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Waiata.
In te ao Māori, waiata are songs that serve various purposes such as embellishing speeches, conveying messages, imparting stories or historical events, entertaining, or bringing closure. There are many different types of waiata such as oriori (lullabies), waiata tangi (laments), waiata-ā-ringa (action songs), waiata ngāhau (entertainment songs), waiata aroha (love songs), pao (chants) and so many more. Waiata are a great resource to learn te reo Māori and to acknowledge te ao Māori and its rich history.
Here are a list of a few waiata that you can learn to enhance your own te reo Māori and they are a great resource to teach in your class.
Te Aroha
Te aroha
Te whakapono
Me te rangimārie
Tātou, tātou e
Love
Faith
Peace
For us all
Te Aroha is a well-known waiata that can be sung on all occasions. It is a good song to utilise as a waiata tautoko (a song you sing to support a speaker), it is also a good waiata to sing with and teach your ākonga. The words are really simple and easy to learn.
Putiputi Kanehana
Putiputi kanehana e
Māku koe e katohia
Mehemea ko koe
Taku tau pūmau
Piri rawa i tēnei uma e
Pretty carnation (you are)
I’m going to pluck you
If you become
My steady love
(I will) hold (you) tightly to my chest
Putiputi kanehana is another great waiata to learn. The words are simple and the tune is catchy. This would be a great waiata to teach your ākonga. This can be sung as a waiata tautoko (a song to support a speaker) depending on the occasion.
Tūtira mai ngā iwi.
Tūtira mai ngā iwi, aue
Tātou tātou e
Tūtira mai ngā iwi, aue
Tātou tātou e
Whaia te māramatanga,
Me te aroha, e ngā iwi!
Kia tapatahi,
Kia kotahi rā
Tātou tātou e x2
Tātou tātou e!
Hi aue hi!
Line up together people
All of us, all of us
Stand in rows people
All of us, all of us
Seek after knowledge
and love of others - everyone
Think as one
Act as one
All of us, all of us
All of us, All of us!!
Hi aue hei !!!
Tūtira mai is a well-known song that is sung around Aotearoa. This waiata is a great waiata to learn and to teach and sing along with your ākonga. Be aware of the line (kia tapatahi) as it is often sung incorrectly as (kia kotahitahi).
Ka Pīoioi (e hoki mai rā).
(Kaea) Ka pīoioi e tohu aroha haukāinga. E hoki mai rā
E hoki mai rā
Kia kite atu i tō iwi e.
(Kaea) E rotarota ana
E rotarota ana
E katakata ana mai rā.
(Kaea) Pūkana whētero
Pūkana whētero mai
I te ihi ā ō mātua.
Kia kite atu ano
I tō ataahua e kanapa rā
(Kaea) Pupuhi ai e
Pupuhi ai e te hau
Kapohia āku roimata.
(Kaea) Ka pīoioi
Ka pīoioi e
Tohu aroha haukāinga.
This swaying dance
shows the love of your
home-town people.
You've come back home,
to see your people.
There is gesturing and
laughing with joy at your return,
Eyes popping and tongues thrusting
from the energy of those performing.
I see again
your beauty gleaming there
caressed by the wind,
and my tears are snatched away.
This fluttering dance
shows your home-town people's love.
Ka pīoioi is a waiata known as a waita-ā-ringa which means an action song. This waiata is a classic and sung by many kura around Aotearoa. This waiata is great to sing and learn in the classroom with ākonga. You can also learn and teach the ā-ringa (actions) as well.
Rūrū
Ki runga te rākau
I te pō
Kii mai te Rūrū
Kua awatea x2
Rūrū
Rūrū
Kii mai te Rūrū
Kua awatea
Up in the tree
In the night
See the owl
Waking up x2
Owl
Owl
See the owl
Waking up
This waiata is a fun waiata with actions that go along with it. It has simple words and ākonga will enjoy learning this waiata with the actions.
