Te Kete, te Tahā Wai ā te Rākau Ngaio (The Basket, the Calabash and the Ngaio Tree)

Aloha BR ‘Ohana,

Missed the deadline of last month’s Shoots assignment. I composed a poem based on an ancient tale of the Māori people called Rona. The English translation follows. Hope you enjoy it.

 

A tale of ancient times in a drought-ridden ʻāina.

Te Kete, te Tahā Wai ā te Rākau Ngaio

Kore wai

Kore ua

Kore puna wai

Āhea te ua heke mai ai?

Āhea rā?

He wā pōuri

Pōuri

Te whenua

Pōuri

te tangata whenua

Pōuri hoki

te rangi

Engari

Kore ua

Kore wai

Kore punawai

Āhea te ua heke mai ai?

Āhea rā?

I tētahi rā

E noho ana

He wahine

rongonui

Tokomaha tāna tamariki

Āe tokomaha rātou

He pai ki a rātou te oma

Oma, oma, oma

I oma atu

oma roa atu

Ā

Kua pau te hau

Ināianei

Ka matewai

rātou

Matewai rātou kātoa

Ka tangi rātou

Auē

Tangi atu

ki a Rona

Te māmā.

Auē e māmā

Matewai mātou!

Kei hea te wai e inu

Ka whakautu te māmā pēnei

Te wai?

Kore wai

Kore ua

Kore wai

kore puna wai

E haere,

haere atu

ki te tiki wai

Engari

Kei hea te wai

e māmā?

Me rapu koutou

i tētahi wāhi

e kupu ana

te rākau ngaio

He rātau teitei

Rātau teitei hoki

Me mau koutou

i tēnei kete,

ā i tēnei tahā wai hoki

Ka haere te pōtiki

Ko Ngaiorangi

tona ingoa.

Ka haere ia

me te tahā wai

te kete

ā tāna kurī.

Ko Mahinui

tona ingoa.

Ka tiki hoki rāua

ki te wai.

Ka hoki rāua

ki te kāinga

me te tahā wai

mo te whānau katoa.

Kua mutu te matewai.

Ā

ka tīmata te ua

Te ua nui

e heke mai ana

i runga.

Ka nui hoki

to rātou

harikoa.

English translation:

A Basket, a Calabash and the Ngaio Tree

No water, no rain, no springs.

When will the rain begin to fall?

When indeed?

A time of sadness.

Sadness.

A land of sadness.

The kanaka is also sad.

And

Without water, without rain, without springs

When will the rain begin to fall?

One day

There lived a famous woman.

She had way too many kids.

Yes, way too many,

and they loved to run

Run,run,run

Running here and

way over there.

Running,

till they were out of breath

Now,

they were thirsty.

Everyone was thirsty.

They cried to Rona,

their mother

We’re thirsty!

is there water to drink?

This is what their mother replied.

No water

No rain

No water

No springs

Then

Go

Go and fetch water.

But where’s the water, mother ?

Go and fetch it in a place

Where the ngaio tree grows.

It’s a tall tree

A very tall tree.

Take this basket

and this calabash too.

The youngest one set off.

Ngaiorangi

was his name

He took the basket,

the calabash

and his dog.

His dog’s name was

Mahinui.

They found water!

They returned home

with the calabash of water

for the whole family.

This brought an end to their thirst.

The heavy rains

began to fall from above.

It brought great happiness

To them all.