Songs and Folklore

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 149, 21 December 1926, Page 27

Songs and Folklore

A Reminiscence of the Wanganui River.

Referring to the article on another page, "Wanderings in New Zealand at Christmas,'' the following is a reminiscence of Mr. Johannes C. Andersen during an expedition for collecting Maori songs,: folklore, etc., from the Maoris of the Wangamii^River: — A vie* at Pipiripi niade usjioalise what the Wanganui, andthehilly country of the North Isiandgchefally, might become in the years to bei t stood part way Up .ono tank, ajid looked towards a homestead, on. the far. side. The house was on- a- flat, above the river, with a gently, graded approach from the river—the main highway for miles arid miles of country/ At the landing lay two long graceful f'iyei' canoes, with taper ends and graceful steer, a smaller one qn the heat; bank/Vused t>y the children, coining.' £ torn Whopi. There was a good deal, of cultivated land, all in excellent order. ..There was a large orchard, where fine pears were grown, and, of course, luxurious; peaches. *The flat sloped gently up tip liill for some distance, covered With good gfceii pasture, where, sheep, were feeding. The hills behind were, green.as with fern. The spur at -the back of that-• gain was covered with lace-like ;$f 66'f erils; next to .that: ail area. Of •■manjuka^ and then mixed bush. .... ; v,l ,': • ... It was a long reach, and iip the river the cliffs.fell sheer, to the "Water, draped with : f orri^ and ; busfr above/ A gorgo came down froni cither dido of . the river, Where two • cheeks • debouched, There1 were many koWhai trees, aiid it must be lovely here; in springtime. As usual, willows; lined; ithe banks in broken . clumps, and-; poplars; towered h »:'o ftnd.there^beautiflll things,. Oh this day (in April) one, ;-Hu entirely paid gold/ and one ne«r itjpartly greon, partly yellow and gold.v f; There! is a patjittsi jtijfty tofi the river, in sight at the cliffy'to; Which 1 walked gloytfy along thif delightful pathway. I felt the beauty oi. the ;*6eno extremely, flndthdupt of; Milton'aline* i^--^ goraetimcgjvwith lecUifd delight, ■ The upland hamlotg will invite. The Wflngftnui will some day lie full of nplflfid heme« at any tatc, and the valle/ will be one 6f the moat beautiful in t)i# mtl&^it Mf me, v 1 $mnt>t imagine how oiheM can be lovolior; and the sunshine, clear and warm on the dbwy, morning, made all perfect. The best way of getting the full beauty of the river is /eertaifliy by. Wandering along on foot. ,The.trackiyas narrow, often very slippery, -and; along' sheer faces here and thero-^civilisation would Soon itnpfbve thofc^but , periaps impfof6 away Mtho of the national wildness of the beauty, too. The growth on both sides of the trftck fldded to tho at' traeth-enflgsf and whilst that on the iriver' side reldom hid th« tiew, it often framed it in varied glimpses of beauty. What summer holiday could be better spent than in hiring a river canoe with o&e Of two Maori youths ai paddlcrs aiid polefs perhaps, paddlo Up Olid down these reaches/gtaying a day here, a day thWpy .tit. as to g«t *bOV6 the fiver and ace its beauty in all aspects. ftiere I would ba som« pain, wh«« good slopes tise naked of green and charred by flrc, gaunt trunks stretching their branches like arms to heaven, but some consolation to see what lovely homes may take the place of the desolation; one beauty destroyed *jr the creation! of another. Another scene when we left Hiruharama after gathering much ethnological material. There is no wharf; the river steamer simply edges .inland you walk the plank. Its time of costing depends tipott the rapids, and whilst we sat waiting some of the young w,omen crooned a little parting-gongs—' Haere. Whai i to hiahia, Kaua c mahara mai, . Waihp au Icia tangi no, Haere Whai, haere i-a. (66 thou, Whai, to thy desire, Never more remember mo Sitting hero wiihQ(lt and weeping, Go then, Whai, farewell, farewell.) And whilst the words said one thing, the intonation and accompanying glances said the opposite. Then J,he waving when the boat took us off; 'the*farewell cries "fiaera ra! haera *a!" continued till we turned the bend. Warm and kindly hearts, where memory lingered. Incidentally Whai, Or Whaifoa, is my pame with them as a tphunga of stringfigures. " ' Maori maid with the liquid glaaecs, Where are you glancing now? Swinging your-poi-balls, dancing your dances, ... .." Where are you daiicing now? Dong .••'•. . dohg. ... Dong .. . dong. ... Hark! in tho eve is it bells are ringing? No; in tho ovo it is bell-birds singing; Ah ... in the eve my thoughts are winging Over the hills to you. Maori maid, when the games are over; Where do your girl-thoughts turn? Little I thought when I learned to be lover SoW it Would pain to Unlearn! Dong ... dong. ... Dong . . . dong. ... ; Hark! in the eve is it bells are ringing? No; in the ovo it is bellbirds singing— Ah ... in the evo should love come clinging, What Wouid you iay or do? Maori maia, where the -summer ends . not, Is there an end to lovet Oh, when tho heart beats true%ncl pretends not, ."'■■■•,.. • . How can it falthloss prove? Dong,/,. . (long. '.'■■. . . Dong .... dang. ... Hark! in the eve is it bolls are ringing? No; iv the eve it is boll-birds singing; Ah , . . in the ove are tho Sky stars bringing, Bringing a lover to woo?