He aha rā kei te tau o taku ate?

English lyrics

Kaitātaki: What is this tearing me apart?Katoa: It is the pain at the loss of my language.Māori organisations throughout the countryAnd the Māori people themselvesPrefer the language of the Pākehā.How can the Māori language survive if that situation persists?It will not survive because of kōhanga reo,Te Ātārangi, bilingual schools or universitiesBut by being spoken all the time.We, the Māori, here assembledBe dilatory and indigent no longerLest it be left to the Pākehā to keep our language alive.Get your act together!Get your act together so that these words are meaningful,'My language, my cherished possessionMy language, my object of affectionMy language, my precious adornment'Aue! Aue! Aue! What pain I feel at the loss of something so valuable.