Matariki

Karanga te pō, karanga te ao. Haere mai ki tō tipuna ki a Matariki, te whaea o Te Kāhui o Matariki. Ko au te whetū pīataata rawa o te kāhui.

Ahakoa te pouri kenekene, whai mai, kia ngākau tahi mai – kia tiaho koe i roto, kia mārama koe ki te pou o ēnei korero, hui te marama, hui te ora e, tākiri mai te ata hāpara!

Pōhutukawa e, kei hea koe?

Kia ora! I’m Matariki  MatarikiPleiades star clusterMāori – star of wellbeing. I’m te whaea  te whaeamotherMāori to all the other whetū  whetūstarsMāori in the Matariki cluster, and I’m the brightest star.

Things might look pōuri  pōurigloomyMāori sometimes, but I can light your way. Look up at me when I’m shining in the night sky, and I’ll bring you good luck, peace, and wellbeing. Noho ora mai Noho ora maiStay wellMāori!

Pōhutukawa

Anei au e Mā. Nā te pouri pea kāore koe i kite i a au!

Ata mārie.

Āe, ko Pōhutukawa au. Ka mōraro ana te kāhui, tōia kau ana e au ō tātou mate ki Te Rua o Matariki. Ko tōku ingoa, i ahu mai i te māra i pakangatia e Tū rāua ko Rongo, ka puta te kōrero, ‘koia moenga kura, koia moenga toto’. Koinei tētahi o ōku paiherenga nui ki te hunga kua whetūrangi.

I’m Pōhutukawa  Pōhutukawastar associated with those that have passed onMāori – star of remembrance. I guide the dead across the night sky until they become stars.

When the Matariki cluster sets, I lead the dead through the darkness. When the Matariki cluster rises, the dead take their place with me among the whetū  whetūstarsMāori.

Look up at the night sky, and you will see your ancestors shining brightly.

Tipuānuku

Ko au tēnei ko Tipuānuku. Ko ngā kai o te hauhake, o te whenua tāku e aro atu nei.

Rā pai, rā kino, kei te opeope au i ōku kōpura kia tini, kia hua, kia kapi i te whenua.

Ki te whakaehu mai au i te kōhitinga o Matariki, ka tūpuhi ngā hua o te whenua. Engari, ka tū mārakerake ana au, e tohu ana au ka makuru te hauhake.

I’m Tipuānuku  Tipuānukustar associated with everything that grows within the soil to be harvested or gathered for foodMāori, star of food from the ground – the kūmara  kūmarasweet potatoMāori, the kāroti kāroticarrotMāori, the paukena paukenapumpkinMāori.

Storms and frosts – they come and go. I’m patient, keeping watch as the sun and rain nourish my slow growing things.

If I’m dim when I rise at Matariki, you won’t get as much kai  kaifoodMāori from the ground. If I’m bright, the next harvest will be a good one.

Tipuārangi

Whiti, whiti ora e! Kia ora e te whānau. Tēnei au ko Tipuārangi, te whetū o ngā kai o runga ake – pēnei i ngā hua rākau me ngā manu o te ngahere.

Waihoki, ki te whakaehu mai au i te aranga o Matariki, ka tūpuhi āku kai. Ki te tū mārakerake au, ka mōmona ngā hua o runga ake.

Kūī! Kūī!

I’m Tipuārangi  TipuārangiAtlas – one of the stars in Te Kāhui o Matariki, the Pleiades star clusterMāori star of food from the sky – the bright berries of the karaka, the iti  itilittleMāori fronds of the pikopiko pikopikofern shootsMāori, the fragrant kawakawa kawakawapepper treeMāori, the manu  manubirdsMāori with their soft feathered wings.

Hard to see me at Matariki? Kai  KaifoodMāori from the sky will be scarce. Am I nice and bright? There will be plenty of food from the sky.

Kūī! Kūī!

Waitī

Ko Waitī tēnei e tangi atu nei. Ko tāku mahi he matapopore i ngā tūāhua o te waimāori, me ngā koiora katoa o roto. Inā rā, ka puta mai au i ngā ata o te mātahi, kua rere te tuna nei a te piharau ki ngā kōawa whakatoene ai. Ko ēnei mea katoa, hei oranga tinana, hei oranga wairua.

