Noho ake au ki runga o Mātairangi
Runga i te taumata o te Ranga-a-Hiwi
Ka titiro iho rā ki te Whanganui a Tara
I nohoia nei rā e Ngāi Tara, Ngāti Ira
Taranihoniho te tamaiti a Whātonga
Ko Hotuwaipara i piri ki te poho e i auē
Ka huri aku karu ki te tai o te tonganui
E takoto mai ana ko Papatahi rā
Ko te taniwha nei e a Whātaitai nui
Koia i whenuatia e ngā tai hurihuri
Koia i hikina e te hao whenua
Ka huri ki te keo wairua manu nei e I auē
Ka titiro whakawaho ki te tai tokerau
Ki te whanga i hāngaia nei e Ngake te taniwha
Ka kite atu au ki te tokotoru a Tara
Mokopuna, Mākaro, Matiu ngā motu nei
Kei te ngutu whanga e
Tūranganui o Kupe,
Tangihanga o Kupe
Aroaro o Kupe e auē
Ka rere atu au ki runga o te Whetūkairangi
Ka tiaho iho rā ko te Motukairangi
Ko te roto para e I reirā i whakahua
“Ko wai ki Tū
hūtia kākāriki e?”
Ora tonu nei hoki hei whakataukī
Ka tahi ka noho ki
Te Whanganui a Tara e
Auē Te Upoko o te Ika
A Maui Tikitiki a Taranga
Ko te Whanganui a Tara
Tū ake nei
Tū ake nei
I sit on Mount Victoria
On the peak of Te Ranga-a-Hiwi
I look beneath me and see Wellington
Once settled by Ngāi Tara and Ngati Ira
Taranihoniho, the son of Whātonga
Hotuwaipara was his mother
I turn my eyes to the southern tides
Where it lies flat (Kilbirnie/Rongotai)
Where the great Taniwha Whātaitai
Was landlocked by the turning tides
He was lifted up in the great earthquake
And upon dying turned into the keo
I now look to the northern tides
To the bays created by Ngake the Taniwha
I see the three issue of Tara
Ward, Somes and Leper Island
At the harbour entrance
Barrett’s Rock
Pinnacle Rock
Steeple Rock
I take flight to Strathmore
Beneath me is Miramar peninsula
It was at Miramar where it was quoted
“Who are these people
who feast on parrots?”
This I recite to you all
From the great harbour of Tara
The Head of the Fish of
Maui born from the Topknot of Taranga
Great Harbour of Tara
Standing strong
Standing strong
Te Manu - Lyrics
(click a title to view the lyrics)
1. Te Manu
2. Te Kaitoronui
3. Noho ake au
4. Ko Wai Koe?
5. AEIOU
6. he kakano ahau
7. Pipi tui
8. ka mea
9. e kore e hokia
10. e ko
Arrangement - Karl Teariki
Vocals - Tangaroa Teariki, Te Manea Teariki
Noho Ake Au
Pererika Timutimu