Rob wrote this for his uncle who died
tragically in 2008,
and he recorded it after another uncle died in 2016.
Te piki kōtuku1
kua riro atu rā
Kua rere atu rā koe ki ngā rangi i runga
Ki o rahi, ki o nui i te pō
Waiho mai au, mokemoke ai
- i te pō, i te pō
The plume of
white heron feathers
has been taken away.
You have flown to the heavens above,
To your many loved ones of the night
Leaving me lost and alone
in darkness, in darkness.
E te rau aroha kua taka iho rā
Kua rere atu rā koe ki ngā rangi i runga
Ki o rahi, ki o nui i te pō
Waiho mai au, mokemoke ai
- i te pō, i te pō, i te pō...
My
adored feather of affection that has fallen.
You have flown to the heavens above,
To your many loved ones of the night
Leaving me lost and alone -
in darkness,
in darkness,
in darkness...
1Translation
of "Te piki kōtuku"
The English words above are a literal translation, but
Rob Ruha gave his meaning as My rare white heron
that has been taken...
Kōtuku
The kōtuku or white heron is featured on our $2
coin because it is considered a very rare, beautiful and
sacred bird here.
It breeds only at Whataroa, on the West Coast of the
South Island and moves find food in other parts of the
country at the end of summer In Maori oratory to see one
of these birds just once in a lifetime is believed to be
good fortune. So to liken someone to a kōtuku is to pay
them a great compliment.
Ray Barrett
Rob's uncle, Ray
Barrett, was devoted to serving his family and the
wider East Cape community. He died in 2008 at
the age of 62, when the fire engine he was in rolled
on a winding country road on the way to an
emergency. Obituary
Rev John Waenga
Rob's Uncle John died peacefully in 2016, at the age of
86, in his home at Cape Runaway.