Harry Evison 24.5.1924

Dec 21, 2014

TK64-Harry-C-Evison-Portrait

Ko te paiao
Ka tere ake ana ki ruka
He mū tana haere
Kāhore i pāorotia tana taeka mai e te matakīrea
Kāhore i pānuitia tana haereka atu e te marea
Ka tere noa iho mai te kapua
He mū tana haere
Ko te maramaru o tōna ātāraki
He mea ārai atu i te hae kino o Tama nui te Rā
Ko ōnā wai ka heke ki te papa
He mea whākai i te whenua, me ōna iwi hoki
Heoti ka kāika te kapua e te wera o Kōmaru
Ka mahiti, ka karo
ka tihore te raki
Ka pakaka te whenua
Ka tīkākā te peha takata
Ko te taki o te iwi ka rakona
I kā moka katoa
He auē i te koreka
o kā ao i te raki
E te Awe Nui, E Hari
 e aki atu rā
I kā hau o te wā
Ko mātou, ka hōrakerake i tō koreka
Ko mātou, ka wheinu i tō koreka
Haere me te mōhio
Ko mātou ko ora i a koe
Me tō tereka atu i ruka Aoraki
Me tō aroha nui mai ki a mātou o Kāi Tahu
Ko tō tākoha nui ka kore e warewaretia
E te pōua, e moe, e moe, e oki e…
The cloud
Drifts above
Silently
Its arrival is not announced by the herald
Its departure is not broadcast by the masses
The cloud simply drifts above
Silently
Its shadow
A shield from the burning sun
Its waiora which fall to Earth
Nourish the land and her peoples
But when the cloud is consumed by the heat
of the sun
It dissipates, and vanishes
And the skies clear
The lands dry up
The skin burns
And the peoples of the land cry
Wherever they are
Lamenting the loss
Of the clouds in the sky
E te rakatira Harry,
float onwards
On the winds of time
We here, are left exposed
We here, are left parched
Leave us knowing
That we survive because of you
And the pathway which led you over Aoraki
And your compassion to us of Kāi Tahu
Your generosity and gifts will never be forgotten
Rest well…