Title: Sir George Grey N.Z. Maori MS. 89

Author: Wiremu Marsh Te Rangikaheke

Editor: David Roy Simmons

Publication details: 1986, Auckland

Digital publication kindly authorised by: David Roy Simmons

Part of: The Moko Texts Collection

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Sir George Grey N.Z. Maori MS. 89

About Tattooing

About Tattooing

This incantation is called a diversion.

Sitting,
alone,
looking around,
rewha on the nose
of Tutetawha,
wriggling around
like a limb of a lizard,
laughing at you.
Leave it to me
to make it come forth
on the chisel of Uetonga.

page break

Wait until let go
to your wife
your decorated skin.
Amazed and restless,
for me you are finely decorated.
Man who is being caressed,
to be carefully decorated.
Man who is not being caressed,
hold fast to this.
Strike with the mallet.
Rise up,
Tangaroa,
Rise up,
Tangaroa,
E he.

A first kawa,
serve the kawa.
The second,
serve the kawa.
To be left by you
to cross the nothingness.
There is the offence,
there is the source,
there is the mana,

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the going,
to the source here,
to the abyss,
to the vine,
to the root.

Where are you going,
basket of seed?
Going to what,
your basket of seed?
Go to the going of Tane,
your basket of seed.
Where is he coming from
Te kawa ritoro riinei?
Welcome puhipuhi manuka.
This is the boundary,
a descendant of the gods.
I am a descendant.

Te Rongorere,
coming from above
and man coming from below,
to and of the setting of the sun,
who went below e e i.
Spring up for the going of the sun.
Spring up.
Roll along, eh.
Spring up in the morning.
Roll along, eh.
Be struck.
Be struck
Roll along, eh.
Uetonga, Tama Reneti.
In this sacred morning
Roll along, eh,
like a board on shore.
Dream,
be taken
to the glinting sea.
Guide the loved one,
leave the untattooed,
leave the children,
leave the women,

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and go there to
the clouds floating over Raukawa.
My lament
takes flight.
Cry to divert yourself.
Not I,
it is Rongo,
it is Papa,
making a resting place
for you.

These karakia are for women — calming and crying songs.

Lie there, o girl.
Roll on,
to let your lips be tattooed.
Roll on.
When you go to the weaving house
it is said:
Where does this woman come from?
Roll on.
On going to the dance house
it will be called.
From where came these bald lips
coming here?
Roll on.
From where come these red lips
coming here?
Roll on.
Be a board on the shore
and let go.
Dream,
taken by the deep sea,
taken to the glinting sea,
a chieftainess.
Guide the loved one, eh.

(He kawa — the name of this prayer)

Here I sit alone
and look out
to the top of the nose
of Tutewha, wriggling
like a lizard's leg.

page break

You sought it
and sent for me to come
to carve it
with Uetonga's chisel.
Wait, send for your wife
your tattooed skin.
Rejoice and dance.
It is for me to ornament it,
for men to caress,
to be carefully fondled.
Man with no ornament,
stretch out here.
Be struck with the mallet.
Tangaroa rises.
Tangaroa rises.
E he.
One,
Lift up the kawa.
Two,
Lift up the kawa.

You are fetched
to Whititekore.
There is your possession,
there is your offence,
there is your tapu,
the offering,
to the root,
to the rootlet,
to the vine,
to the taproot.
Where are you going
Torino Tinaku?
Going to the company of Tane.
Torino Tinaku,
Where do you come from?
Te Kawa ritoro riinei,
Welcome.
Welcome puhipuhi manuka.
Sharp is the bleeding stroke,
descendant of a god.
I am a chief, a leader.
Tahatiti,
Ruatapu,
Rongomai,
Kahukura,
I stand, eh.
Mine is the tattooed head.

page break

Note on drawing of puhoro tattoo

But women are done with buttock
and thigh tattoo,
as well as the lips.

Thigh and buttock; this is it.
Rough handling, bumping, ulcer, infection,
these things cause the thing, tattoo,
to go bad,
for all tattoo as well.