He Oriori mō te Kauae Raro o Puna rāua ko Papa
Nā Te Wairere Ngaia - 2023
He oriori tēnei hei whakatō i ngā kōrero tuku iho mō Te Kauae Raro e hāngai pū ana ki te mauri wahine nei, ki a Puna, me tōna noho hei pū mō te toiora ki runga i a Papatuānuku e takoto nei. Ko ngā kōrero nei i ahu mai i ngā kōrero tuku iho o te waka o Tainui, ā, kua whakanoanoatia hei oriori, e pai ai te tuku tonu i ngēnei kōrero tuku iho ki ngōna uri, otirā ki ngā uri Māori.
This is a traditional lullaby composed to instill the terrestrial lore pertaining specifically to Puna, the female life force, and her role as the giver of life here upon Earth, with Papatuānuku. The lore shared within this lullaby is of the Tainui canoe and has been turned into song form so the stories can be passed onto its descendants, and to all Māori descendants.
HE ORIORI MŌ TE KAUAE RARO O PUNA RĀUA KO PAPA
I te ōrokohanganga mai ko Te Kore
Kotahi-te-kī, Kotahi-te-kōrero, Kotahi-te-wānanga,
ko Te Kore Whiwhia, ko Te Kore-makiki-hī-rere,
ko Mākaka, ko Io!
Ko Te Whetū, ko Te Rā rāua ko Tau-ana-te-marama,
ko Ngā Pō, ko Ngā Ao
Ka puta ko Ranginui e tū iho nei rāua ko Papatuānuku e takoto nei
I te kōhaetanga mai o Te Āio Nuku
Ko Te Hanganga o Te Rangi, ka puta mai
Ko Puna tō raro, ko Hani tō runga
Ka noho a Puna ki te whenua hei whakatuputupu mea
Ērangi hoki ia he ira wahine ki Te Toi o Ngā Rangi
Ko Puna o Papatuānuku e! Hai!
Ka tae mai ki te wā o Ka-mārama-te-Ao
He pākeho-whakaare-he-reinga-herea
i whakawehe i a Rangi rāua ko Papa ki Te Ao Tūroa!
Kua kore he ara i waenganui hei rerenga mā Hani, mā Puna
Nā Puna-ka-riri ka puta ko Te Mātaotao, ko Te Werawera, ko Te Hōtoke
Ko ngā hau o te takiwā
Ka tākiritia te puru o te kōhatu i ākina ki te kūaha
Ka unuhia te puru o Rangi, ka puta ake hei ariki tapairu e!
Ka wātea te ara, ka piri te toa ki te uha,
ki Te Takapū Nui o Te Whenua
Ka ruia ngā purapura a Hani rāua ko Puna
“Ka kaha a Tama i te rangi, ka tere a Hine i te papa!”
Ka puta ko ngā ika o te moana, o te wai Māori, me ōna tini mea katoa
Ko te toiora o ngā mea katoa o uta nei e! Hai!
Ka noho ki te whenua hei oranga
Hei pupuru hoki i te mauri o te ora
I whiwhi kai ai te tangata, i whai toto ai, i āhua ai
Te uha i whānau ai, ngā kūao i ngote ai, i tupu ai
I ora hoki ai ngā mea katoa e whānau mai ana ki ngā tai o te ao
Tae noa mai ki te toiora mō te tangata
Ka huaina mai ko ngēnei ingoa;
Ko Hani-a-te-waewae-toa, ko Puna-whakatupu-kai,
ko Hani-a-te-waewae-kimi-atu, ko Puna-he-rau,
ko Puna-whakatupu-tāngata e!
Ka noho a Puna ki te kaokao o Papatuānuku
Kia ruia tonutia te toiora ki te whenua
Ka ngāngānui te mauriora ki Te Ao Tūroa
Ruia! Ruia e! Hai!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THIS ORIORI:
In the beginning it was The Formless Void
The One Unspoken Thought, The One Spoken Word, The One Sacred Assembly,
The Intangible Formless Void, The Formless Void pierced by a Line extending into Space,
The Sacred Curve, The Supreme Being!
The World of Stars, The World of Suns and The Floating Moons
The Multiple Nights and Universes
The Great Sky that stands above and The Earth that lies beneath
During the epochal period of The Widespread Calm,
came the Creation of the Heavens,
the creation of Puna who rested below and of Hani who rested above
Puna cultivates and grows things in the soil
Yet, she also possesses the female essence of The Innermost Heaven
She is Puna of The Earth Mother! It is done!
During the period of The World is Aglow
A cloud formation of limestone and clay fixed in space,
separated Rangi and Papa in The Enduring World!
There was no clear space for Hani and Puna to reach each other and reunite
An angry Puna caused The Intense Cold, The Great Humidity, The Bitter Cold of Winter, and the Winds of Space to appear
Puna pulled out the rock plug that obstructed the entrance way
To unplug the obstruction of the way of Rangi, to go forth and be exalted!
The path made clear, male and female joined together at The Widespread Abdomen of The Land, where Hani sowed the seed of Life with Puna.
“The Son of The Sky is strong and potent,
and the Maid of The Earth is lusty and fruitful!”
From them came the fishes of the sea, the fishes of the fresh waters, all other things that live in these two waters,
and some things that live on land! It is done!
Thus, the life principle was implanted on this earth
To nurture the male and the female essences
To obtain life-giving blood, to take form and grow
For the female to be able to give birth, suckle their young and give them substance.
To give life to all things that are born to nature
and also give life to mankind
From these significant events, the following titles were given;
Hani-a-te-waewae-toa, Puna-whakatupu-kai,
Hani-a-te-waewae-kimi-atu, Puna-he-rau,
and Puna-whakatupu-tāngata!
Puna resides on the armpit of Papatuānuku
To continue sowing the seed of Life
So that it may flourish in The Enduring World!
Sow! Sow it! It is done!
This oriori was composed by Te Wairere Ngaia for Kauae Raro.