He Waiata mō Te Heketua


Unedited Text

He Waiata
mo Te Heketua - patu pounamu
na Ngatitamatera
Ko Potiki te Tiaka, te tangata naana
i hopu mai

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Purupuru au te tau o te Heketua
Kore koa koe e tino nui atu
Kiri awhina po na tahau wahine
hei au ka tatari te paki o Matariki
Wha mamao ana te ripa tauarai
Ki to tai whenua kei hoki atu te
                                          ingoingo
I maringi a wai te tarupei a te toto
Ka whakina ki waho mei ahatia koe
Ipakaru mai ai
Werohia pea he kopere tupua
Nau e Tuwhare ka wheoro ki te rangi

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Ko te Rohu te kai mau o tenei patu.

Source:
Alexander Turnbull Library, Polynesian Society MS Papers 1187, Folder 184

A Brief explanation found in Ancient of the Maori by John White
The following incident in the childhood of Te Kani illustrates the care exercised by his people for him. Whilst one of the pas on the Mahia peninsula was being besieged, Te Kani was present as a child, and as there appeared to be danger of the pa being taken, the child was carried off by Kauhu, one of his own people and a relative. Potiki, a chief of Ngati-Maru of the Thames, one of the leaders of the besiegers, saw Kauhu and his party escaping in a body, and he knew at once that some chief was being conveyed away. He gave chase with his own warriors, and soon overtook Kauhu carrying the child on his back. This was Te Kani-a-Takirau. Potiki raised his tomahawk to kill the man and the child, when Kauhu called out to him: “Kaua ahau e patua ki te patiti takoko taha!”—“Do not kill me with a common tomahawk used for every-day use!” He then produced from his belt a celebrated greenstone mere, named “Te Heketua,” and handed it to Potiki, saying: “E Ta! Ina te patu hei patu i ahau, kia whakarongo maeneene ake ai au”—“O Sir! Here is an appropriate weapon to kill me with, so that I may feel it softly”; or, in other words, be killed with an historical and chief-like weapon. Potiki on seeing this valuable weapon handed to him, said to Kauhu: “Here, take the tomahawk in exchange, and make haste to escape with the child you are carrying!” and so let him go in peace.

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