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Cook Islands Māori L8: Example 3

Example 3: Te Auē a te Matiroeroe

Tei ‘ea tā rātou ta ‘unga tei ‘ea tō rātou pēpa teitei?
Tei ‘ea te au ‘anga ‘anga tei mātau ‘ia ‘i te rave?

‘E rima ‘inangaro kia ‘anga ‘anga
Māro ‘iro ‘i ‘i te kimi pū ‘apinga
Kua moe te tangi āmara,
Kua moe te tangi rākau
Kua moe te ‘uru pēni
Kua no ‘o pūa ‘apinga-kore ‘ua te au rima.

Ōmai ‘i teꞌ ‘anga ‘anga kia rave te rima
Tūtaki kia tau ‘i tā te rima rave ‘anga
Ōmai ‘i te ngāteitei kia tau ‘i tōna ta ‘unga
‘Anga ‘anga ‘akatū ‘are, ‘anga ‘anga pēni ‘are
‘Anga ‘anga ma ‘ani ‘apinga … tei ‘ea kotou.

Kāre e meitaki, kua pakari, ma ‘ata roa te mata ‘iti
Kāre e moni, kāre e peke a pāpā mā ‘i te tūtaki.

Ora ‘anga mei tō te manu, kua ko ‘i ‘i te moni meangiti
Mei te suori kāre ‘e urunga upoko,
Mei koia katoa te ora ‘anga moe ki raro ake ‘i te ‘ana
Ora ‘anga kai parākai, tuitārere ‘i te ‘enua ō tēta ‘i ke
Tei ‘ea te tangata Samaria … tei ‘ea te aro ‘a.

Taku ‘akaperepereꞌ tei ‘ea koe kare aku
Māri ‘ua ko taku ‘inangaro iakoe
Taku ānau tei ‘ea kōtou kāre a pāpā
Māri ‘ua ko te ngākau aro ‘a ‘ia kōtou
Ko taku reo aue, ko taku reo kapiki
Te tūoro atu nei ‘oki mai ‘oki mai ‘oki mai
Tika rava te tuatua, ‘i ruperupe ana te ora ‘anga
Tika rava te tuatua, ‘i tiratiratū ana te tūrangaꞌ
Kua kite ‘ia ana te kauraro, te ngāteitei
Kua kite ‘ia ana te pararauare ‘ō te mekameka.

‘I teia rā kua kite ‘ia te ngere, kua kite ‘ia te puta ‘ua
Kia tau ‘i te reo ‘o te ipukarea ‘e tuatua nei
“Te tangi nei ‘i teia tū.”

Tangi Upu (used with permission of author)

Context and text type

The poem shows compassion for highly qualified, experienced workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn. It highlights the effects of these changed circumstances on their lives and families.

Text type

Poem. Receptive.

Observations a student might make concerning

Information, ideas, and opinions communicated in the text

The poet uses repetition to communicate information, for example, repetition of metaphors:

  • Kua moe te tangi ‘āmara
    Kua moe te tangi rākau
    Kua moe te ‘uru pēni

The poet uses well-known sayings to communicate her message to her audience, for example:

  •  Ora ‘anga mei tō te manu … Mei te suori kāre ‘e urunga upoko.

The different stanzas of the poem convey how people feel about being unemployed, for example:

  • Mei kōia katoa te ora ‘anga moe ki raro ake ‘i te ‘ana
    Ora ‘anga kai parākai, tuitārēre ‘i te ‘enua ō tēta ‘i kē.

The poet uses a simile to compare the lives of people and animals:

  • Ora ‘anga mei tō te manu, kua ko‘i ‘i te moni meangiti.

A poem is written to be read aloud, so features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, speed, audibility, and stress all have a bearing on the effectiveness of the communication and need to be considered.

The body language of the reader (for example, facial expressions) will also convey meaning to the hearer.

How the poet explores the views of others

The poet explores the views of others by giving voice to their concern that their skills are not being used:

  • E rima ‘inangaro kia ‘anga ‘anga
    Māro ‘iro ‘i ‘i te kimi pū ‘apinga
    Kua no ‘o pūa ‘apinga-kore ‘ua te au rima.

The poet refers to the response of employers towards job applicants:

  • Kāre e meitaki, kua pakari, ma‘ata roa te mata ‘iti
    Kāre e moni, kāre e peke ‘a pāpā mā ‘i te tūtaki.

How the poet develops and shares personal perspectives

The poet shares her personal feelings about the effects of unemployment on families:

  • Taku ‘akaperepere tei ‘ea koe kāre aku
    Māri ‘ua ko taku ‘inangaro iākoe
    Taku ‘anau tei ‘ea kōtou kāre a pāpā
    Māri ‘ua ko te ngākau aro ‘a ‘ia kōtou.

The poet uses repetition to intensify her description of her feelings and arouse compassion and sympathy in her audience; for example:

  • Kua moe te tangi ‘āmara
    Kua moe te tangi rākau
    Kua moe te ‘uru pēni.

The poet expresses the view that workers should be rewarded according to their contribution:

  • Tūtaki kia tau ‘i ta te rima rave ‘anga.

She expresses the view that employers can be biased against applicants on account of their age:

  • Kāre ‘e meitaki, kua pakari, ma ‘ata roa te mata ‘iti.

