Kererū

When is it time to stop?

When you’re enjoying it with all you got?

Another one will be just fine

I’m feeling the buzz

I’m feeling fly

Don’t need to stop

I’ve got moderation on lock

I know i’m fine until

I can’t walk a straight line no more

My oh me

I’ve lost my bearings

May have had one too many berries

I’m spinning them lines now

I find i’m a little blind now

Another one bites the dust she said

But i’m fine, fine, fine.

Watch me and then you’ll see

Temptation got the best of me

Kei hea āku parihau?

Kei hea tāku rākau?

Ka kimihia kimihia tāku kōhanga 

Karangaranga mai āku whanaunga! 

Kua taka tāku mata, kāhore te kapa 

i te kainga o tāku miro whakamutunga

kua tae ki te toi o tāku taura

rāranga mai he taura hou hei piki mōku

---

Kererū - a translation

Where are my wings?

Where is my tree?

Where is my nest

call out, my family!

My face has dropped - not the penny unfortunately

On the last berry I ate

I’m at the end of my rope

Make me a new rope so I can climb back up

(the penny is a reference to “when the penny drops”, which in Māori is, “Kua taka te kapa”)

Tūī

It’s mine, it’s mine (Kōrihi te manu)

I found my own prize (Tākiri mai te ata)

You can try you can try (Ka ao ka awatea)

To get in my way but you won’t stay (Tīhei mauri ora)

Protecting the truth

Found something good

You know it ‘cause you’ve got your conscience conscience right?

I know it too

Found something new

Made it a home for me

Over I flew

Found the best view

I know it ‘cause I’ve got my conscience conscience

All for my own

hold on to my home

don’t let it go for anyone else.

It’s mine, it’s mine 

I found my own prize 

You can try you can try 

To get in my way but you won’t stay, 

You won’t stay, you won’t stay

‘Cause I am stronger than you

Woke up to the news

That somebody knew

Where they could find what I found

They captured the view

And found the new tune

I heard them singing from the place I’d been

It’s yours it’s yours

You found your own voice

They will try they will try

To break you apart but hold on to what you’ve found

What you’ve found, what you’ve found

‘cause you are stronger than them

---

Tuī - a translation

The bird sings

The morning has dawned

The day has broken

Behold there is life

Weka

Whakarongo whakarongo

whakarongo ki ngā hau kia mōhio

Mārama mārama,

Mā te mārama ka eke

E oma e oma

Tae noa ki te akitu o te mātau kia ora

Whakarongo whakarongo

whakarongo ki ngā hau anō, whano

No way around it oh

I had to find out

How to make my own way out

Told me your secrets this is how you made it

But I had to find out myself

I learn from doing

And if I fail the first time

I’ll try again

I learn from doing

you can show me but I wouldn’t see

I tāku kari o te rua

I horo tōku ngākau

I riro ki te pōnakonako

Auare ake te huarahi ki te mārama

He aha i pēnei ai?

Guess I had to make my own mistakes

You gave me your opinion it was not for me

I find I’m strong given time to me

To make up my mind about things

You thought it would be wise of me

To go about things the way you see

But I’d never learn to simply be me

If I was trying not to be

---

Weka - a translation

IListen, listen

Listen to the winds so that you will know

Understand, understand

By understanding we ascend

Run, run

Until you reach the summit of knowledge that gives life

Listen, listen

Listen to the winds again, go

When I dug a hole

My soul was swallowed

Into the blinding night

Without a chance to find my way to understanding

Why must it be like this?