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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 2, 30 March 1863, Page 22

[TRANSLATED FROM THE "PIHOIHOI." Friend, whoever you are who reads this little newspaper; do not mistake me for a Hokioi. I am not a Hokioi: not at all. That bird flies high in the heavens, leaving the clouds behind It; I fly close to the surfeee of the earth. That bird makts a screaming noise, as a sign—-the proclamation of w*r and shedding of blood. But as to jnyscgkMo not scream; I sit lonely on the house top, chirping. Men do not turn to look on me. If the fiofctoi cries, they will listen to it. My chirping is faint, the many, therefore, are ftot attracted by. it; they leave me to sit. here, and pass on their way. Nevertheless, My obirpfag conilmm and if vou are disposed, O my friend, Whearken' to me now, I Will smg for you my song. Some people are- afraid of me; they say, Ah he is a.Hokioi, and before long his faint toice will -ne exchanged for a scream. stie people who thus speak are foolish and <bKod, while they think tbey see. lam but a»* bird, a Pihoihoi. silling all lonely. Some are angry with me and say, that my 4&lrping is unauthorised, as well as -my fitting upon the house to sing, and so they cast stones at me that I might become alarmed and fly away. The first stone that

was rasj at me wasJ>y Pojsena;; the second was by Rcwi; and a runanga was called at a certain lime, at which they .proposed to cast stones at me, Many forgot to consider how degrading it is to cast stones at abi?d such as the Pihoihoi, so harmless. Yet I have no fear, for thrones they fling hither will not touch me. They have bow left off casting stones at me, and;l am allowed to sit unmolested. I baye;giyen;my song to those who pi int newspapers, so that many may hear it. Many persons turn away from me; well, it may be light, why should I be angry on account of that? I shall still chirp on* whether they will listen .or not. My chirping pleases jnyself; if they listen, well, and if they do not listen, still, it will be well. These things are matters of indifference to the lonely Sparrow. will you not stand for a while, that we may converse together? And when I have sung to you, ask me the meaning of the words in my song. These are ihesentimenls contained in my song, even truth. When the sun. is rising, And .gilding wib his ravs .The distant hills, 1, the while, am yearning o'er thee, [i.e., yearning over the Maori people: ihpugh guilty of deep ingratitude, they are still objects of regard.] . ; . -Be-placid now ye waters, . The seas that were tumultuous heretofore.: ■..■■;- L*- e '»" the passions of the human bean.] ■,: ,He, whose fameis g«eat among the people, . .. [i.e., ibe Governor.] . £a|meddown the troubled wave. - : £»•«•> the.Governor's patience and judi- ....... cipustearing,towards the Maori have ... ;■ changed the aspect of Maori affairs.] .; |S T ow as to me [Piuolhoi] let none be • Doubtful or imagine ought hut good. ; At early dawn I'll sing, ; ; An 4 when tbe sun springs up to life, And when he lingers in the sky to set,— i;: ; ; lUlsing, i r;.™^-1°!? *igbtb month comes round, L >\ hen al| is parciwd and barren, srAnd when thewnitrj'frosts are ushered in; o : sf3f *P.ngr-;Oh it shall be Of Justice and of Truth; : mijghty themes, 0 be ye lifted high,— ~: W€P iOßjhejsummit of the bay hills, - K i!'«'rto error be dethroned, and Truth : j a,:. i. a n 3 Justice exalted.] c^ e }.«« outspread my wings, /.;: tt new/era in: Maori history: the outr /. ; c Spreading olwings.iin Maori means r;v.-. ,f a a>ancement in ltftowkdge, etc.] . i( glad6ome

[*.*., the adherents of the Pi hoi hoi.] And be ye gladsome too, [i.e., the Waikatos.] For 10, the foggy clouds That hang around Taupiri's heights are scattered, And now the father and the son Are here encircled in the bonds of love. Say, who has brought about this revolution, Who hath dispelled the death-like darkness And given us life again ? [i.e., The Governor, who has the power to declare war*, prefers peace.] I shall speak of all the things that trans-' pire in Waikato, and in New Zealand. If I see the Maori acting according to good laws, and living peaceably, putting down tbievse and violent persons, I shall proclaim these j things, and my voice shall be lifted high, so that friends on the other side of ibe ocean shall bear. But, if I see wickedness in the land, and the acts of the Maori causing trouble, and disobedient people are allowed to go at large, and not punished, I shall not conceal the facts. Likewise, if the works of the Governor be good, 1 shall be very loving towards bini, but ray love for the truth will be greater still. I shall speak also of matters connected with other lands on the oilier side of the great sea, for New Zealand is but a small place, and the matters which transpire here are of little consequence. It will be well for the people to understand that there are nations whose wisdom is far greater than that of the Maori, and that there are other towns larger than Auckland and Ngaruawahia; and kings greater than Malutaera, and soldiers greater than the Maori soldiers. This is another matter which I shall disaddijpJßd to me. Whether the letters be good or evil, they shall be repeated in my song, and I shall allow them to be proclaimed by the managers of newspapers. If the letters contain sentiments of justice and truth, tbey shall be published, in order that men may be made acquainted with the truth and justice thereto. 'On the other hand, if they contain errors and mere inventions, I shall publish them, so that all may know the errors and falsehoods they contain, and thus truth shall be exalted in doing battle with error. If the cry of the Hokioi be wrong, that small thing the " Pihoihoi" is able to combat with it if its chirpings be founded on truth. These are the things which will be rejected—those letters that have no meaning in them, which do not interest any, for men do hot desire to read such letters, whether they be true or false/