The Haka

Many of you will have watched the All Blacks beat Italy last night, and I wonder how many of you saw the traditional and sacred Haka. What is the significance of the Haka ?The Te Rauparaha Haka is the most common, but since 2005 there is another version, the Kapa o pango Haka:These are the words of the Te Rauparaha Haka:Before the Haka is performed by the team, the Haka leader, normally an All Black of Maori descent, will instigate the Haka and spur on those who are to perform the Haka with the following.Ringa pakiaUma tirahaTuri whatiaHope whai akeWaewae takahia kia kinoThen the team starts the Haka as a group,Ka mate Ka mateIt is death It is deathKa ora Ka oraIt is lifeIt is lifeKa mate
Ka mate It is death
It is death Ka ora Ka oraIt is life It is life Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru This is the hairy man Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te raWho caused the sun to shine again for me Upane Upane Up the ladder Up the ladderUpane KaupaneUp to the topWhiti te raThe sun shines!The haka is a war dance. The words are chanted loudly (shouted) in a menacing way accompanied by arm actions and foot stamping. A haka was traditionally performed before charging into battle.The Maori pronunciation is basically one vowel per syllable, with the vowels having the European rather than English sound. The `wh' is aspirated almost like an `f' (f is good enough for most people).As for what it all means, about 140 years ago, a great chief named Te Rauparaha of the Ngati Toa tribe (based just North of present day Wellington), was being chased by his enemies. He hid in a kumara pit (the local sweet potato) and waited in the dark for his pursuers to find him. He heard sounds above and thought he was done for when the top of the pit was opened up and sunshine flooded in. He was blinded and struggled to see those about to slay him, when his sight cleared and he instead saw the hairy legs of the local chief (reputed to have been exceptionally hirsute) who had hid him. Te Rauparaha is said to have jumped from the pit and performed this haka on the spot, so happy was he to have escaped.Kapa o pango haka:This haka was first performed by the All Blacks versus South Africa on 27 August 2005 at Carisbrook, Dunedin. The All Blacks won 31 - 27. This haka was written by Ngati Porou's Derek Lardelli. This haka will only be performed before special test matches.Kapa o pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!Let me become one with the landHi aue, hi! Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!This is our land that rumblesAu, au, aue ha!And it's my time!It's my moment!Ko Kapa o Pango e ngunguru nei!This defines us as the All BlacksAu, au, aue ha!It's my time!It's my moment!I ahaha! Ka tu te ihiihiOur dominanceKa tu te wanawanaOur supremacy will triumphKi runga ki te rangi e tu iho nei, tu iho nei, hi!And will be placed on highPonga ra!Silver fern!Kapa o Pango, aue hi!All Blacks!Ponga ra!Silver fern!Kapa o Pango, aue hi, ha!All Blacks!