Mōteatea – Poutini

Kaitito / Composer – Hana O’Regan
Rohe – Poutini Ngāi Tahu / Kāi Tahu whānui 

Whakamārama / Explanation

Ko taku waiata tuatahi tēnei i titoa i taku tau whakamutuka i te Kura Māori o Wikitoria, i te tau 1986.  I toko ake rā te hiahia i taua wā ki te tito i tētahi waiata mō mātou ake o Kai Tahu kia kauraka au e mate anō ki te waiata i tētahi waiata nā iwi kē atu hai tautoko i ōku hākoro me ōku pōua.  Nā tōku hākoro i tuku mai te pūrākau mō Poutini hai kaupapa mō te waiata.
This was my first ever composition that was written during my final year at Queen Victoria Māori Girl’s Boarding School in 1986.  My desire at the time was to compose a song about Kāi Tahu ourselves so I would not have to sing the songs of another people when needing to support my uncles and elders.  My father retold the story of Poutini to me as a topic for such a song.

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

He pai tēnei waiata hei waiata kīnaki i kā kōrero ōkawa.  He waiata e kōrero ana mō te whakapapa o te pounamu me tētahi o kā kōrero e pā ana ki tērā tino taoka o Kāi Tahu.
This waiata is appropriate for formal powhiri as waiata kinaki.  This is a generic waiata that can be used in any place but of course refers to the whakapapa of the pounamu and one of the associated traditions.

 

 


POUTINI  

Ko koe Poutini a Kāhue
Tūpato i a Whatipū a Hoaka
Titiro hākai te koko
Āritarita ō whatu ki a Waitaiki a Tamaahua e
Kei reira e kaukau ana tōna kiri whakahirahira
Nāhau rā i kawe atu, nāhau rā tana takahore
Nāhau rā te aroha te ahi tukua ai tōna kiri whakahirahira
Whakaekeekekia e te tekateka
Ki Whakamoa, Aorere, Onetāhua, Pāhua

Kitea noatia e koe te kākau makariri
Kitea noatia e ia te ahi makariri
Pōhane pai a Tama e, riro kē i a koe
Ki Whakamaata, Rakitoto i Te Waipounamu e
Hei aha! Haere noa atu ki Mahitahi
Takiwai i Piopiotahi, Tēnā  koia ki Arahura
Hei aha koa te kaha o tō aroha ki a Waitaiki

Kā tahi, kā rua, kā toru, kā whā
Ka tae ki te wā ka takahuritia a Waitaiki
Hei tīramarama, hei maramama, hei tino taoka
Ko te pounamu e …
Taumaha kā roimata o Tama tuku iho

Hei takiwai ki tana whaiāipō e
Auē, ko koe rā Poutini a Kāhue e


POUTINI  

You Poutini of Kahue
Beware of Whatipū of Hoaka
Look across the bay
Your eyes burning with desire for Waitaiki of Tamaahua.
Thereupon she bathes her beautiful body
It was you who abducted her and took her naked body
In pity you warmed her by heat of the fire
Tama’s dart pursued in quick succession
To Whangamoa, Aorere, Onetāhua, Pahua

All you could see was a cold heart
All he found were cold fires
Yet she longed for Tama so you took her further
to Whangamatā, and on to Rakitoto in the South Island
Never mind!  You persisted on to Mahitahi
To Takiwai in Piopiotahi, then finally returning to Arahura
Oh how immense your love for Waitaiki

One, two, three, four,
Time has run out, you transform Waitaiki
Into a gleaming, glistening treasure
To jade...
Heavy are the teardrops of Tama as they descend

As Tangiwai to his loved one
Oh, Poutini this is all your doing taniwha of Kāhue.