"Tena Koe"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 64, 2 April 1937, Page 13

"Tena Koe"

AROHA NT7J.

MA0RI GREETINGS I, TOKING I Loyalty from Tribes on I Coronation i YPICAL NATIVE POETRY During the visit of His Excellency, the Governor-General, to Waikato recently the opportunity was taken to hand over to Viscount Galway the address prepared by the Maori King, Koroki, for presentation to Their Majesties on the occasion of their Coronation. The address, which is given below, was contained in a handsomely earved cabinet and in handing the cabinet over to His Excellency, the foUowing address was read: — Your Excellency, — Tena koel Teha koe! Tena koe! , Welcome! Weleome! Thrice Welcome! Climb hither! Hasten hither! Bring unto me life-giving waters; Troubled was my sleep through the night, The night of darkness, the long night. Then came the flrst glimmer of dawn. The dawn! The dawn! Ah! 'tis day. Salutations! Salutations to you. Welcome to Waikato. To Waikato and its people, and to Waikato, the Eiver. Bring us glad tidings from the Homeland of the Pakeha, Bring us a message of hope, Bring us a message of joy and glafiness, Bring us a message from onr beloved King, Great is our joy in welcoming.you to our Marae. Indeed we rejoice exceedingly that your presenee here to-day has enabled us to present to Your Excellency our tribute of loyal and affeetionate greetings to his Majesty King George the Sixth and Her Majesty Queen: Elizabeth. May it please Your Excellency to enfcriist this our Loyal Address to your Prime Minister so that he may present it personelly on his atrival in England and look into the face of our beloved King. We tender to Her Excellency and to your family our affectionate greetings, AROHA NUI, Th« signature of Koroki, Kiingi. The Coronation Address. The address to Their Majesties was as follows:— - ^ Their Majesties, King George the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth. The sky aoove; and the land that lies beneath itl All ye tribes that stand around! Bear witness to this our loyal message of love and affeetion on the occasion of the Coronation of our beloved King and Queen. O Thou lo in th» Heavens! Do Thou proclaim him! Proclaim this son of oursl A son he was, when inen of courage Strove manfully. | A son he wae, when You and I Wero at peace with the world; Yea, at peace with the world; Sire, — Great. is our desire .to acknowledgo our debt of grafitude to your fond brother, His Boyal Highness'the Duke jOf Windsor. He was ever mindful of ithe welfare of the Empite, both as jPrince of Wales and as King Edward •the Eighth. We recaU with deep emotion hdw mindful he was of .the prestige of the British Crown. Indeea, he displayed such dignity and was sd mindful 6f YotA Majesty 's welfare that for evermore his great deeds will live in our hearts. ;0ne from his brethren has he made jKing over us, He did not sefc a stranger Over us, nor one which is not his brOthCf.Whefeiore/^ :The west winds do hither gently blow, The South winds teo a earess 0n us bestow, And like the river Waikato Many thoughts within me rise— Our "meres', discarded and within The Tribal House now lie. Ah i 'tis with joyful heart we SaitttC you, O' Kingf To your comrade and gracious Queen, our beloved Queen Elizabeth, whose charm and kifidly disposition has long efnce endeared her to the many peoples throughout the British Empire, we send joyful greetings. Let the cairn be wide spfead, Let the sea glisten like the "pounamu,'' And let the shimmer of summer Dance across thy path. Tb the beloved Queen Mother and all members of the Royal Eamily, we respectfully send a message of love from Ao-te-a-roa. Por lo! the winter is past The rain is over and gone. ' The flowers appear on the earth The time of the singing of birds is ccme And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The Princes of the Natione of the ,World will gather together in .thy City, 0' King. •Thou art fairer than the children of iUen! •Grace is poured into thy lips, therefore jGod hath blessed thee for ever. iln thy majesty rido forth, •Because of meekness and xighfceousness. In God we boast all the day long and mraise thv namfi fnr ever.

The signature oi' Koroki, Kiiflgi.