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,