Te Kakano

Te Kakano

Ina kaore waahi tu
Te tangata kiri parauri
Te minamina nei
Tama a Kupe

Koia nei toru tekau ma rima
I tua te kohanga iwi
Toona tirotiro
Mawehe matauranga e

Tatu noa te kimihanga
Tau ki toona kuaha
E mahara aroha
Ka haere mai e

I huria puta atu
Ehara koe naku
Mena ano pea
E kore au mohio

Ina koe te noho hei parepare
Whakahihi mai na
Pumau to whakapapa
Ahua mahana

Ka kii e kore waahi tu
Tama na Tangaroa
To taina
Na nga Tipuna i kawe mai
Roto i nga waka tipuna
Te toto
Te kakano e

So he has no place to stand
This man with brown skin
And laughing white smile
Child of Kupe

He who survived for thirty and five
Beyond the cradle of the tribe
Whose judgement
Deprived him of knowledge

And when finally the quest
Did lead him to her door
Thoughts of 'aroha'
And 'haere mai'

Were replaced with
'Go. You are not mine
And if you are
I will deny'

Yet you sit there
Wearing your tribal knowledge like a crown
Smug and self-righteous
Secure in your genealogy
Warm cocoon

And say he has no place to stand
This son of Tangaroa
God of the Seas
This brother of yours
Whose ancestors carried him here
In their great canoe
Their blood
Their seed