Whakarongo ake au.
Whakarongo rā
Whakarongo ake au
Ki te tangi a te manu
E rere runga rawa e
Tui, tui, tui, tuia
Tuia runga
Tuia i raro
Tuia i roto
Tuia i waho
Tui, tui, tuia
Kia rongo te ao
Kia rongo te pō
Tui, tui, tuia
I listen
I listen, where up high
A bird flies
Its cry rings out
Sew, stitch, bind it together
From above
From below
From within
From outside
Sew and bind it together
During the day
And the night
Sew, stitch, bind it together
Another great waiata with a catchy tune. This waiata is also spoken by speakers in a whaikōrero which you can also do as well when you are doing a whaikōrero. This song is about birds singing together as a metaphor for unity.
E minaka ana.
Kia kaha tātou ki te
(HI!)
Kōrero Māori!
E minaka ana taku waha
Ki te kai a te rangatira,
Taku reo rangatira
Taku kuru pounamu tuku iho.
Mīharo kē ana
Ki tōna pakari kia ora
Tē memeha, te wairua
ki te kōrero Māori
Kia kaha tātou
Ki te kōrero Māori
Let us be staunch
in speaking Maori!
I desire that
my talk be like that of a leader,
my noble language
my precious inheritance.
Astound me
with your maturity by
the evanescence, the spirit you show
when speaking Maori.
Let us be staunch
in speaking Maori!
A great waiata that talks about the importance of te reo Māori. This is another waiata that is sung across Aotearoa and a great addition to your kete of waiata.
He hōnore.
He hōnore
He korōria
Maungārongo ki te whenua
Whakaaro pai e
Ki ngā tāngata katoa
Ake ake
Ake ake
Āmine
Te Atua
He piringa
Tōku oranga
Honour
And glory to God
Peace throughout the land
And goodwill
To all people
Forever
Forever
Amen
For it is God
Who is my companion
My source of life
This waiata is a classic and is commonly heard at marae hui or gatherings. This waiata is great to have in your bag of resources when required to sing a waiata tautoko. Many Māori and non-Māori know this waiata so you will have many people helping you sing along to this waiata. This waiata is another great added resource to teach ākonga as well.
Tōia.
Kaea: Hui ē, tāiki ē!
Katoa: Tōia mai te waka nei
Kūmea mai te waka nei
Ki te takotoranga i takoto ai
Tiriti te mana motuhake
Te tangi a te manu nei
Pipiwharauroa
Kui! Kui! Kui!
Whiti whiti ora!
Hui e!, tāiki ē!
Haul this canoe
drag the canoe up here
to its resting place;
The treaty gives us our autonomy.
May the cry of the bird,
the shining cuckoo
- Quee! Quee! Quee! -
signal a change for the better.
Draw together, become intertwined!
This a well-known waiata that talks about the importance of Māori mana motuhake or autonomy. It is known as a waiata-ā-ringa or action song that can be a great way to acknowledge Māori autonomy.
Whakarongo.
Whakarongo!
Ki te reo Māori e karanga nei
Whakarongo!
Ki ngā akoranga rangatira
Nā te Atua i tuku iho ki a tātou e
Pupuritia, kōrerotia mō ake tonu
Tirohia!
Ngā tikanga tapu a ngā tīpuna
Kapohia
Hei oranga ngākau – auē
Whiua ki te ao
Whiua ki te rangi
Whiua ki ngā iwi katoa
Kaua rawatia e tukua e
Kia memeha e
Whakarongo!
Ki te reo Māori e karanga nei
Whakarongo!
Ki ngā akoranga rangatira
Tēnā kia purea te hau ora e
He kupu tuku iho mō tēnei reanga
He kupu tuku iho mō tēnei reanga
Whakarongo!
Tō reo whakarongo!
Listen!
To the Maori language
which is saying
Listen!
To the noble teachings
It was the Lord Almighty who bequeathed it to us Retain it!
Speak it for all time!
