WHAKARONGO MAI E NGA IWI

Te Ao Hou, December 1958, Page 52

WHAKARONGO MAI E NGA IWI Rangi: “Goodbye Little Darling” There has been a number of Maori versions for this song. The writer first heard it sung at Gisborne by the Tairawhiti Kiwi Club—a Club which during the second world war assisted greatly in farewelling and welcoming members of the forces and in assisting to raise funds for patriotic purposes. In 1943, this club competed in the Gisborne Annual Competitions in the fifteen minute entertainment section, and had as its introductory number, this action song. The Club won the section competition, having gained no less than 93 points out of a possible 100. The Maori version is by Canon Wi Te Tau Huata, M.C. and was written by him for his Bible Class. Whakarongo mai e nga iwi, Ki te reo o …. E nga hau e wha, Haere mai ra e, E nga iwi, tatau, tatau. Aue, aue, hei! ha! hei! ha! hei! Aue, aue; Heretaunga, Hikurangi, Wairoa, Torere, Turanga e! Nuhaka. Mohaka, Rotorua, Ruatoki. Akarana, Kia ora koutou katoa. Listen, ye tribes all assembled, ‘Tis the voice of …. Extending to the four winds, A warm welcome to all, May all unite and be one. The places named in this song, were the centres from which the various Bible Classes attending a “Camp” came. I have excluded the name of the Club in the line “Tis the voice of”. The term “tatau, tatau” in the fourth line was coined by the late Sir James Carroll, and in later versions of the song, this has been misquoted to read “tatou katou” which alters the meaning of the song, and in my opinion, ruins it. The balance of the song is not translated as this part is obvious and requires no comment.