Te taniwha
Nā Katarina Mataira
Ka kī ngā koroua,
Ka kī ngā kuia,
"Kaua e haere ki reira;
He taniwha, he taniwha,
Kaua e haere ki reira."
He tuna taua taniwha,
He mea tino nui:
E takoto ana,
E tatari ana,
I te taha o te awa.
Ka kata a Hemi Parata,
Ka kata ia, ka kī.
"Mehemea he tuna ia,
Māku e hopu,
Māku e patu,
Māku e kai tō taniwha."
Ka kī ngā koroua,
Ka kī ngā kuia,
"Kaua e haere ki reira,
Ka hopukia, ka patua,
Ka kainga, ko koe.
Kaua e haere ki reira."
Ka kata anō a Hemi,
Ka haere ki te whare,
Ka tiki atu i tana hūka,
Te hūka hopu tuna.
Ka whakakoia taua hūka,
Ka herea ki te rākau,
He hūka nui, he hūka koi,
He hūka patu tuna.
Pō ana, haere ana;
Te kete i te tuarā,
Te hūka i te ringa,
Kāhore i kite atu,
Kāhore i mōhio,
Kei muri e whai atu ana,
Ko tana tino tama,
Ko tana tino tamaiti,
Ko Hone,
E whai atu ana.
Pōuri pōuri, pōuri,
Kāhore he marama.
Pōuri, pōuri, pōuri,
Kāhore he hau.
He pō tino pai,
Mō te hopu tuna.
Tata atu, tata atu,
Kua tae ki te awa.
Tata atu, tata atu,
Kua tae ki ngā repo.
Tata atu, tata atu,
Kua tae ki te wai.
Kei konei, kei konei,
Te tuna.
Tīhaea te māti,
Tahuna te rama,
Hāpainga ki runga.
Kia mau ki te rama,
Kia mau ki te hūka,
Kia tūpato te haere.
"Kei whea koe,
Tuna nui?
Tēnā, puta mai.
Kei whea koe,
Taniwha?
Tēnā haere mai."
Ka wiriwiri mai
Ngā repo
Ka wiriwiri mai
Te wai.
Anā te waero,
Anā te tuarā,
Anā he tuna nui.
Pīhukatia.
Paoatia.
Anā tō kai.
Pīhukatia.
Paoatia.
Kia mau! Kia mau!
Kia mau!
Ka kata a Hemi,
Ka kata, ka kī,
"Kua mau koe, tuna nui."
Ka makaia atu
Ki waho o te wai,
Ki waenganui taru,
Ki tahaki.
Pōuri, pōuri, pōuri,
Kāhore he marama.
Pōuri, pōuri, pōuri,
Kāhore he hau.
He pō tino pai,
Mō te patu tuna.
Engari . . .
Kei hea te tuna . . .
I pīhukatia nei,
I paoatia nei,
I makaia nei ki tahaki?
Kāhore i konei.
Ehara i te tuna,
E takoto nei,
Kei waenganui taru,
Kei tahaki.
Ehara i te tuna,
E takoto nei,
E takoto nei,
Kua mate.
Engari . ..
He tamaiti paku . . .
Ko te tino tama,
Ko te tino tamaiti,
Ko Hone.
Ka kī ngā koroua,
Ka kī ngā kuia,
"Kaua e haere ki reira,
He taniwha, he taniwha,
Kaua e haere ki reira."