NZ Haka Wairua * Whakatoria Mai NZ Maori Haka * Whakatoria Mai
NEW  ZEALAND
HAKA * WAIRUA

Whakatōria Mai
from Once Were Warriors


Maori Songs
- Kiwi Songs - Home


Taringa whakarongo!
Kia rite! Kia rite! Kia mau!
Au! Hi!
Taka takahia! Hi!
Taka takahia! Hi!
Taka takahia! Hi!
Turi pakia!
Tōia aha?

Whakatōria mai
te wairua
O ngā matua tīpuna
Ki roto i tō taku manawa
Hei arataki i ahau e
Ki roto i tēnei ao.
Listen up now!
Get ready! Line up! Hold fast!
Yes! Sir!
Get ready to move! Sir!
Get ready to move! Sir!
Get ready to move! Sir!
Slap your knees!
What are you dragging down?

May there
be implanted
the spirit
of my ancestors 
into my heart
to guide me
through this world
.


What does Whakatōria mean?

My great thanks to Pipi Whatarauroa who pointed out the correct meaning of whakatoria here.
Whakatō
= plant / insert / place within / make pregnant
Whakatō = verb and ria =passive ending => to be placed within, to be implanted.

It was a long search to find the meaning of this word.

Eventually I discovered that there are three similar Maori verbs.

Tori / toria = cut up / be cut up
Toro / torohia = extend / be extended
T
ō / tōria = implant / be implanted

First I found these translations from the English with a Google search, without the long 'o' sound.

Galatians 6-12, translated in 1850s, revised in 1940s .
...he mea kau kei whakatoria ratou mo te ripeka o te Karaiti.
...only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
..
"Tori" means "to cut in litle pieces," so I guess whakatoria here is literally "to become cut up into little pieces" which was the torture inflicted on persecuted Christians.

AUT charter 2005
.......na tenei e whakatoria ai te rangahau tuitui whakahono,
...hence developing the dynamic interfaces linking research
..

Manakau City Annual Plan 2006
......and providing options we would otherwise not have.
......e kore e taea mehe ki hai e whakatoria i nga tau ki mua.

In these two recent examples whakatoria seems to the meaning of being a source of growth and "cut in little pieces" did not fit. The root verb here is not "Tori" but "Whakatō." The translations literally talk of "implanting dynamic interfaces" and "...putting options into place."

I had listened to the Youtube movie clip a few more times and wondered if they were chanting "Whakatorohia mai" deririved from "Toro" = stretch forth, extend, reconnoitre. In doing so Google found this interesting incantation used by Turi.
Te matuku i hea?

 
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Published on web 2006, edited 2009, repaired Sept 2018