He Mihi

Tuia ki te rangi

Tuia ki te whenua

Tuia ki te moana

Tuia te here tangata

E rongo te pō, e rongo te ao

E whēkite ana, e whēkaro ana i ngā uhitai a Wainuiātea

Tupuna o ngā moana kiriwaiwai mō Papatūānuku

Ngaki tonu ana a Taitua rāua ko Taiaro

E haehae tonu ana i te uma o Nuku

Pipī tonu mai ana ngā wai o Roi i ngā kamo

Tangi ana mō Moana-tū-ki-te-repo

I kekeria kia rere tōna waiora

ki a Tangaroa-whakamau-tai

Ngaro atu, kāhore he hokinga mai

Kei hea rā he kāinga mō Matuku

He manu o te repo?

Ka ngaro i te aro tirohanga

Kua korokī ki ngā rākau teitei o te wao nui

Waiho ake a Poroka te tangi mokemoke

Ngaoki tonu mai ana te oati a Tangaroa ki a Tāne

Ngaki ana ki uta

Tāpohutu mai ana ngā uri a Tāne

Ki te whakatutuki i te oati i Te Paerangi

Waiho ake ngā uhitai hei roimata

Whakamākūkū i ngā pāpāringa

Kia tū kau ake ki te wharehukahuka a Tangaroa

Ki te patatai e tau ai, e tau ai, kua tau

Bind the tapestry of life which affirms humanity’s connection to the natural world.

To the celestial realm, to the earthly realm, to water – the sustenance for all life forms, and, to remember to keep everything in ‘balance’.

The mists of Wainuiātea, the mother of all oceans and waterways, rise like tears above the waterways that provide the fluid skin to clothe Papatūānuku.

The ancient waterways of Taitua and Taiaro forever eroding and tearing at the breast of Papatūānuku.

The tears (Roimata) continuously flow from the eyes.

Mourning the death of Moana-tū-ki-te-repo (swamplands, the youngest child of Wainuiātea).

Killed and drained of her life-giving purpose, to cleanse the waters of Tangaroa Whakamautai.

Lost forever and never to return

Where is home for Matuku now?

The bird of the marshlands and swamps?

He is no longer seen.

His spirit floating on the highest branches of Te Wao Nui a Tāne.

Leaving Poroka to his lonely cry.

The promise Tangaroa made to Tāne is yet to be satisfied.

He continuously digs and scrapes at the ramparts of the domain of Tāne. Fulfilling the promise to take the life of the children of Tāne.

The promise he made to Tāne at Te Paerangi.

May the seaspray be evidence of those tears

That continually moisten the cheeks of Papatūānuku.

They flow to the foamy domain of Tangaroa

Where in their own time they leave the turbulence of the oceans to come ashore to find peace and rest.