She describes the impact of hands made idle due to unemployment:

  • Kua no ‘o pua ‘apinga-kore ‘ua te au rima.

How the poet justifies their own ideas and opinions

The poet uses Manitia’s response to explain the consequences of being unemployed:

  • Kāre ‘e meitaki, kua pakari, ma ‘ata roa te mata ‘iti, kāre e moni, kāre e peke a pāpā mā ‘i te tūtaki.

She uses repetitive structures to reinforce the severity of poverty; for example:

  •  ‘I teia ra kua kite ‘ia te ngere, kua kite ‘ia te puta ‘ua.

She puts the final line in inverted commas to further emphasise how sad the situation is:

  •  “Te tangi nei ‘i teia tū.”

The poet paints a picture of fruitfulness and success to provide a contrast to her picture of unemployment:

  • Tika rava te tuatua, ‘i ruperupe ana te ora ‘anga
    Tika rava te tuatua, ‘i tiratiratū ana te turanga.

How the poet supports or challenges the ideas and opinions of others

The poet describes the impact of unemployment on a person:

  • Taku ‘akaperepere tei ‘ea koe kāre āku
    Māri ‘ua ko taku ‘inangaro iākoe
    Taku ‘ānau tei ‘ea kōtou kāre a pāpā.

She uses questions to introduce her subject and challenge the reader:

  • Tei ‘ea tā rātou ta ‘unga tei ‘ea tō rātou pēpa teitei?
    Tei ‘ea te au ‘anga ‘anga tei mātau ‘ia ‘i te rave?

She emphasises how employers can be biased towards applicants on account of their age:

  • Kāre e meitaki, kua pakari, ma ‘ata roa te mata ‘iti.

The poet’s view may challenge the views of others, especially employers.

The poet responds personally to the devastating effects of unemployment on families. As she explores her feelings, painting a word picture of the impact of unemployment, her listeners/readers are challenged to explore their own views on the subject.

How linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages

The poem uses the conventions of written text, for example, macrons to indicate a long vowel sound (pūꞌapinga, āmara, Ōmai) and the glottal stop used to replace the 'h' which was once part of the word (teiꞌea, taꞌunga, raveꞌanga).

There is no 's' in the Cook Islands Māori alphabet; nevertheless, it is used in Bible words. So readers will recognise the Biblical references when they see words with an 's'; for example, 'Mei te suori (fox) kāre e urunga upoko' and 'Teiꞌea te tangata Sāmaria' (Samaritan). Because they know the Bible, many readers will understand these allusions.

Tangi, expressive of sympathy and sorrow, is a cognate of 'tangi' in te reo Māori, and its use in the poem connects the listener/reader to other Pacific languages that use this word. While tangi carries this meaning in the last line of the poem, it has many meanings. For example, it conveys the idea of 'ringing out' or 'making a sound' when used in these lines:

  • Kua moe te tangi ‘āmara
    Kua moe te tangi rākau.

Readers who know 'tangi' is commonly used in New Zealand to refer to the practices associated with expressing sympathy or sorrow at someone’s death may need to have their attention drawn to its other meanings when used in different contexts.

The poem illustrates the use of features that are typical of this genre, for example:

  • Similes:
    • Mei te suori kāre e urunga upoko.
  • Metonymy:
    • Kua moe te tangi ‘āmara,
      Kua moe te tangi rākau
      Kua moe te ꞌuru pēni
  • Repetition:
    • ‘oki mai ‘oki mai ‘oki mai, Tika rava … Kua kite ‘ia nā …
  • Rhyming:
    • ‘anga ‘anga, rave ‘anga, ora ‘anga.

How language is used in the text to express cultural meanings

In Cook Islands culture, Bible phrases are often used by a speaker to illustrate or explain points. For example, in this poem, the poet refers to the parable of the good Samaritan, 'Teiꞌea te tangata Samaria', to illustrate 'aro ‘a', the kind of compassion that is needed. This story would be known to most Cook Islands people because of the place Christianity has within the culture. By referring to the Bible story, the poet intensifies her description of how unemployment affects families, and highlights the compassion and assistance required.

In referencing the Bible, the poet demonstrates tāꞌakaꞌaka, the value of respect. 'Tā ‘aka ‘aka' involves honouring others, especially elders and those of senior status. It implies humility, and not placing oneself ahead of or before others. It also encompasses respect for God.

Formal language is used to convey the seriousness of the subject:

  • I teia rā kua kite ‘ia te ngere, kua kite ‘ia te puta ‘ua
    Kia tau ‘i te reo ‘o te ipukarea ‘e tuatua nei
    ‘Te tangi nei ‘i tēia tū
    Mei te kāre ‘e urunga upoko.

The poem refers to particular features of Cook Islands society, for example, 'te ngāteitei, ipukarea'. Learners of Cook Islands Māori may need help interpreting these words in the context.

Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence

Students could explore how people express grief and sympathy in different situations, how these sentiments are conveyed in different text types, and the particular linguistic and cultural features of such texts. They could compare these texts with comparable texts in English, and in other languages known to students.

Students could investigate the more common forms of poetry in Cook Islands Māori and compare these with their counterparts in English and other known languages. What similarities and differences in terms of form and purpose can students observe?

Students could apply their knowledge to composing their own poems in te reo Māori Kūki ꞌĀirani on suitable themes.

Last updated January 16, 2013



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