Poi: Ma Wai E - Welcoming (and Consuming) the Tourists

Well with the help of my Maoiri iTalki teacher Kayla and Google's AI, I have a type of translation of the song Poi - Ma Wai E.

1. Te tere hoki o te ārero māori ki te hahangi Hi ha hi ha hi! Ahakoa te tangata, ahakoa te mahi e Hi! 

2. Kia whakatia tete roa o te whenua Te mahi waitara tuatara kau atu Te maha takitaki mā te iwi Pākeha Whatiwhati ngā hope Hi ha! 

3.  Te ngaru tū momohō Kauaru eee Ahangitia e te motu E taku poi eee Mā wai e … a kawea! a hine tūrama … a pā tō e A katoa e … Te tauira hoki Akiri matao eee .. ! 

4. Tenei ka noho ka ngote tu karapu Pohau e te ngutu E te ngutu o te pū Te maha takitaki mā te iwi Pākeha Whatiwhati ngā hope 

5. Engari e hoe e hei aha rā … Te mahi tonu te mea ngā pae mā kui mā. Mā wai e … a kawea … a hine tūrama - a pātore Te tauira hoki Akiri mātao e .. ! 

6. Leader: He tikanga taku! He tikanga taku Te whakangaro i ngā manuhiri Ahakoa nohoi mā Ahakoa no rea kē Akiri Waitiki ngā rangi tiari Nā roto kaipoa Ka haruru te hupere a ngā tūrihi e X 2 Akiaki kaki mai! X2 Hi … Hi ha!

Kayla claimed that although she could sound out the syllables of the song, she didn't understand all the words. But on reflection, given how snarky the song seems to be, I wonder if she was too embarrassed to tell me.

Let's hear all about it, Google AI:

This is a modern or contemporary kapa haka item (likely a haka, waiata ā-ringa, or customized theme item) that blends traditional Te Reo Māori poetic structure with modern, humorous, and satirical commentary on tourism, cultural performance, and the interaction between Māori and Pākehā (visitors/tourists). 

 

Here is a breakdown of the meaning, themes, and translation of each section:

1. The Speed of the Tongue (Te Tere o te Ārero)

• Maori: "Te tere hoki o te ārero māori ki te hahangi Hi ha hi ha hi! Ahakoa te tangata, ahakoa te mahi e Hi!"
• Translation & Meaning: "How fast the Māori tongue moves when expressing passion/protesting (hahangi)! Hi ha hi ha hi! No matter who the person is, no matter what the job is, Hi!"
• Context: This sets the stage for a lively cultural performance, acknowledging the intense, rapid delivery of words required in a powerful haka or chant.

2. Entertaining the Pākehā

• Maori: "Kia whakatia tete roa o te whenua Te mahi waitara tuatara kau atu Te maha takitaki mā te iwi Pākeha Whatiwhati ngā hope Hi ha!"
• Translation & Meaning: "Spanning the length of the land... performing stories, portraying the tuatara (ancient lizard). So many recitations and performances for the Pākehā people. Shake and sway those hips! Hi ha!"
• Context: This is a meta-commentary on the tourism industry, where performers travel the length of the country to recite histories, tell stories, and perform traditional movements (like swaying the hips) specifically for foreign visitors.

3. The Wave and the Poi

• Maori: "Te ngaru tū momohō Kauaru eee Ahangitia e te motu E taku poi eee Mā wai e … a kawea! a hine tūrama … a pā tō e A katoa e … Te tauira hoki Akiri matao eee .. !"
• Translation & Meaning: "The striking, powerful wave... rising up across the island. Oh, my poi! Who will carry it forward? The daughter of light... it touches everyone. The true pattern/example..."
• Context: This section transitions to classic waiata and poi imagery, evoking the natural elements (waves) and traditional storytelling figures (Hine Tūrama—the daughter of light/stars), questioning who will keep these cultural arts alive.

4. The Club and the Cannon

• Maori: "Tenei ka noho ka ngote tu karapu Pohau e te ngutu E te ngutu o te pū Te maha takitaki mā te iwi Pākeha Whatiwhati ngā hope"
• Translation & Meaning: "Here we sit, holding fast to the club (weapons/culture)... blowing/whispering from the lips, from the mouth of the gun. So many recitations for the Pākehā people. Shake those hips!"
• Context: This pairs traditional weapons (karapu/patu) with modern ones (pū—guns/cannons), symbolizing the historical clashes and adaptation between Māori and European settlers, returning to the refrain of performing for tourists.

5. Continuing the Work of the Ancestors

• Maori: "Engari e hoe e hei aha rā … Te mahi tonu te mea ngā pae mā kui mā. Mā wai e … a kawea … a hine tūrama - a pātore Te tauira hoki Akiri mātao e .. !"
• Translation & Meaning: "But paddle on, no matter what! The work must continue, maintaining the horizons set by our mothers and grandmothers. Who will carry it? The daughter of light..."
• Context: An encouraging call to the performers. Despite the commercialization or fatigue of performing, they must "keep paddling" to preserve the arts passed down by their female ancestors (kui mā).

6. The Leader's Call: Welcoming (and Consuming) the Tourists

• Maori: "Leader: He tikanga taku! He tikanga taku Te whakangaro i ngā manuhiri Ahakoa nohoi mā Ahakoa no rea kē Akiri Waitiki ngā rangi tiari Nā roto kaipoa Ka haruru te hupere a ngā tūrihi e X 2 Akiaki kaki mai! X2 Hi … Hi ha!"
• Translation & Meaning: "Leader: I have a custom! I have a custom to consume/overwhelm the visitors! No matter who they are, no matter where they come from! Underneath the clear skies, driven by greed/devotion, the horn (or chatter) of the tourists rumbles! (X2) Urge them onward! Hi... Hi ha!"
• Context: This is a humorous, traditional-style haka finale. "Whakangaro" literally means to destroy or make disappear, but in the context of welcoming guests, it playfully refers to completely overwhelming the tourists with hospitality (manaakitanga) and fierce performance—so much so that they are "consumed" by the experience.