He tino tata māua ko tōku tungāne a Waitā. Kei runga ake au i a ia, nā te heke o te waimāori ki te waitai.

I’m Waitī  Waitīstar associated with all fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those watersMāori, star of fresh water – awa  awariverMāori, roto  rotolakeMāori, and kōawa kōawastreamMāori. I watch over the things that live here – tuna  tunaeelMāori, kōura kōurafreshwater crayfishMāori, the bright green watercress.

Arawaru – that’s the sound of wai  waiwaterMāori flowing into rivers, lakes, and streams.

If I’m dim when I rise, the food from fresh water will be scarce. If you can see me clearly, it will be bountiful.

Waitā

Ko Waitā tēnei e ngunguru atu nei. Au, au, au e hā! Ko te moana nui e whati mai rā tāku e aronui nei. Inā ka mōrunga mātou te kāhui, ko au te whetū e tohu ana i te tini a Tangaroa hei kai māu.

He hononga nui tōku ki a Waitī. Ko māua anō māua. Ki te mārama tō māua kitea, ka mōhio koe ka mōmona ngā hua e matapoporengia ana e māua, arā, ko ngā wai me ngā kai o roto.

Nguru NgurugruntMāori! I’m Waitā  Waitāstar associated with the ocean, and food sources within it.Māori, star of the ocean and kaimoana  kaimoanafood from the oceanMāori – seaweed, kina  kinasea urchinsMāori, all kinds of ika  ikafishMāori.

I’m like the ocean – calm one day, then whenewhene whenewheneroughMāori the next.

If I’m blurry when I rise at Matariki, you won’t get much kaimoana. If I’m bright and clear, you’ll get lots.

Waipunarangi

Tēnei au ko Waipunarangi! Ko māua anō māua ko tōku tungāne a Ururangi. Inā rā kei a māua te mana ki te huarere, ko ia ki ngā hau, ko au ki ngā ua.

Ka tīramarama mai au, ka māmā noa ngā ua i te tau. Engari, ki te whakaehu mai au, he tau kino, he tau ua marangai.

Patapata patapata Patapata patapatathe sound of rainMāori – I’m Waipunarangi  Waipunarangistar associated with the rainMāori, star of the rain. Listen as it falls from the sky and washes over the earth, nourishing all living things.

If you can’t see me clearly when I rise at Matariki, the year will bring lots of rain and maybe some flooding. If I’m bright and clear, the rain will be light.

Ururangi

Ko au te whetū e hāngai ana ki ngā hau a tōku tipuna a Tāwhirimātea.

Kei a au te mana mō te āhua o ngā hau o te tau. Ki te pūrehurehu tōku āhua, ka karawhiu ngā hau kerekere. Engari ki te kānapanapa mai au, ka mārie ngā hau o te tau.

I’m Ururangi  Ururangistar associated with the windsMāori, star of the wind. I blow through all things – trees, houses, the waves on the sea.

I’m pretty changeable. One day I’m gentle, then mea rawa ake mea rawa akeall of a suddenMāori I’m a storm!

If I’m hard to see when I rise at Matariki, the year will be windy. If I’m bright and clear, the winds will be calm – no promises for Te-Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington though, haha!

Hiwa-i-te-rangi

Kua paenga te wāhanga ki ōku tuākana. Taringa areare mai rā.

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā! Kia hiwa te tangata, kia hiwa te taiao, ki a au ki a Hiwa-i-te-rangi!

Kia matomato te tipu o ngā wawata ki te rangi.

Takataka te kāhui o te rangi, koia pou tō putanga ki te whai ao ki te ao mārama.

I’m Hiwa-i-te-rangi  Hiwa-i-te-rangistar associated with granting our wishes, and realising our aspirations for the coming yearMāori, star of hope. I’m the youngest whetū  whetūstarMāori in the Matariki cluster, but I have a big job. I take care of all your hopes and wishes.

What do you want over the coming year for whānau  whānaufamilyMāori, hapori haporicommunityMāori, and te taiao  te taiaonatureMāori? Whisper your hopes to me e hoa e hoafriendMāori – let’s make them happen together.

Watch for me when Matariki rises. If I’m bright, your wishes will come true.