Uepohatu reunion - song 'Haere mai ra e te Kawana e'

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The Uepohatu haka party sing ‘Haere mai ra, e te Kawana e” at the reunion of ex-service people at Uepohatu Marae in 1947. See the programme here.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall.  The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

Transcript

Haere mai ra, e te Kawana, e!                    Welcome to thee, O Governor!

Ki te Tai Rawhiti.                                       Come to the Eastern Sea,

Haria mai te tohu toa,                                Bringing the Cross of Valour,

He mea tohenga nui,                                 Emblem of striving to death;

Na te toto heke ra,                                    Won by the shedding of blood,

Na te whakamomori.                                 By will and effort supreme.

Haere mai ra, e te Kawana, e!                    Welcome to thee, O Governor!     

Haere mai! Haere mai ra!                           Welcome, thrice welcome, to thee!

 

Nau mai, e te Pirimia                                 Greetings to thee, Prime Minister,

Me te Tuarangi!                                         And to thy noble band!

Haere mai ra, kia tangi koe                        Mingle thy tears with ours

Ki taku Raukura.                                       For this our Beloved Son.

Na te ao ana hanga,                                  What cares the world in travail

Kia raru noa ko au.                                   For such a one as I?

Haere mai ra, e hoa ma!                           Come then, ye Sirs, we greet you,

Haere mai! Haere mai ra!                          Welcome, thrice welcome, to you!

 

Aotea! Te Waipounamu!                            Aotea and Waipounamu!

Tenei nga kura nei!                                   Here are the honours they earned,

Na te toto heke ra,                                    Risking their lives regardless,

Na te whakamomori.                                 Striving with might and main.

Moana, e! Manahi, e!                                 Moana, son! Manahi too,

Me Te Tuahu ra! Aue!                                And Te Tuahu [Lt M. Wikiriwhi]! Ha!

E tama ma, i hira ai                                  Heroes who have by doughty deeds

Ahau ki runga ra!                                     Lifted my fame on high!

Hi!

Reference:

Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, ref: 43116. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.

Image: Crop of programme from the Special Reunion of ex-service personnel. See full image.
National Library of New Zealand
005 - Papers re Uepohatu hall and a reunion, 1947
Reference Number: MS-Papers-6919-0163. Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata Collection, 1874-1950 : Papers (MS-Group-0941)

Submitter:
Submitted by mbadmin on

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