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Mātātuhi: KapongaPictured: Silver tree fern
Origin: New Zealand 🇳🇿 AotearoaLanguage: Māori
Pōkarekare Ana
Pōkarekare ana, ngā wai o Waiapu
Whiti atu koe hine, marino ana e.
CHORUS
E hine e, hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
Tuhituhi taku reta, tuku atu taku rīngi
Kia kite tō iwi, raru raru ana e.
Stormy are the waters
Stormy are the waters of restless Waiapu
If you cross them, girl, they will be calmed
CHORUS
Oh girl, come back to me
I could die of love for you
I write you my letter, I send you my ring
So your people can see how troubled I am
Mātātuhi: Waiotapu, RotoruaPictured: A thermal pool in Waiotapu, Rotorua
A love song from the heart of Aotearoa / New Zealand
A love song from the heart of Aotearoa / New Zealand
Pōkarekare Ana is a farewell song and one of the most well-known songs from Aotearoa / New Zealand. The song is likely to have been written around the time of WW1. The storminess mentioned in the song is likely to be a reference to the narrator's emotions. Each singer would localise the the waters (in my case, Waiapu) to wherever they prefer, although I initially learnt it with Rotorua instead.
Part of the national psyche
Part of the national psyche
"The song Pōkarekare Ana is a part of all of us, and it gives us a sense of real pride...and its simplicity, it just reflects on everyone of us from this land, and it's so unique to Aotearoa"
Dame Hinewehi Mohi, musician. Quote taken from Pōkarekare Ana - A Māori Love Song (TV programme, 2002).
A question of authorship
Despite being such a well-known song, it's not clear who authored Pōkarekare Ana. Some sources suggest that the song was communally written, but there it's also possible the song was written by two leaders in the Māori community.
Sir Āpirana Ngata
Sir Āpirana Ngata
Sir Āpirana Ngata was of the Ngāti Porou iwi.
Paraire Tomoana
Paraire Tomoana
Paraire Tomoana was of the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.
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