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See below for English translation
Āna – ko Tamatekapua. Ūpoko kākākura nō roto i te pōkaitara. Ko Tamatekapua, waewae kai paiaka, ko Tamatekapua, te mūrau a te tini, te wenerau a te mano te kurupā o te tewhatewha.
Ko ia te kōrerotanga nui o Te Arawa he ahakoa haere ai te tangata ki whea, kai te kitea tonutia, ka te rangona tonutia e tātou te mana o tēnei tupua. Hāunga tana taina ko Whakaturia.
E ai ki ētehi o ngā korokē me he mahanga tēnei tokorua. Ka taka tētehi, ka tangi tētehi, ka hia kai tētehi, ka hiakai tētehi. E kōrerongia ngā pūrākau o Te Arawa e tika ana ki a whai wāhanga atu ai tātou ki a Whakaturia. E mea ana te pepehā, ka raka te māui, ka raka te katau.
Ko tētehi o ngā take i raru ai ngā iwi nei, nā te mōkai kurī a Tamatekapua me Whakaturia.Kai Hāwaiki Tawhitiareare tēnei pūrākau. Ko Potakatawhitinui te take. E haererere ana te kurī ka rāwekengia ngā tākai pirau o te tohunga o Uwenuku , ka kitea te kurī e ngā rangatira, ka patua, ka kainga ake.
Taro kau iho ka puta a Tamatekapua me Whakaturia e moimoi ana i tā rāua mōkai, kāore e kitea. Ka tae ki te pā o Uwenuku e ngawī ana tā raua kurī i te hōpara nui o Toi. Kua mate tā rāua mōkai. Ka tupu te pouri i a rāua. Te hokitanga atu ki te kāinga ka whakatakoto rautaki rāua ki te ngaki i te tēnei kōhuru.
Ka pōngia rāua ka kōnihi te tokorua nei ki te whenako i ngā poroporo tapu o Uwenuku, ka pau te kotahi pō, ka rua, ka toru, maranga ake te tohunga me te kitenga atu e ngarongaro ana ngā kuru tapu. Ka takoto rātou ko āna tangata.
Ka pōngia rātou, kua hoki mai ngā ringa-whenako, ehara ! Ko Tamatekapua me Whakaturia e mā poutoti ana, te take kāore rātou e kite i ngā takahanga o te waewae tangata ki te whenua.
Hopukina ake ka mau ko Whakaturia engari ko tōna tuakana ko Tamatekapua anō he manu motu i te koromāhanga. Ka puta te ihu. Ka whakairihia tō rātou ika ki te tāhūhū nui o Tūteihonga te whare nui o te iwi. Ka whakamamaengia, me te whakatau, mā te paoa a ia e ngau ake ki a mate.
Ko Whakaturia ki runga ki te tāhūhū o te whare, ko te tini o Manahua ki raro, e haka ana, me te koretake hoki.Waewae tawa hoki. Piki ake ai a Tamatekapua ki runga ki te tuanui o te whare, "E Tu, e kua mate koe?" – " Kao e ora ana!". "Tēnā me pēnei, tēnā me pēnā kia ora ai!"
Ka karanga iho a Whakaturia, " Kātahi te iwi waewae taumaha, waewae hape!".
Ka roa e whakaparanga ana, kātahi ka karanga ake tētehi, "E mea ana koe he toa koe ki te haka". Ka karanga iho, "Ae he nui atu te pai. Tukua ahau i raro". Ka tukua mai taua ika ki raro. Ka mea atu a Whakaturia,"Hōmai he rākau māku, he hinu kia pīata taku tīnana, he heru kia tītīa ki taku tikitiki, he maro kura mōku! Kātahi nā koe ka kite i te pai !". E oti ana te whakakahu i a ia.
Ka mea atu a Whakaturia," Tēnā koa ! tukua ahau ki a rere." Ka rere tana rākau, e karepetau ana ngā waewae, kai te whakamīharo hoki te mārea ki tētehi. E wehi nei ki tēnei uri whakaharahara.
