Songs that celebrate Matariki: Mokohuruhuru
Mokohuruhuru
By Mark Kopua of Te Āitanga-ā-Hauiti, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Kahukura, Ngāti Porou iwi
| Mokohuruhuru, Karangatia, Hīnātore! Ka hikohiko te uira, kei te pae tawhiti Kauā e mataku e āku tamariki Ki te huri ō kanohi ki nōnamata ki neherā Takina te Pō, te Pō Nui, te Pō Roa Ka ngaro te ira atua i te Pō Tangotango e Ki te awhiawhi a ngā Mātua Ka ī ana kia whai te rokihau i te Pō Karangatia, Hīnātore, Mokohuruhuru Hōmai koa te Ao Te māramatanga namunamu ki Taiao Te māramatanga Auē, ko Te Ao Tūroa Kia puta ake ki Te Whai Ao Ki Te Ao Mārama Karangatia, Hīnātore MOKOHURUHURU! |
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Mokohuruhuru, Karangatia, Hīnātore! |
About this waiata
During Matariki we look to the light of the moon and the stars to help guide us. This waiata is all about light! The name of the song, Mokohuruhuru, is the word for the phosphorescent light made by glow worms.
This waiata talks about moving from darkness into the light of the day. It reminds us to look to the past to help us face the future. It was written by Mark Kopua, a well-known tohunga tāmoko and former student at Te Aute College. It was first performed in 1987 at the Wellington Regional Kapa Haka Competition by Pūtahi, a kapa haka group made up of ex-students of Māori boarding schools living or studying in Wellington.
