This is regarded as Tuini Ngawai's greatest composition. She wrote it when the men of C Company,
28th (Maori) Battalion were departing from the East Coast for the battlefields of World War II.

Arohaina mai E te Kingi nui Manaakitia rā O tamariki e Horahia mai rā Te marie nui ki te Hokowhitu a Tū toa Ngā mamaetanga Me ngā pouri nui Pēhia rawatia Ki raro rā e. Mē anga atu Ka karanga ki te Matua Aue aroha mai Ngā hapū katoa O Aotearoa e Tau awhitia rā Ko tōku rongo Kia mau te tihe Mauria ora A ngā tūpuna Hei tohu wehi e

Show compassion O great King bestow blessings on your children. Spread your blessings of peace and comfort to the brave band of Tu. The pains and great sorrows, let them be suppressed completely. Lift upwards your voices to the Father Aue, show compassion To all families, of New Zealand. firmly embrace peace Retain the spirit of life of your ancestors an emblem of courage

Our thanks again to to Toby Rikihana of Christchurch for his scholarly translation.

Tune

The MP3 sound clip is compressed from a track by the students of Ngata memorial College, Gisborne.
They sound even better on the CD, Music of New Zealand (EMI 1994). If I come across a music score of this, I'll add it later. It seems to be a bit different from its "rangi" tune, Love Walked In.

Origins

Tuini Ngawai regarded Arohaina Mai as her best composition although she is reputed to have written the words in a few minutes. She wrote it in 1940 following a church service for the men of C Company (Ngati Porou) of the Maori Battalion, and it was first sung publicly at a farewell for them at Tokomaru Bay. It was performed there by her own group, the well-known Te Hokowhitu-a-Tu Concert Party.

It was regarded by many as her masterpiece and an outstanding classic of Maori songwriting; it caused Sir Apirana Ngata to hail Tuini as a composer of genius. The song became the Maori Battalion's unofficial hymn.

Tuini developed the tune from a 1938 George Gershwin piano tune, Love Walked In, which you might still be able to hear in this RealAudio sound clip.

Love walked right in and drove the shadows away Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day One magic moment and my heart seemed to know That love said "Hello" though not a word was spoken.

Other Maori Songs - Main Song List - Home

Published on the web 10 April 2003, upgraded May 2008