This week is Māori Language Week/ Te wiki o Te Reo Māori. So I will be sharing some beautiful poems, proverbs and words in Māori and English for you to enjoy. Here is a poem by Haare Williams from his incredible book of wisdom: Words of a Kaumātua.
E Pii, e Paa tiny bees swarming
E Pii, pō pō ia you are life’s tenderness
Hoki mai kake mai come, return
Hoki mai anō ki ahau rest in my arms
Ko au karanga nei you are me, I am you
E Pii, e Paa, e Pii pō pō e our richness is
Hoki mai rā each other
From Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams, edited by Witi Ihimaera
Dr Haare Williams MNZM has been Dean of Māori Education and Māori Advisor to the Chief Executive at Unitec. He was General Manager of Aotearoa Radio. He set up a joint venture with the South Seas Film and Television School to train Te Reo speakers as producers and operators in film and television. He has worked closely with iwi claimant communities and was responsible for waka construction and assembly at Waitangi for the 1990 commemorations. He has published poetry, exhibited painting and written for film and television. He was a cultural advisor for the Mayor of Auckland and is Amorangi at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
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Love this poem. Ever since I watched Moana (guilty pleasure I know) I became self-obsessed with māori culture and this is fabulous to read. Thank you for the share!
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