Waiata tira te maunuhanga mai i Hawaiiki x2
He waka tipua
He waka atua
Te waka Tākitimu e!
Waiatatia te maunuhanga mai i Hawaiki x2
He waka atua
Te waka Tākitimu e!
Waiatatia te maunuhanga mai i Hawaiki x2
He maiangi nui
He maiangi roa
He maiangi tipua
Whakaea te waka ki runga ki te karemoana. x2
He maiangi roa
He maiangi tipua
Whakaea te waka ki runga ki te karemoana. x2
Tū-hikitia rā
Tū-hapainga rā
Tū-whakaeaea e
Rauawatia te waka o Tamatea-Arikinui x2
Tū-hapainga rā
Tū-whakaeaea e
Rauawatia te waka o Tamatea-Arikinui x2
Tōia mai te waka, utaina mai te waka
Kauria te moana e
Ngā tai porongia
Ngā tai whaka-ruturutu
Ngā tai o Ruamano e
Kauria te moana e
Ngā tai porongia
Ngā tai whaka-ruturutu
Ngā tai o Ruamano e
He rei ngā niho
He terenga parāoa
Ko Hine-makehurangi e
Ko Hine Korito
Ko Hine Kōtea, te uru o Paikea e"
He terenga parāoa
Ko Hine-makehurangi e
Ko Hine Korito
Ko Hine Kōtea, te uru o Paikea e"
Tōia mai te waka, utaina mai te waka
Kauria te moana e
Ngā tai porongia
Ngā tai whaka-ruturutu
Ngā tai o Ruamano e
Kauria te moana e
Ngā tai porongia
Ngā tai whaka-ruturutu
Ngā tai o Ruamano e
He rei ngā niho
He terenga parāoa
Ko Hine-makehurangi e
Ko Hine Korito
Ko Hine Kōtea, te uru o Paikea e"
He terenga parāoa
Ko Hine-makehurangi e
Ko Hine Korito
Ko Hine Kōtea, te uru o Paikea e"
Ko tangata
E tu pa whai ake
Ko Takitimu
E tu pa whai ake
E tu pa whai ake
E tu pa whai ake
He waka tipua
He waka atua
Te waka Tākitimu e!
He waka atua
Te waka Tākitimu e!
This is a "waiata whakahirahira" - literally meaning an "uplifting song". The whole guts of the song talks about praising one of the famous migrating waka (cannoe) that brought some of the first Māori from their ancestral lands of Hawaiki, over to Aotearoa (New Zealand). That waka is of course known as Tākitimu (also known as Tākitumu over in Rarotonga.) It also goes into some detail of particular names that influenced the boat's journey to NZ. Here are the lyrics:
A canoe of great stature
This canoe known as Tākitimu!
[This is] the song about it's departure from Hawaiki''It rises greatly
It rises broadly
It rises unbelievably
Let the boat be complete with the waters-where-it-belongs'
It rises broadly
It rises unbelievably
Let the boat be complete with the waters-where-it-belongs'
(Maunuhanga refers to the 'drawing out' of something, i.e. boat onto water.)
(Karemoana refers to the sea in a way where there is a close bond to it. Kare = longing, moana = water. So it basically says that Tākitimu had a really good affinity with the water. Whakaea roughly translates to something that's finished/complete/doesn't-need-anything-more.)
(The word "Tū" in this context acts as an amplifier to what follows. Where whakaeaea would mean 'be complete/settled' Tū-hikitia means 'to be absolutely complete.' Hikitia & hāpainga both refer to 'lifting up'. The last line refers to the guy who commanded the boat, Tamatea-Arikinui. Don't ask me what rauawatia means. It's something about the top boards on the hull of the boat - no idea what that is.) 
'Row the boat, bring it closer to (NZ's) shore,
As it glides across the sea.
The sharp tides,
The rough tides,
The tides of Ruamano' (the Taniwha that accompanied the canoe)
As it glides across the sea.
The sharp tides,
The rough tides,
The tides of Ruamano' (the Taniwha that accompanied the canoe)
The first two lines translate as:
'These ivory teeth
[mark the] gathering of whales.'
And the rest of it refer to the names of the whales; descendants of Paikea. (The whales listed also accompanied Tākitimu on its journey.)
'These ivory teeth
[mark the] gathering of whales.'
And the rest of it refer to the names of the whales; descendants of Paikea. (The whales listed also accompanied Tākitimu on its journey.)
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