Lyrics - Maori
(Maori folk song)
1. E pāpā Waiari,
Taku nei mahi
Taku nei mahi,
He tuku roimata
Refrain
Ē aue, ka mate au;
E hine hoki mai rā
Ē aue, ka mate au;
E hine hoki mai rā
2. Māku e kaute
Ō hīkoitanga
Māku e kaute
Ō hīkoitanga Refrain
English Translation – O Uncle Waiari
1. O Uncle Waiari,
All I’ve been doing
All I’ve been doing
Is shedding tears
Refrain
Alas I will die;
Oh darling, return to me
Alas I will die;
Oh darling, return to me
2. I will count
Your footsteps
I will count
Your footsteps
See also
- Culture / Country: Maori / New Zealand
- Activities: games
- Harmony: I IV V chords
- Meter: 6/8
- stick game explanation
- song origins and stick games
YouTube
- Song with chords (PDF)
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song
2 thoughts on “E Papa Waiari”
I want to use this in our local music festival but have to prove copyright/permission – is this public domain?
Yes, this is in the public domain.