Maori Song
Kua ruia te riri o Ruaumoko
Aroha ki te whanau
Ko Papatuanuku
E pakia kaha tonutia nei
Nga whanau ki Otautahi
E
Ruaumoko, unborn son
of Earth and Sky
Pushing, turning, twisting
in the womb of Mother Earth
Leaving again devastation
upon our land
My mother brought me up on Maori songs, myths, and games. I think this piece illustrates the deep relationship the Maori have with Aoteroa (New Zealand), The Land of the Long White Cloud. For those looking for a pronunciation guide; Maori reads remarkably similar in vowels to Japanese. Which is why, when I was a child, I did not hesitate to read Japanese words out loud in my Reading group.
Aroha ki te whanau
Ko Papatuanuku
E pakia kaha tonutia nei
Nga whanau ki Otautahi
E
Ruaumoko, unborn son
of Earth and Sky
Pushing, turning, twisting
in the womb of Mother Earth
Leaving again devastation
upon our land
My mother brought me up on Maori songs, myths, and games. I think this piece illustrates the deep relationship the Maori have with Aoteroa (New Zealand), The Land of the Long White Cloud. For those looking for a pronunciation guide; Maori reads remarkably similar in vowels to Japanese. Which is why, when I was a child, I did not hesitate to read Japanese words out loud in my Reading group.