Maori lyrics
Tahu Pōtiki! Tō reo tāiri rā runga AorakiTe tiapu ki ngā wai papa pounamu o ArahuraHura mai ko te rau tāwhiriwhiri a NgahueTapoko nei au, a Waikato Horopounamu e!Toki amohia ake taku toki neiTaku toki nei, ko KāpakituaTe toki a Taiehu, nāna i tiki maiWhakawhiti ko Waitaha ki Te WaipounamuWhano! Whano! Tū mai te toki!Haumi e, hui e, Waitaiki eI a haha! Poutini! Poutini! Ki te rua rere hā!Auē kapa! Auē kapa! Ki te rua rere hā!Auē ana! Ū atu ana!Auē ana! Ū atu ana!Hi! Hi! Hi! Hā!Amo ake au i taku toki!Toki hāhā; ko Kāpakitua!Tuatuahia te moana uriuriKa rere mai te maramaraA Taiehu, ehuehu ana te waiI te waka HuruhurumanuKo Te Waka-a-Raki!Hei ā mai i te tini o WaitahaKi uta rā, ki Aotearoa!‘Ko ngā uri tupu o Tai-te-whenuaKo Waitaha, Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko’Rokohanga Uruao, i tere ai a RākaihautūI Te Patu-nui-o-aioKi Te Waipounamu e takoto mai ana!Pīratarata ana! Kānapanapa ana!Kōrewharewha ana Te Whatu o PoutiniI raro i te whatu kura o Tangaroa;Ko whatu uira rā tēnā!Ko whatu rarama rā tēnā!Kauorohia!Whakapiritia ki a HinetūahoangaHei whakakoi rā e HineI te mata o Tūwhakarōria!Tū mata ka rewa! Tū mata kurukuru!Kurukuru ki te waka a Māui Tikitiki-a-TarangaE ko ngā puna karikari a Rākaihautū!Karia, karia, ngā puna whakatere ika;Te Ika a Ngahue e tuhi ana, e rapa anaE, ko te pounamu! Ko te pounamu!A Poutini tipua, a Poutini taniwhaI whiua reretia a Waitaiki ki Te ArahuraHura tangiwai, hura ahuka, hura kawakawaHura ngā wai whakapapa pounamuO Te Waipounamu;Horohoro ake nei, horohoro ake nei,Te iwi nei Waikato Horopounamu, a haha!Poutini! Poutini! Ki te rua rere hā!Te rua o te taniwha; Waikato taniwhaHorohoro ake nei, horohoro ake neiKi Te Waipounamu, te iwi neiKo Waikato Horopounamu e
English lyrics
Tahu Pōtiki! Your voice of invitation resoundsAcross the landmarks of Aoraki and ArahuraThe greenstone children of Ngahue beckon meI am captured by their beauty!I raise my adze KāpakituaUsed in ancient times by TaiehuTo clear the way for the people of WaitahaIn their journey here to Te WaipounamuAdvance! Assemble! Adze to the ready!In salute of the greenstone maiden, Waitaiki.I a haha! Poutini! We gather in your domainWe romp and we frisk in your presenceHence, we make landfallSanction our arrivalHi! Hi! Hi! Hā!This adze, KāpakituaI elevate, as Taiehu once didIn order to cut the wavesAnd clear a path for the canoeTe Waka-a-Raki, which is saidTo have sailed like a bird on landThereby creating passageFor the people of WaitahaTo voyage here to Aotearoa!These are the descendants of Tai-te-whenua;Waitaha, Te Kāhui Tipua, and Te Kāhui RokoAll of whom were brought here upon the canoe Uruao from the traditional homeland Te Patu-nui-o-aio, under the command of Rākaihautū.When they arrived, they feasted upon the splendour of the greenstone, as it glistened beneath the beautiful waters of Tangaroa;A glistening as bright as lighteningAnd one as luminous as the light of day.But once set against the grindstoneOf Hinetūahoanga, it became very sharp Producing implements such as TūwhakarōriaAn implement which Rākaihautū used to beatAgainst the bilge of the canoe of MāuiThereby creating the many lakes and rivers of the South Island.These water sources are homeTo the descendants of NgahueThat is the many forms of pounamu!A treasure guarded by PoutiniWho turned his lover, Waitaiki, into greenstoneBefore laying her to rest in the depths of the Arahura river. Her offspring include tangiwai, ahuka, and kawakawaAnd it is these that we have come in search of.For it is said that Waikato are hoarders of greenstone. Hence, Poutini we invite youInto our domain, into our lair, that is the lairOf a hundred taniwha or chiefs of Waikato!Come so we may keep you, enter so we may devour you, for we are Waikato Horopounamu!
