Ngā māra a Tāne
Nā Mereiwa Broughton nō Taranaki
Māra kai, māra putiputi, māra harakeke, māra rākau. Koia nei ētahi o ngā taonga a Tāne Māhuta. He nui ngā taonga i waiho ake i roto i te tāhuhu pakiwaitara a kui mā, a koro mā, i hiritia ai ki te tāhuhu o te whare. Te whakahekeheketanga kei ngā heke o te whare tūpuna, e kitea ai te whakairo, e kitea ai hoki ngā mahi tukutuku a kui mā, a koro mā. Nō reira koia nei ngā pā harakeke e kōrerotia nei a Tāne, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā māra a Tāne.
Ko ngā akoranga hoki kei ngā manu e kīia nei, he tūi, he kererū, he kiwi, he kea, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā pīpīwharauroa, ā, ki ngā pīwakawaka, ki ngā moa i te wā i a rātou e mātau ana. Ko ēnei manu e taea ana, kei roto kei ngā iwi Māori o ō tātau marae maha, me ō tātau waka. E kohikohingia ana e kui mā, e koro mā, kia mahingia hoki ngā kakahu Māori ataahua e mau nei i runga i te tinana a tēnei mea a te rangatira, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā kōhungahunga.
Ko ētahi hoki o ngā harakeke, he kiekie, he tī, anā ko te harakeke muka e taengia ana ki ngā tae māori a Tāne Māhuta ki roto ki te whenua, ki ngā roto, ā, tae atu hoki ki te tahataha awa kia pai ai hoki te tae i ētahi o ngā harakeke. Kāore e rite ki te pīngao haere tonu mai, tipu tonu mai me ōna nei tae.
Ko ētahi o ngā kai e kainga ana i roto i te ngahere, he kauka, he taro, he kūmara, he rīwai māori.
Nā, ka hāereere haere ka titiro ki te ngahere. Kei roto hoki i te ngahere a Tāne Māhuta te oranga tinana, ki ngā rongoā, ki ngā rākau; he totara, he kahikatea, he hīnau, he pohutukawa. Ko te pohutukawa, he tohu tērā o te akaaka matua o te tīmatanga o te rā whānau a te tamaiti wairua. Koia nā te putiputi tuatahi e tipu ana e te takutai moana ka haere atu ki roto o Mātaatua ki te takutai moana, ki Te Tairāwhiti kei te pua mai te pohutukawa. Mōhio tonu tātau koia nei te tau ko te rā whakanui e mahia ai e ngā kuia, me ngā koroua, tētahi rā nui mō te whakamāramatanga i tohungia ai ko te rākau mauri a te iwi mōrehu o Aotearoa. Tōna tohu ko te pohutukawa i te rā whānau a te tamaiti wairua.
Anā, i mua hoki, ā, ko ētahi o ngā rau he akaaka. Ka puritia mātau anā ki te takutai o te awa, ā, kua puritia e mātau, anā, pūtoro tonu atu ki roto i te wai. Arā, ko tērā rākau hoki he mahi hīnaki nā ō mātau koroua. Ka haere rātau ki roto i te ngahere, ka noho, ka karakia, ka whāwhā haere i ngā rau, ka whāwhā haere hoki i ngā peka, ka titiro ki ngā take, koia nei te rākau pai hei tuitui, hei mahi i te hīnaki mō te hopu tuna.
Nā, koia nei ētahi o ngā taonga kei te ngaro haere. Kāre e kōrerotia ana e te tangata, engari mehemea he whānau, kātahi ka puāwai. Kia kitea ai hoki, kaua e rau kē ki tēnā rākau, engari āta tirohia.
Nā ka haere mātau ki roto i te ngahere, taima e tamariki ana, he pōwiri anō mō tēnā whare a Tāne Māhuta, ki te whenua, ā, ki ngā mauri katoa hoki o te ngahere. He rerekē anō ngā pōwiri, anā koia nei ētahi o ngā taonga e kōrerotia nei e oti pai noa iho ana ngā mahi i raro i Tōna korōria.
Koia nei, ka kī atu ki aku akoranga kei roto kei nga āhuatanga, ā, tae atu hoki ki te whāwhātanga i ngā tukutuku. Ka haere ki te rapu i ngā pīngao, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā kiekie, kia tika ai hoki te hanga i ngā tohitanga o tēnei mea a te tukutuku. Ā, ka tae atu hoki, ka tirohia he rangi pai ana, kua pōwiri atu anō ki ērā rākau, ā, tae atu hoki ki te whenua kia pai ai hoki ngā mauri o roto o Tāne Māhuta.