Pinepine Te Kura Little Tiny Treasure

Te Ao Hou, November 1964, Page 20

Pinepine Te Kura Little Tiny Treasure ‘pinepine te kura’ is one of the famous songs of Ngati Kahungunu, of Heretaunga (Hawkes Bay). The music of the song is published on pages 35–9. The editor is grateful to Mr Pei te Hurinui Jones for kindly permitting ‘Te Ao Hou’ to publish the Maori text of ‘Pinepine te kura’ as it appears in the ‘Polynesian Journal’, volume 57, page 288. It is to be reprinted as song no. 215 in the third volume of ‘Nga Moteatea’, edited by Sir Apirana Ngata and Pei te Hurinui Jones, which is to be published shortly. Readers will notice that there are a few variations between this text and the version transcribed by Mr Mervyn McLean on pages 36–9. Mr Jones' English translation, also given here, is to appear in volume three of ‘Nga Moteatea’. Some small modifications, intended to make it simpler for beginners, are to be found in the text as published here. The song is a very difficult one, and anyone wishing to understand the complex allusions it contains should consult Mr Jones' most valuable textual and historical notes in ‘Nga Moteatea’. ‘Pinepine te kura’ is an oriori. Oriori are chants composed for young children, usually of noble birth. They typically contain complex references to the child's kinship connections, to recent and ancient history, and to myths and gods. Many of these references are now very difficult to understand. There is space here only to mention briefly a few of the names appearing in ‘Pinepine te kura’. The song is addressed to Te Umurangi, the ‘little tiny treasure’ who is descended from Te Whatuiapiti, a great Ngati Kahungunu chief and warrior. (A famous story concerning Te Whatuiapiti is given on page 16, issue no. 47 of ‘Te Ao Hou’.) Tawhaki is the demi-god who climbed up a vine to the heavens. Apa are gods, the messengers of heaven. The reference to witchcraft recalls the tribal quarrels at Turanganui (the Gisborne district) which led Ngati Kahungunu to migrate south to Heretaunga (Hawkes Bay). Pinepine Te Kura Pinepine te kura, hau te kura, Whanake te kura i raro i Awarua; Ko te kura nui, ko te kura roa, Ko te kura o tawhiti na Tuhaepo! Tenei te tira hou, tenei haramai nei; Ko te Umurangi, na te Whatuiapiti. Nau mai, e tama, ki te taiao nei, Ki' whakangungua koe ki te kahikatoa, Ki te tumatakuru, ki te tara ongaonga; Nga tairo ra nahau, e Kupe, I waiho i te ao nei. Piki ake, kake ake i te toi huarewa, Te ara o Tawhaki i piki ai ki runga; I rokohina atu ra Maikuku-makaka, Hapai o Maui, he waha i pa mai, ‘Taku wahine purotu!’ ‘Taku tane purotu!’ Korua ko te tau, e. Little Tiny Treasure Little tiny treasure, treasure of renown, The treasure who came from below Awarua; The noble treasure, the famous treasure, The treasure from afar off, the treasure of Tuhaepo! A strange visitor is he, lately arrived here: He is Te Umurangi, descended from Te Whatuiapiti. Welcome, O son, welcome to this world of life. You are to be ritually strengthened with the kahikatoa, With the tumatakuru and the taraongaonga; These were the thorny obstructions that you, O Kupe, Bequeathed unto this world. Climb up, ascend by the suspended way, The pathway of Tawhaki when he ascended on high,