Look! The sacred customs of our ancestors Reach out for them As a source of pleasure Then disseminate them to the world, to the heavens And to people everywhere Never let these sacred customs wither and die. Listen! To the Maori language which is saying Listen! To the noble teachings Ritually purified by the life-giving winds Let these words be a commandment to this generation Listen!
‘Whakarongo’ is a waiata-ā-ringa by Ngoi Pēwhairangi. It is one of Ngoi's most famous compositions and incorporates her beliefs and methodology on teaching te reo Māori. This waiata is great to sing and learn in your classroom with ākonga.
Te Iwi e.
Kaea: Te iwi e.
Te iwi e,
E karanga e te iwi e
Kaea: Kua eke mai nei
Kua eke mai nei ki runga
te marae e
Kaea: Mauria mai ra
Mauria mai ra e nga mate o te motu e
Kaea: Me ngā tini roimata
Me ngā tini roimata e maringi whānui e
Kaea: Arā, titiro e ngā iwi
Titiro e ngā iwi ki ngā mahi o te motu
E ora ake nei e
Kaea: Rū ana te whenua
Rū ana te whenua,
whati ana te moana
Kaea: Aue te aroha
Aue te aroha te mamae i ahau e.
Kaea: E hoki ana whakamuri
E hoki ana whakamuri ki ngā kupu o ngā kupu o ngā tau e
Kaea: He wahine, he tangata
He wahine, he tangata, me ngā tamariki auē
Kaea: Arā, titiro e ngā iwi
Titiro e ngā iwi ki ngā mahi o te motu
E ora ake nei e
Kaea: Rū ana te whenuaRū ana te whenua,whati ana te moana
Kaea: Aue te arohaAue te aroha te mamae i ahau e x2
Rū ana te whenua whati ana, Hī!
Te iwi ē is another waiata known as a waiata-ā-ringa. The video has follow along actions and the waiata is well-known across Aotearoa.
Purea nei.
Purea nei e te hau
Horoia e te ua
Whitiwhitia e te rā
Mahea ake ngā pōraruraru
Makere ana ngā here.
E rere wairua, e rere
Ki ngā ao o te rangi
Whitiwhitia e te rā
Mahea ake nga pōraruraru
Makere ana ngā here,
Makere ana ngā here.
Cleansed by the wind
washed by the rain
and warmed by the sun,
all troubles are cleared away
and all restraints got rid of.
Fly O free spirit, fly
to the clouds in the heavens,
warmed by the sun,
with all troubles cleared away
all restraints got rid of,
all restrictions are cast aside.
Purea nei is a great waiata to learn. This waiata can be sung as a waiata tautoko and it is a great waiata to whakatau wairua or to bring calmness to a situation, it could be that a class is heigten or you may want to start the day off calm or end the day calm.
Reference list:
Higgins, R., & Loader, A. (2014). Story: Traditional Māori songs – waiata tawhito. Te Ara. https://teara.govt.nz/en/traditional-maori-songs-waiata-tawhito
Methodist Church Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa. (2023). 2 te aroha lyric video 884 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K70w32j-n3g
Assistant of Aotearoa. (2022). Putiputi Kanehana E [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPYh_VK8bnk
6cceeders. (2011). Tutira Mai [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNbBgGoRvs
Davis, J. (2021). Ka Pioioi - Waiata Maori performed by PacCon Pacific Connection Choir [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPbppgjI6N4
Educational Leadership Project Ltd. (2022). Ruru Waiata [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdASmwvhR5A
Nerehana Whanau. (2011). 09 E Minaka Ana [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBsU1l3y0DM
Hunga Roia 2017. (2018). Toia [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZS_B8ZtIEo
Hunga Roia 2017. (2018). Whakarongo [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gfryHI-J5o
Hunga Roia 2017. (2018). Te Iwi e [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29S3N0Nqw9w
Moa, A. (2020). Purea Nei [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDuvkXR9kes