Maori Welcome     He Powhiri A Maori Welcome   Kia hiwa ra ! Kia hiwa ra ! kia hiwa ra i tenei tuku ! Kia hiwa ra i tera tuku ! Kia hiwa ra ! Kia hiwa ra ! Be alert ! Be watchful ! Be alert on this rampart ! Be alert on that rampart ! Be watchful! Be alert ! E nga waka. E nga hau e wha. E nga mana. E nga iwi. E nga manu korero o runga i nga marae O the canoes. The four winds. Great ones. The tribes. Talking birds (orators) of the marae (ceremonial meeting places). Whakarongo ! Whakarongo ! Whakarongo ! Listen ! Listen ! Listen ! Ki te tangi a te manu e karanga nei "Tui, tui. tuituia !" Tuia i runga, tuia i raro, tuia i roto Tuia i waho, tuia i te here tangata Listen to the cry of the bird calling "Unite, unite, be one !" Unite above, unite below, unite within, Unite without, unite in the brotherhood of man. Ka rongo te po, ka rongo te po Tuia i te kawai tangata i heke mai i Hawaiki nui I Hawaiki roa, i Hawaiki-pamamao I hono ki te wairua, ki te whai ao, ki te Ao Marama. The night hears, the night hears Unite the descent lines from Great Hawaiki From long Hawaiki, from Hawaiki far away Joined to the spirit, to the daylight, to the world of light. Tihei Mauriora! E nga iwi o te ao katoa Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai. To the peoples of the whole world Welcome, welcome, welcome. Haere mai ki te whenua o Aotearoa Haere mai ki te ao Maori Welcome to the land of Aotearoa (New Zealand) Welcome to the world of the Maori. Ko tenei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa o te ao Ko tenei te mihi aroha ki a koutou This is my greeting to you, all the peoples of the world This is my greeting of love to you all   explanation of the powhiri ritual ceremony of encounter home