Ka Mate 1. The Ka Mate chant 2. The Ka Mate actions 3. Responding to Ka Mate 4. Historic AB warcries 5. Haka of the 1924 ABs 6. Haka of the 2005 ABs 7. NZ rugby songs 8. What is a haka? 9 Ka Mate's ancient origins 10 Ka Mate to Kikiki 11 Te Rauparaha's haka 12 Te Rauparaha's life Home - Kiwi Songs - Maori Songs - Search - Donate   A. What do the words of The Haka mean? B. How can we chant the Haka like the All Blacks? C. How can we chant Ka Mate in the old traditional way? D. How can we avoid getting muddled up in the middle? E. What are some of the ancient versions of The Haka? A. What do the words of The Haka mean? KA MATE! KA MATE! It is death! It is death! We were at war KA ORA! KA ORA! It is life! It is life! But now there is peace. KA MATE! KA MATE! We're going to die! We're going to die! We thought we were all going to die KA ORA! KA ORA! We're going to live! We're going to live! but now we are safe TENEI TE TANGATA PU-HURU-HURU This is the man, so hairy because our leader, so strong and masculine, NANA NEI I TIKI MAI, WHAKAWHITI TE RA! who fetched, and made shine the sun! has unified us and brought back the sunny days of peace! UPANE! KA UPANE! Together! Keep together! We are all working in harmony, side by side, HUPANE! KAUPANE! Up the step! A second step! making steady progress WHITI TE RA! HI! Out comes the sun! Ahh! to prolong these sunny days of peace. Variations of the warm-up haka Ringa Pakia are sometimes used as an introduction to this haka. Whatiwhati to hope! Ringa pakia e! Waewae takahia! Ka huri o kanohi e! Sway your hips Slap your thighs Move your feet Turn your eyes B. How can we chant the Haka like the All Blacks? Maori pronunciation is basically one syllable per vowel , "Ka ma - te", "ta - nga - ta" When there is no consonant between two vowels, the second vowel is blended into the preceeding syllable, so Ka o-ra is pronounced 'Cow ra,' and Nei i is pronounced "Nay." 'Wha' is pronounced 'fa' by most people. And the final Hi! is pronounced 'He,' with a quick puff of breath, not 'High.' The All Blacks used to chant Ka Mate in the traditional way, but since 2007 they have developed a briefer, faster version. 1. This is the All Blacks' 1990s chant. It is similar to most traditional Maori performances of it. Ringa pakia e! Waewae takahia! Slap your thighs! Move your feet! KA MA-TE! KA MA-TE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA KA MA-TE! KA MA-TE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA TE-NEI TE TA-NGA-TA PU - -RU - HU -RU NA NEI TI-KI MAI * WHAKA -WHI-TI TE RAAA! AH... U - PA - NE ! AH... HU - PA - NE ! A HU-PA-NE! KAU-PA-NE! WHI-TI TE RAA ! HI ! 2. In their 2007 version of the haka, the All Blacks have put more lines in the introduction, but they have removed some of the old words, especially speeding up the Upane Ka rite! Ka rite! Kia mau! HI! Ringa-ringa pakia e! Wae-wae taka-hia! KA KI-NO NEI! HI!                A...   Get ready! Line up! Hold fast! WE'RE READY ! Slap your thighs! Move your feet! WE'RE DOING IT! YEAH! A KA MA-TE! KA MA-TE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA A KA MA-TE! KA MA-TE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA A TE-NEI TE TA-NGA-TA PU -HU-RU -HUU -RU NA NEI TIKI WHAKA-WHI-TI TE.. ..RA! U-PANE KA U-PANE! A HU-PA-NE! K'U-PA-NE! WHI-TI TE RAA HI ! C. How can we chant Ka Mate in the old traditional way? 3. This 1950s Te Arawa version of the chant is close to the 1990s All Black version. AH! KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA A TEE-NEI TE TA-NGA-TA PU-HU-RU-HU-RU NAA - NEI TI-KI MAI WHAKA-WHITI TE RA! AH... U - PA - NE ! AH... HU - PA - NE ! HU-PA-NE! KAU-PA-NE! WHI-TI TE RAAA ! But there are other traditional versions with different structures. 4. Here is a 1950s Tuhoe chant with an off-beat PUHU- and some AUEs added. KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA TE-NEI TE TA-NGA-TA * PU-HU- RU HU-RU NA-NA NEI * TI-KI MAI WHAKA -WHITI TE ... ..RA! AU-E! U - PA - NE! AU-E! U-PA-NE! U -PA-NE! KAU-PA-NE WHI-TI TE RAAA ! 5. And these Hato Petera College boys from the Auckland region drop the "Pu" completely. KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, KAO -RA KA MATE! KA MATE! KAO -RA, * A TE-NEI TE TA-NGA-TA ' HU-RU - HU-RU NA'A - NEI TI-KI MAI * WHA-KA-WHITI TE RA! AH... U - PA - NE ! AH... HU - PA - NE ! HU-PA-NE! KAU-PA-NE! WHI-TI TE RA HI! D. How can we avoid getting muddled up in the middle? How often do we hear "Tenei te tangatapuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuwhiti te ra? 1. Be aware that there are different ways of chanting the "Puhuru Huru" bit. 2. If you are mostly non-Maori, choose the 1990s All Black version. 3. If all of you are Maori, but most of the others are from a different tribal area, follow their lead. 4. Have a few practices beforehand. Ka pai?

