dreams sweet words of love.
O, cruel death! to damp that beauteous brow,
With night’s cold softly falling dews:
Rau-ai-ru! Keeper of celestial gates:
There comes to thee a lovely bride,
Borne from me on Death’s swollen tide—
Belov’d! thy wandering spirit now hath passed
By pendent roots of clinging vine
To Spirit Land, where never foot of man
Hath trod, whence none can e’er return—
Path to the gods, which I not yet have seen.
Belov’d; if any of that host of Heaven
Dare ask of thee thy birth and rank,
Say thou art of that great tribe
Who sacred spring from loins of gods!
As stands alone Kapiti, a sea-girt isle,
And Tararua’s solitary range,
So I to-day stand lonely ’midst my grief—
My bird with sacred wings hath flown away,
Far from my ken to Spirit Land.
I would I were a kawau,* resolute,
And so dive into the inmost depths of time,
As to reappear at my beloved’s side
Amidst the throng upon the further shore.
Belov’d! I soon will join thee there!
I come! Await me at the gates! My spirit frets; how slow is time!

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* Kawau is the Maori name for the shag, an expert diver.