Kai te tarapeke haere, kai te karo, kai te ruku – tētehi āhuatanga me he kōtiri e mura kau ana. Kātahi ia ka tūturi i raro – " Hōmai he wai mōku, kai te wera ahau, whakatūwherangia te tatau kia rongo ai ahau i te hau hai whakakaha i taku toatanga!"
Mātika ana ngā tangata, e pūare ana te tatau. Nō te whakapūaretanga o te tatau – rere kahukere ana tō tātou tangata, kua puta i te kūwaha o te whare e oma ana, ko Tamatekapua kai te karatiti i te tatau. Kīa rawatia. Ka horomia ake rāua e te pō. Tāria te roanga atu.
The famous Te Arawa leader, Tamatekapua, who, with great determination and courage, led his people across the ocean in pursuit of a peaceful life, is one leader that features strongly today, still in the histories of his descendants.
Little, however, is known of his younger brother Whakaturia. Tamatekapua and Whakaturia were extremely close to the extent of almost being twins.
Whakaturia sadly did not make the journey with his people. However, he plays a pivotal role in the chronicles of Te Arawa's journey and new beginnings.
These two young chiefs had a pet dog Potakatawhitinui who one day had stumbled across the sacred wrappings of Uwenuku and disturbed them. The immediate response was to punish the pet dog.
When the two owners, Tamatekapua and Whakaturia, could not find their dog, they surmised that he had been killed and eaten by Toi and the warrior priest Uwenuku.
This act, in turn, led to a daring night raid on the sacred breadfruit of Uwenuku, who gradually noticed that his prized and heavenly breadfruit was disappearing. Laying a trap, they awaited the thieves' return and were surprised to see that they travelled not by foot but by stilts, which explained why they found no footprints in the soil.
The surprise attack was revealed; Tamatekapua escaped; however, his younger brother Whakaturia was caught and severely punished. He was tortured, belittled, and eventually hung from the rafters of the great house, Tuteihonga.
What was even more depressing was that Whakaturia had to endure the poor performances of his unfriendly hosts.
Tamatekapua, by this time, had managed to find the whereabouts of his young brother and, by stealth, made his way into the village and, with great skill, climbed upon the house's thatched roof. Slowly he moved across the top of the roof, searching for a chink that would allow him to communicate with his brother.
After reassuring him that he would be fine, he told his brother what to do. 'Brother, tell them that their dances are boring, that their men are clumsy and their ladies are unco-ordinated – tell them that you shall teach them all how to dance, ask for a weapon, ask for oil for your body, plumes that befit your status and as you dance up and down the aisle – tell them that you need air to breathe so that you may continue entertaining them and as soon as the door is open – I will be awaiting you outside!".
As Tama slipped down undisturbed, he waited in the shadows, and as directed, Whakaturia unravelled their plan, 'Boring – absolutely revolting, please put me out my misery immediately! 'Whakaturia would call out. Finally, the assembly demanded to lower the thief, 'For such a big mouth – you must be a great dancer".
'That I am – fetch me water, for my throat is parched, I will need oil for my body and hair, plumes for my top knot for I am a chief and desire the finest loin cloth to adorn my body ' With his request fulfilled, Whakaturia stood and limbered up his body.
As he danced with his newly acquired weapon, the audience was overwhelmed by his athleticism; he paraded up and down the aisle, darting from left to right with his weapon as if being attacked, leaping as if avoiding obstacles, and chanting so the gods could install bravery within his heart; the plan was working, he had managed to capture the audiences full attention.
Suddenly he dropped to his knees, 'It is too hot in here; open the door so that I may regain my strength'.
There was no hesitation quickly one of the servants opened up the door; as Whakaturia stayed low on his knees, the great door opened, and as he resumed his on-guard position with his weapon, he bolted straight to the door without realising what had happened, he was safely outside turning to find his brother Tamatekapua quickly jamming the door shut. They were safe for the interim as they promptly bolted for the safety of their village.
To be continued.
OPINION: Once proud and hard-working, most Māori have no meaningful mahi.