E. What are some of the ancient versions of the haka? Ka Mate heen frequently been noted, from the 1850s right up to recent times, as being performed with the welcoming canoe-hauling chant Toia Mai, suggesting a nautical origin for Ka Mate as well. The haka seems to be derived from this boat-hauling chant. It begins with a verse of the chant used in the 14th century to haul ashore the migratory voyaging craft "Tainui." The crew thank their captain for navigating them into the warm life-giving sun. Aotearoa's icy cold sou'westerlies could be fatal for the lightly-clad voyagers from tropical Polynesia. Uira te ra, wewero te ra Nga tangata whakaririka Mamau ki te taura e Kia tu matatohitia ake Taku tu matatoro e O ihu o waka. Turuki, turuki, paneke, paneke! Turuki, turuki, paneke, paneke! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra! A hupane, a kaupane! A hupane, kaupane, whiti te ra! (Anne Salmond, Hui, 1973 page 163) The sparkling sun is stabbing now, and tense with hope we grasp the rope awaiting your command as you stand on high with watchful eye at the waka's prow. Take the strain, move her forward! Heave again, lift her shoreward! Hurrah for good old hairy face who's brought us to this sunny place! One step, together; hauling on the line, another and another, everything's just fine. (Rhyming translation by J Archer, 2009) In the 15th century, warfare broke out as trouble-makers attemped to steal land and women. This next version honours a strong peacemaker who re-established order and brought about "long sunny days" of peace, comparing him to Maui, who slowed the sun by striking its head. Ka mate, ka mate. Ka ora, ka ora Tenei te tangata, Puhuruhuru, Nana i tiki mai, I whakawhiti ti ra. U pane, kau pane, Witi te ra. (Daily Southern Cross, 13 November 1857) There was death, death, But now there's life, life! Here is the man, with the hairy limbs, Who came forward and caused The sun to shine forth Strike its head, smite its head! Bright shines the sun. In time, lasting peace was ensured by the custom of Tatau Pounamu, whereby the daughter of one warring chief was married to the young son of his rival. This Kikiki/Kamate chant describes the initial anxiety of the young couple on the night of their arranged wedding, and their growing physical and emotional intimacy. Kīkiki kākaka kau ana! Kei waniwania taku aro, Kei tarawahia kei te rua i te kerokero! He pounga rahui te uira ka rarapa; Ketekete kau ana, to peru kairiri: Mau au e koro e. Ka wehi au ka matakana. Ko wai te tangata kia rere ure Tirohanga nga rua rerarera, Nga rua kuri kakanui i raro? Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru Nana nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra! Upane, ka upane! Whiti te ra! (J Te H. Grace, Tuwharetoa: the History of the Maori People of the Taupo District, 1959) Murmuring flax-stalk walls, so close I'm brushed by your body your warm flesh, so vibrant! Forbidden mysteries are revealed; banter and intimacy, your flushed face: I am caught up with passion. fearful but fully alert. Who is this man so bold investigating the fleshy curves, with such an inviting scent? I am going to die, die! No, I'm alive, fully alive! a fully-grown man who can bring joy and peace! Together, side by side We can make the sun shine! Translator's working text with full comments on word use is here. John Te Heuheu Grace, in his 1959 Tuwharetoa history, surmises that Wharerangi chanted this when Te Rauparaha emerged after being confined under his wife, and that when Te Rauparaha later told others the story of his escape, he used this chant with a variation in its meaning. Thus he changed Upane (side by side) to Hupane (step upwards). Awatere gives this as the meaning Te Rauparaha put on it. Kīkiki kākaka kau ana! Kei waniwania taku tara, Kei tarawahia kei te rua i te kerokero! He pounga rahui te uira ka rarapa. Ketekete kau ana, to peru kairiri: E koro, mau au e! Ka wehi au, ka matakana. Ko wai te tangata kia rere ure Tirohanga nga rua rerarera, Nga rua kuri kakanui i raro? Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru Nana nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra! Hupane, kaupane! Whiti te ra! Secured are the palisades at last! lest disaster befalls my female guardian lest harm touches her in the burrow like the petrel! Refuge so given is as lightning! Shattered is your dignity, be calm, o you, my manhood! I tremble! I watch! What man will dare go forth impulsively at seeing these vulnerable pits fit for angry slaves in lowly places? I die, I die! I live, I live! Here is the hair-covered one who has caused the sun to shine Up one rung, up another The sun shines. (Adapted from Arapeta Awatere's, Awatere: a Soldier's Story, 2003) In 1940, when Col Arapeta Awatere was training men in his Maori Battalion from many different tribes to perform the shorter, older Ka Mate all together, he used this Te Rauparaha story to inspire them. This may be what has given rise to the popular notion that Ka Mate was composed by Te Rauparaha.     NEXT - 2. the Ka Mate actions     Home - Kiwi Songs - Maori Songs - Search - Donate Ka Mate webpage written by John Archer. Nov 1999. Revised Jan 2002. Lost, and reinstalled 13 March 2003. Revised 2006, 2007, 2008, Content divided into ten smaller pages Sept 2008 Ancient versions added Sept 2011.