Te Ao Hou Competition Waikato Te Awa na R. T. Harrison Mr Harrison, the author of this poem, writes that ‘When working on the different hydro works on the Waikato River, I spent quite a few hours of leisure, marvelling at the greatness of the dams and lakes formed on this waterway. So in my spare time I made up this poetry about the Waikato River’. We are holding a competition, for school children, for the best translation of Waikato Te Awa. The winning entry will be published in our next issue, and the winner will receive a three-year subscription to Te Ao Hou. Two one-year subscriptions will go to the runners-up. Closing date for the competition is July 14th. The famous scholar and translator Mr Pei Te Hurinui Jones has very kindly agreed to judge the entries. 1. Katohia he wai mau, Ka eke ki te puaha, Ko Waikato te awa, He piko he taniwha. 2. Kia tupato ra kei tahuri koe, I nga au kaha o Waikato, Whakamau to titiro ki tawhiti, Ko Taupiri te maunga, Ko Koroki te tangata. 3. E hoe to waka ki Ngaruawahia, Turangawaewae, Te kiingitanga, Ko te tangi whakamutu, A Matutaera, Aue hoki au e. 4. Hoea to waka, Ka u ki Kemureti, Te Okohoroi o nga tupuna 5. E hoe ana, Ka tau ki Karapiro, Titiro whakarunga to kanohi, Ki te tihi o te Ihingarangi. 6. Kaati koa to hoe, Titiro whakatakau to kanohi, Ko Maungatautari, Ko Ngati Koroki, Ko Arapuni te rohe o te tuna e. 7. E piki haere to waka, Ko Waipapa, Maraetai, Whakamaru, Titiraupenga, te maunga manu, Ko Ngati Raukawa e hoa e. 8. E tere to waka, ko Pohaturoa, Titiro kau atu ki te tihi, He parekura i hora, I nga wa o mua ra. 9. Whaia te arawai a to tupuna a tia, Nana i tia haere he pou i muri i a ia, Ko Atiamuri. 10. Kia ata haere atu ra ki Ohakuri, Te tomokanga atu, Ki Orakei Korako, Te whenua Waiariki, Rua pehu pehu e. 11. E to i to waka, I Nga ara tia tia a tia, Tutuki ana ki te tahake huka huka, E tahuri ai to tupuna, A tamatea pokaiwhenua e. 12. ‘Tihei mauri ora’, Tui ana mai he manu rere rangi, Ki roto ki nga wai marino, O Taupo-nui-a-tia e.