A Famous Oriori from Tauranga

Te Ao Hou, December 1965, Page 19

A Famous Oriori from Tauranga Mr Mervyn McLean's transcription of the music of this song is published on pages 36–40. A famous song belonging to the Turanga (Gisborne) district, ‘Po! Po!’ is said to have been composed by Enoka Te Pakaru of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki tribe. Its main theme is the mythical origin of the kumara. ‘Po! Po!’ is an oriori. Oriori are chants, composed for children of noble birth, which contain many complex references to history and mythology. The text is published here with acknowledgment to ‘Nga Moteatea’ Part Two, edited by Apirana Ngata and Pei Te Hurinui, where it appears as song no. 145. The translation given here, and the notes which follow the song, are also based on those in ‘Nga Moteatea’. But because of the complexity and difficulty of the material, our brief notes can serve only as an in introduction to the song. Readers interested in the mythological allusions should consult the valuable notes provided by Apirana Ngata and Pei te Hurinui in ‘Nga Moteatea’ Part Two. There are a few small differences between this text and the one recorded in Mr McLean's transcription. Po! Po! Pō! Pō! E tangi ana tama ki te kai māna! Waiho, me tiki ake ki te Pou-a-hao-kai, Hei ā mai te pakake ki uta rā, Hei waiū mō tama; Kia hōmai e tō tupuna e Uenuku. Whakarongo! Ko te kūmara ko Pari-nui-te-ra. Ka hikimata te tapuae o Tangaroa, Ka whaimata te tapuae o Tangaroa, Tangaroa! Ka haruru! Ka noho Uru ka noho i a Ngangana; Puta mai ki waho rā ko Te Aotu, Ko Te Aohore, ko Hinetuahoanga Ko Tangaroa! Ko te Whatu o Poutini, e! Kei te Kukunetanga mai I Hawaiki ko te āhua ia, Ko Māui-wharekino ka noho i a Pani, Ka kawea ki te wai o Monariki Mā Onehunga, mā Onerere, Mā te piere, mā te matata Te pia tangi wharau, ka hoake Ki runga rā, te Pīpī-wharauroa, Nā Whena koe, e Waho e! Tuatahi, e Waho e! Tuarua, ka topea i reira Ko te Whatanui, ko te Whataroa, ko te tī Po! Po! Po! Po! My son is crying for food! Wait until it is brought from the pillars-of-netted-seafood, And the whale is driven to the shore To give you milk, my son. It will be given by your ancestor Uenuku. Listen! The kumara is from the Great Cliffs of the Sun. Tangaroa is striding there, Tangaroa is striding there, Tangaroa! Listen to the roar! It was Uru who dwelt with Ngangana; Their offspring were Te Aotu, Te Aohore, Hinetuahoanga, Tangaroa, and the Stone of Poutini. The beginning, the primal pregnancy, Was at Hawaiki, When Maui-whare-kino was married to Pani, She who was taken to the waters of Monariki For Onehunga, for Onerere, For the piere, for the matata, The ‘first whimper from the shelter’. Giving birth to Pipiwharauroa. You are of Whena, O Waho! Thus the first part, O Waho!

haere, Nā Kohuru, nā Paeaki, Nā Turiwhatu, nā Rakaiora. Ko Waiho anake te tangata i rere noa I te ahi rūrā a Rongomaracroa, Ko te kākahu nō Tū, ko te Rangikaupapa, Ko te tātua i riro mai I a Kanoa, i a Matuatonga. Tēnei te manawa ka puritia, Tēnei te manawa ka tāwhia; Kia haramai tona hokowhitu i te ara. Ka kīia Ruatapu e Uenuku ki te tama meamea, Ka tahuri i te Huripureiata, Ka whakakau tama i a ia. Whakarere iho ana te kakau o te hoe, Ko Maninitua, ko Maniniaro. Ka tangi te kura, ka tangi wiwini! Ka tangi te kura, ka tangi wawana! Ko Hakirirangi ka ū kei uta Te kōwhai ka ngaora ka ringitia te kete Ko Manawaru, ko Araiteuru, Ka kitea e te tini, e te mano. Ko Makauri anake i mahue atu I waho i Toka-ahuru; Ko te peka i rere mai ki uta rā Hei kura mō Māhaki; Ko Mangamoteo, ko Uetanguru, Ko te kōiwi ko Rongorapua, Waiho me tiki ake Ki te kūmara i a Rangi. Ko Pekehāwani ka noho i a Rehua; Ko Ruhiterangi ka tau kei raro, Te ngahuru tikotikoiere, Ko Poutūterangi te mātahi o te tau, Te putunga o te hinu, e tama! Of the second part is the felling there Of the timbers for the posts at the sacred place, and the perch of bird snares, For Kohuru, for Paeaki, For Turiwhatu, for Rakaiora. Waiho was the only one who fled From the scattered fires of Rongo-maraeroa. The garment of Tu, Te Rangikaupapa, The belt which was brought hither By Kanoa and Matuatonga. Hence men's hearts are apprehensive, Hence men's hearts are fearful, Lest his band of warriors appear on the road. Ruatapu was called a bastard by Uenuku, And [in revenge] overturned the canoe [with his brothers,] Huri-pureiata, When that son swam away. Hurriedly he put aside the handle of the paddle, Maninitua and Maniniaro. The noble one cries, cries in fear! The noble one cries, cries in terror! It was Hakirirangi who reached the shore And at the time of the flowering of the kowhai, emptied her kumara - planting basket At the kumara plantations Manawaru and Araiteuru, To be seen by the myriads, by the thousands. Only the tree Makauri was left behind Out at the reef Toka-ahuru, The branch of which was cast ashore As a treasure for Mahaki. The rivers Mangamoteo and Uetanguru [nurture] The contents of Rongorapua. Wait until there is brought The kumara from the heavens. The stars Pekehawani and Rehua married; Their child was Ruhiterangi, alighting here below. Hence the bounteous harvest-time When the star Poututerangi signals the season of the first-fruits, And the calabashes overflow with fat, my son!