Tēnei tō Tai Roa (Haka)

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Tēnei tō Tai Roa   Haka
Nā Tahu Pōtiki,
Nā Komene Cassidy te rangi

Titiro kau nei ki waho ki te rae o Pūrehurehu rā
Rā pea koe kei runga i te karetai moana
He toroa awe nui e topa ana
Tēnei tō tai roa
Ko Ōtākou e au-miha!
Tēnei tō toka tū
Ko Piopiotahi e au-hāro!
Tēnei tō awa nui
Ko Mataū e kororiporipo!
Oma mai koe ki konei ki te Tihi o Waiari
Hei aha   ?
I kīa ai he wehi tō te tangata whai noa!
I Ā Hā Hā! Hī!
Tēnei tō Tai Roa   Haka
Nā Tahu Pōtiki tēnei i tito, Nā Komene Cassidy te rangi

Fix your stare, Beyond the headland of Pūrehurehu,
It is you indeed upon the wave tops,
Soaring and swooping like a great albatross
This is your tidal coast,
Ōtākou of the heavy seas,
This is your rocky haven,
Milford Sound of the calm waters,
This is your mighty river,
Clutha raging and turbulent.
And you run to this place,
Below Te Tihi o Waiari for what reason?
Perhaps you have heard others will not follow

Whakamārama

This is a pēpeha that outlines the Ōtākou rohe. Pūrehurehu is a point underneath Mihiwaka, near Long Beach. It has a view over the mouth of the harbour and down into Blueskin Bay. From this vantage point a travelling waka was easily spotted. Tahu uses both the imagery of the albatross (toroa) and the choppy seas (karetai) to make strong connections to Ōtākou and Kāi Te Pahi. The Ōtākou rohe is then outlined from Ōtākou, the long tide (tai roa), over to the west to Fiordland (Piopiotahi), and back to the Clutha River (Mata-au).

The last part of the haka is a whakatauākī by Kāti Māmoe Chief Te Rakiamohia. When his warriors discovered that their Kāi Tahu enemy Tarewai was still alive, they fled back to the Pā, Te Raki-pipi-kao, back to Te Rakiamohia. Upon seeing them Te Rakiamohia stated, “Oma mai koutou ki kōnei hei aha? He parimata a kōnei e kore ai e tae mai e te kai patu? E hua ana, nā Te Tihi o Waiari i ki ai, he wehi tō te takata whai noa?”

“You run here to do what? Will there be retribution sought here, will the attacker not come here? It will be said from the top of Waiari, that your foes will not pursue you here.” The haka starts by identifying that a travelling party approaches, it then outlines the traditional boundaries of Kāi Te Pahi, Kāti Moki and Kāi Te Ruahikihiki, then uses the whakatauākī from Te Rakiamohia (making connections with both Kāi Tahu and Kāti Māmoe histories that the iwi here maintain) to ensure the safe arrival and ongoing manaaki that manuhiri will experience. 

Ngā Kupu Hou - New Words

Pūrehurehu             -   A point just below Mihiwaka and Mt. Cargill that overlooks the harbour entrance and down to Blueskin Bay

Rā pea                       -   Tērā pea, perhaps

Karetai                       -   Choppy seas, Karetai was an important  Ōtākou chief who fought against Te Rauparaha and signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Toroa                         -   Albatross

Awe                           -   Inspirational

Au-miha                    -   Choppy seas, another word for mihi

Piopiotahi                 -   Fiordland, Mitre Peak

Mata-au                     -   Clutha River

Kororiporipo            -   Turbulent, whirl pool

Tihi o Waiari             -   A  mountain peak on the Ōtākou Peninsula

Tēnei te Ruru   Haka
Nō Ōtākou, Nā Piri Sciascia te rangi

Kaea:    Tahupōtiki

Katoa:  Māraka, māraka

Kaea:    Tahupōtiki

Katoa:  Māraka, māraka

Tēnei te Rūrū te koukou nei
Kihai Māwhitiwhiti
Kihai Mārakaraka

Te Ūpoko nui o te Rūrū
Terekou
He pō
He pō
He ao
Ka Awatea

Nā Matiu Payne te whakamārama

The descendants of Tahupōtiki
Rise up, rise up
The descendants of Tahupōtiki
Rise up, rise up
This is the Rūrū who calls
Whose head does not bow from side to side or up and down
The head of the Rūrū is steadfast on its shoulders as it calls
Calling us from
The darkness
And into the light
To a dawn of new understanding