Morvin
Simon's Maori version of this old Welsh lullaby
draws attention to the Christ-child, born to save
the world from sin.
Moe,
moe mai ra e te moko
I nga runga aroha,
E kore nei takahia
ko te ara tupuna.
Koe, koe nei ra, te oranga
i ruia e kwi
ma.
E kore nei ngaro atu,
Hei kakano tapu e.
Sleep,
sleep little baby
raised up by love
so we don't have to tread
the ancestral path ...of
sinfulness
You, you exist here
as the fruit of an immaculate woman.
There is no dying away,
because of this sacred seed.
Morvin
Simon
Morvin was Whanganui kaumatua and highly respected
music director of Te Matapihi and other Maori
choirs.
He worked at Te Papa, Wellington, and was awarded an
Adjunct Professorship
in May 2005.
This
graduation photo shows him with his wife, Te
Matapihi Kura Simon.
Suo Gan
Suo gan means "lullaby" in the Welsh language. It is a
traditional Welsh tune that first appeared in print in
about 1800. It
was featured in an early cathedral scene in the 1986
Spielburg movie Empire of the Sun.
Huna
blentyn yn fy mynwes,
Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;
Breichiau mam sy'n dyn am danat,
Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;
Ni cha dim amharu'th gyntun,
Ni wna undyn a thi gam;
Huna'n dawel, anwyl blentyn,
Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam.
Sleep
my baby, at my breast,
'Tis a mother's arms round you.
Make yourself a snug, warm nest.
Feel my love forever new.
Harm will not meet you in sleep,
Hurt will always pass you by.
Child beloved, always you'll keep,
In sleep gentle, mother's breast nigh.