Whakakake, e tama, i te kinga o to waha. No runga rawa koe, no te tahu nui i a Rangi, e tu nei; Na Rangitu koe, na Rangiroa, na Tane rawa koe, Na Apa ia koe, na te Aparangiihihi, na te Aparangi i rarapa, Tukia i Wharererangi, te Ngaruru mai rangi; Te Matatohikura, ko Maru, ko Apa i te ihonga, Nahana ra koe. Kaore nei, e tama, ko te wananga i a taua nei, Te ai i waiho e o kaiure ra, Nga pure tawhiti, te kaunoti hikahika; Te kaunoti a to tipuna, a Tura, I haere ai, i tere i nui ao. Ka hika i tona ahi, kimihia e Kura; Ko Tumatere te umu, ka hoki nga kai ki te ao. Koia Turanganui, he mataawha, He patu i te tangata kia mate. Na te mau whaiwhaia hoki ra I manene ai i te ara, Ka mate kongenge, ka mania, ka paheke. Ko te matamata ki te tuahu e makutu mai ra, Ko Tamairiakinaterangi, te Hekengaorangi. Ko Taramuru anake e titi kaha mai ra. E kai o mata ki te kohu ka tatao I waho o te moana o toka hapuku, Ko Maunungarara, ko Wharerauaruhe. Ko Takopaiterangi, ko te Aratotara, Te Huawaiparae, koia te korori. Tena ra, e ta ma, Te wa ki to koutou iramutu, Tamaua mai nei ki te ua i te kahu. E kai o mata ki runga Marokotia. Karokaro i te taturi o to taringa, Kia areare ai, mo te whakarongo atu Ki nga ki mai a to tipuna, a Nohoatu, E makamaka mai ra i a taua anake Te Arai o Turanga, Te matenga o Hinerakai i turamatia ai, I matakitakina ai, koia Hika matakitaki. Whiti ke mai koe ki ra i nahi nei. Te ai he mahara, ka mate koe i Awarua; And there found Maikuku-makaka, Attended by Hapai of Maui, and greetings were uttered: ‘My beautiful lady!’ ‘My handsome man!’ A tribute for you two, O loved ones. Ascend upwards, O son, with a full mouth. You are of the highest, from the apex of the sky above; You are descended from the Sky-Father, the Far-reaching Sky, you are from Tane himself, You are from the Apa, from the awesome-Apa-of-the-heavens, the Apa-of-heaven's-lightning-flash; Enter the dwelling-house-of-the-heavens, it is the rumbling-noise-of-the heavens. It was Te Matatohikura who begot Maru and Apa-of-the-origin, And from him are you descended. Not with us, O son, are the sacred teachings. They were not imparted by your forebears, Not even the ancient propitiatory rite, the firestick ceremony; The firestick of your ancestor Tura, Which he took in his travels o'er the wide world. When his fire was alight, it was sought by Kura; The earth oven, Tumatere, gave food back to the world. Hence Turanganui of the witchcraft, For the destruction of mankind. It was the possession of witchcraft That beset our pathway with the numbing hazards Of ailing old age, accidental slipping and sliding. The priests are at the shrine yonder performing witchcraft; They are Tamairiakinaterangi and Te Hekengaorangi. Only Taramuru stands steadfast. Feast your eyes on the close-pressing mist Out to sea above the hapuku reefs Maunungarara and Wharerauaruhe, The property of Takopaiterangi, Te Aratotara And Te Huawaiparea, that cunning fellow. Come now, my sons, It is time for your nephew To have the cloak fastened about him. Feast your eyes on Marokotia. Clean the wax from your ears That you may hear, and listen to The speech of your ancestor Nohoatu, Who is now addressing us two From Te Arai of Turanga, Where Hinerakai died of shame in the torchlight,

Ka manene mai koe ki ro te wai, Ka u ana ko Hauraki. Ka pa ko te waha o Tutawirirangi, ‘E ta ma! Ina ia te kai. Toia ki uta ra, haehaetia ai; Tunua hai te manawa, ka kainga, ka pau. No Karotimutimu, no Taurangakoau.’ Taia te waka nui, ka kai ki te kirikiri, Ka kai ki te ponga, Ka kai ki te mamaku, Ka kai ki te ngarara whakawae, Ka kai ki te pananehu, E tama, e! Rudely gazed upon (hence was she called, ‘the Maiden-gazed-upon’). Belatedly you came but yesterday, Without thought of danger awaiting you at Awarua; You slid into the waters And landed at Hauraki. Then the voice of Tutawirirangi was heard, ‘O sons! Here is food to eat! It has been hauled ashore and cut up; The heart is to be cooked, eaten and consumed— The heart of Karotimutimu from Taurangakoau.’ Now haul the great canoe until it drags upon the sands, Let it rest upon the ponga, Let it rest upon the mamaku, Let it rest upon the teeming insects, Let it rest upon the young fern shoots, O son of mine!