He Oriori mō Wharaurangi

Oriori are waiata that are sung to babies from the time of conception through to around 8 or 9 years old. There are usually composed by the grandparent of the child and are sung contiuiously. This particular oriori is reputed to be composed by Te Rangitakoru for her Granddaughter Wharaurangi, otherwise known as Ngakawe Hakaraia.

Irihapeti = Hakaraia__|______________________________________________________| | | | |

Nahona Rihitetuaoterangi Ngakawe = Hone Waitere Ngakaari Hakaraia

Taku pōtiki, ē, ko Wharaurangi ēKa rongo ō tipuna, ka maka mai ki auMaku e hine mā te huri ēMā te whakarongo ki te whita kōreroKo te whare tēnā i tāia ai te Kahui-rongo ēI pipiri ki te pōNgā toka whakaahu o tō kōrua kuku ē

tōku rua wāwā’i, o taku rua pakēKa wehea ko te tau ēHoki mai e hine ki te ao maramaWhakatū tāua ki aku manu ēTe tangata i patua e te tini o TioWaiho nei ki a tāua ē

Ehine aku e tangi nei ki te kaiMe whakainu koe ki te wai e ngataMe whakangongo koe ki te wai ka rariTe mate o Tawhaki ēWhakaputa ki te toru ka kē te kāhuNā Tiurangi, ē, nā TiupakihiNā Kapokai ē

Kimikimi noa ana ahau e hine

I tō kunenga mai i HawaikiI te whakaringaringa, i te whakawaewaeTe whakanohuitangaKa mānu, e hine, te waka i a RuateaKo Kurahaupoka iri mai tāua i runga i AoteaTe waka i a TuriKa ū mai tāua te ngutu WhenuakuraHuaina te whare RangitawhiTiria mai te kumaraKa ruia mai te karaka ki te taiao neiKeria iho e Hau ko te punga tama wahineKa riro i nga tuāhine, i a Nonokouri i a NonokoteaKo te here i runga ko te korohungaKapua mai e Hau ko te one ki tona ringaKo te Tokotoko-o-TuroaKa whiti i te awaKa nui ia ko WhanganuiTiehuatia te wai, ko WhangaehuKa hinga te rakau, ko TurakinaTikeitia te waewae, ko ‘TikeiKa tatu, e hine, ko ManawatuKa rorowhio nga taringa, ko HokioWaiho te awa iti hei ingoa mona, ko OhauTakina te tokotoko, ko OtakiKa mehameha, e hine, ko WaimehaKa ngahae nga pi, ko WaikanaeKa tangi ko te mapu ēE tae hoki ki a WairakaMatapoutia, poua ki runga, poua ki raroKa rarau e hineKa rarapa nga kanohi, ko WairarapaTe rarapatanga o tō tupuna, ēKa mohiki te ao, ko Te Pae-a-Whaitiri

Kumea, kia warea KaitangataKi waho ki te moanaHangā te paepae, poua ihoTe pou Whakamaro-o-te-rangi, ko MeremereWaiho te whānau, ko te punga o tōna wakaKo Te Houmea, ko Te AwhemaKati, ka whakamutu, e hine

My little child, WharaurangiWhat your grandsires heard they freely gave unto meFor me and mine, o maiden, because I listenedHeeded, and retained the stories completeIn the house was told the Kahuirongo ritualTold to a groupo in the nightHence the rock shrine of your tight lipped elderHence my store pit, renowned pit, to be sharedWith my absent loved one, ah meReturn, o maiden, to the world of lightLet us pause and pay tribute to my noble onesHe who was killed by the myriads of TioBequeathed grief and sorrow to you and me, ah me

O maiden my own, now fretting for foodI shall offer you the water that staisfiesYou are to sip from the water that spurtsNow as in the death of TawhakiIt came in the third month with hawks ascreamingAloft were swooping-in-the-heavens, swooping down to earthAnd the Food-Snatchers, ah me

I am trying to remember, o maidenHow it was you sprang forth from HawaikiHow the hands were formed, then your feetUntil your face took shapeNow afloat, o maiden, is the canoe of Ruatea

And tis KurahaupoWe two were carried hither aboard AoteaThe canoe of TuriWe landed at the river’s mouth at WhenuakuraThe house there was named RangitawhiThe kumara was then plantedThe karaka, too, soon florished in the landHau thereupon dug the odd extra female plotsWhich were taken by his sisters, Nonokouri and NonokoteaTo mark them off, the border of a robe was hungHau scooped up a handful of earthFrom the portion of the Staff of TuroaHe then crossed the riverWhich won him great renown, and it was WhanganuiHe splashed through cloudy waters, hence whangaehuHe felled a tree so he could cross, hence TurakinaHe strode across the land, hence ‘Tikei’Then he stumbled, o maiden, hence ManawatuA buzzing sound assailed his eas, hence HokioA tiny stream he named his own, hence OhauHe held his staff as he spoke, hence OtakiThe waters beyond were lost in the sands, hence WaimehaHe stood and stared in amazement, hence WaikanaeThen he breathed a sigh of reliefFor he had come to WairakaAnd he cast a spell fixing it above and fixing it belowIt was thus he came to rest, o maidenHe gave a flashing glance, hence WairarapaIndeed it was there your ancestor gazed about himThe clouds lifted up on high, hence Te Pae-o-WhaitiriThe lengthened day was made to detain Kaitangata Out on the open seaThe beam was made and posts were fixedThe posts were Stiffened-was-the-heavens and MeremereThe family became the anchor of his canoeThey were Te Houmea and Te AwhemaEnough, tis now ended, o maiden