Īhenga

(album: Tangaroa - 2021)

Ka tū au runga Maketū
Te kaihōpara o te ao
Ka huri au ki uta
Kia Kaituna, kī ana mātou puku
Mai nga kurī ngā īnanga puta mai
E piki te maunga, titiro e...
Ko Te roto i kite a Īhenga!
Te motu tapu a Tinirau!
Roto i te Rotorua nui a Kahumatamomoe!
Huri mātou ki te tūāraki
Ki te Mānuka, komohia te pou!
Ki te Kaiparapara a Kahumatamomoe!
Kī nga puku anō

Ka hāpai ki te tūāraki
Runga i te Wairoa kia Kawakawa
Ki te Kai hū ki te Waikereru!
Kia Ruapekapeka! me te Motatau
Me te Tapu waewae haruru me Te wāhi whakatā
Ka huri mātou anō...
Anō ki Whāngarei!
Ki Te ahi pūpū
Piki ake Whatitiri maunga
E kapo te uira!
Te maunga Moehau!
E piki ana!

[English translation:]

I stand here in Maketū
The explorer of the land
I turn inland
To Kaituna, where our bellies are filled
The dogs have thrown up whitebait
I climb the mountain and see
The lake I saw (Lake Rotoiti)
The sacred island of Tinirau
In the second larger lake of Kahumatamomoe
We turn to the North
To the Mānuka (Manukau), where we place a stake in the ground to claim this place
To the Kaiparapara (Kaipara) of Kahumatamomoe
Where we fill our bellies again

We continue North
Along the Wairoa river, towards Kawakawa
To the place of the secret meal and Waikereru
To Ruapekapeka, and Motatau
To the place of resounding footsteps and the place of self reflection
We turn once again
Again towards Whāngarei
To Te ahi pūpū
I climb mount Whatitiri
The lightning cracks
The mountain Moehau
I climb