Mōteatea – Kia Matike, Kia Mataara

Kaitito / Composer – Kā Pari Kārakaraka 2009
Rohe – Kāi Tahu whānui 

Whakamārama / Explanation

Ko te kaupapa o tēnei pātere he kōrero mō te āhua o te reo i roto i a Kāi Tahu me kā uauataka kia whakaora anō i taua reo, ā, he wero hoki o roto ki kā rakatira o te iwi kia ārahina tēnei tino mahi ā tātou, arā te whakaora i tō tātou reo rakatira.
The song talks about the struggle for te reo within modern day Kāi Tahu and lays down a challenge to the tribal leadership to ensure its survival for future generations.

 Ka tikaka whakamahi mō te waiata nei / Notes on appropriate usage of this waiata

He pātere tēnei waiata.  He pai mō kā kaupapa ōkawa, ōpaki hoki.
A waiata for general use.

KIA MATIKE, KIA MATAARA

Kia matike, kia mataara
Kia mataara, me tarika rahirahi
He ahi tāpoa kua kitea
I kā kaokao, i kā raorao
O te waka tāraia
e Tū te Rakiwhānoa e...i

Tuiau ki ruka, mākeokeo ki raro
Kai te tītaha te hua o te waka
I te waha torohī
E kore nei te ua e tākina e te awa
Ka mutu kē mai te kārearea
Pōkaikaha ana tō kāhui e...i

Whakatikahia te whare o Tahu,
Kauraka ko te pā takitaki
Kua paia te tatau
Mū i te ao, mū i te pō
Ka noho kā Tatau-o-te-whare-o-Māui
Uhuka reo kore tō mutu e...i

Kai hea rā aku manukura
I te āwhiotaka o te wā
Kai te kotiti te āwha
Kai te ua te āwha
Huruhuru hinamoki, ahakoa kure mai
Me aropapaki, koi tai rere e...i

Kia tama tāne ki te riri
Koi noho tō rahi hei tāwai
He puna raka e kore e whati
Aohia kā purapura a rātou mā,
kia tūperepere ki waeka
hauaka ki ruka, haumako ki raro
Ka tihou te raki, ka ohu, ka ora
Te reo o tō iwi e...i 		BE ALERT, BE WATCHFUL

Be alert, be watchful
On guard! Listen carefully
A warning fire has been sighted
In the foothills, the rolling plains
Of the canoe etched out
By Tū Terakiwhanoa

Fleas above, itchiness below
The mast of the canoe is leaning
Because of the loose lips
The river doesn’t snatch at the rain
Oh what great stupidity
Your flock are left confused

Fix up the house of Tahu
But do not make it a gated pā
With it’s door blocked shut
Silent in the day, silent in the night
Left only as a house for the Daddy-long-legs
Your funeral will be one of no voice

Where are my leaders
In the height of the storm
A driving storm
With pelting rain
To the silver haired, no matter the wrinkles
You must persevere, lest the tide be spent

Stand bravely for the battle
Lest your people be left for ridicule
An agile wrist will not be broken
Clutch the seeds of the elders
So that the garden may be fruitful
Dew above, fertile lands below
The sky is scraped, work together and
The language of your people will prosper.

 

 

Additional Notes – language meanings
The following is a list of whakataukī composed by the students using Kāi Tahu kupu from which the song, Kia Matike, Kia Mataara was composed.
He kupu Kāi Tahu kia raua ki tō kete!

Ahi tāpoa                      A warning fire
He ahi tāpoa kua kitea, kia mataara, me tarika rahirahi
The warning fire has been seen, be alert, be prepared

Ao(hia)                         handfuls
Me ao koe i kā purapura a rātou mā, kia tūperepere ki waeka
Take handfuls of the seeds of the elders, so your garden may be lush
The seeds of yesterday create the lush gardens of tomorrow

Aropapaki                     Sea breaking against cliffs
Me aropapaki te whiu, ko kā pari ka kāika e te karu
Be the relentless sea that consumes the entrenchments
Me aropapaki, koi tai rere
Fight till the end, lest the tide be spent

Hauaka                         dew
He hauaka ki ruka, he haumako ki raro
Dew above, fertile lands below

Hinamoki                      grey (hinamoki kā hua)
Huruhuru hinamoki, hinekaro hōkaka
Grey of hair, keen of mind

Kai/tātāwhāika  compete / contest of speed
Āta nekehia tō kai, kia toa te tātāwhāika
Chose your (man) move wisely, to ensure victory

Kārearea                      Silly
Te mutuka kē mai o te kārearea
The epitome of stupidity

Kure                             Shrivelled up / wrinkled (like an old potato)
Ahakoa kure mai, whai tonu.
Let your age be not a barrier to your pursuits

Ninihi                            Dead of winter
Ko te kai i te ninihi, he kōrero
The sustenance in the dead of winter, is knowledge

Ohu                              custom of helping one another at work
Ka ohu ka ora
Work together to survive

Pārua                           hole made in the snow (or river beds)
He pārua i te kiri, he hoipū i te rika, he kai i te piro
A ditch in the gravel, a blister upon the hand, food in belly

Puna                             The wrist
He puna raka,  e kore e whati
A supple wrist will not break

Tatau-o-te-whare-o-Māui          Daddy Long Legs
Whakatika te whare o Tahu, koi kitea te Tatau-o-te-whare-o-Māui
Prepare the house of Tahu, lest the Daddy Long-legs be seen

Tihou te raki                  a scraped sky (denuded of clouds)
Ka tihou te raki
A scraped sky
He wā anō ka kitea te tihi o te mauka, kā watea te whai

Torohī                           Diarrhoea
Waha torohī, kupu rukea
A loose mouth, disregarded words

Tuiau                            flea
Tuiau ki ruka, mākeokeo ki raro
Fleas above, irritation below

Waowao                       noisy argument
Mā te rokomau ka taea, mā te waowao ka karo
By peace it is possible, arguments achieve nought

Whakateka                   teasing
He wawata whakateka rānei?
Is this but an impossible dream?

Waimārima                   beautiful
Waimārima ā-tawhiti
‘Tis distance that lends enchantment to the view

Uhuka                          taki auē
Uhuka whānau kore
A funeral devoid of mourners

Tākina                          kahaki
E kore te ua e tākina e te awa
The river tarries not with the rain
The river doesn’t snatch at the rain (it comes in good time)

Takitaki                        taiapa
He pā takitaki
A fenced home
A person who blocks themselves from the outside world / puts up fences