E noho ana

English lyrics

Here, in a state of confusion, I sit
And look heavenwards at the stars
I reach out for them
But am unable to hold them in the palm of my hand
And so it is with the treasures of my ancestors
Being discussed day and night, day and night
Will I be able to retain them or will they be lost
in the world of night for all time?
I, the younger generation, am making a valiant
effort
Yet, bearing in mind what Apirana said
'For a marae to be a marae, the meeting house
must be carved,
For a person to be Māori, he must be Māori
speaking.'
Here, e koro, is my reply to those remarks,
Even though I possess but the shadow of the land
Even though I do not speak the language
My whole being is alert and my spirit is alive
I can still feel awe and respect, and I still
have my pride,
How could it be otherwise?
For I am the living embodiment of my ancestors,
sleeping yonder at Paerau
Here is my Māoritanga, showing in my face,
And in my body, in the colour of my skin,
So that I am able to state,
'I will never be lost, for I am the seed
of chiefs'
Let there be life!