The water of eternal life
Compare this with John, Chapter 4, in the Bible, about how following the example of Christ's love is the "water" that enables us to live life fully.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Climbing Mt. Hikurangi
In a message that his grandson has posted on Youtube, Anaru Kupenga of Ruatōria explained how this song came into being.
"I composed 'To Aroha Ano' from an inspiration on one of my many climbs - 65 to be exact - up my beloved Mountain Hikurangi.
My young brother Jay or Jacob Kupenga was with me on this particular climb. At about 1600 meters he spotted a spring of water, an artesian well bubbling up from deep beneath the ground. We were at least 5,000 feet above sea level, so at such a great height he was both amazed and curious, and this caused him to question and remark about this incredible sighting, as he was so overwhelmed.
After explaining some of the phenomena, magic and sacredness of our Mountain, I jokingly said to him, "Shall we immortalize our sacred Mountain in a song to remember this time and place?"
Hence the birth of "Ko te aroha ano he wai," as tears rolled down his face.
By the time we reached the summit we had dedicated this song to all decendants of the Mountain, and sang it there on its female summit, Te Tone o Houku, after which Jay said, "Did you know I felt the spiritual presence of our ancestors as we were singing."
Little did he realize that his mountain was in fact talking to him as the emotion of his first climb hit him with a strong conviction, as if asking that unforgivible question, "Where have you been all these years, and what took you so long?" The guilt became a reality, and caught up in the grip of that time and space, we felt the harmony of the Mountain flow through both of us. He murmured, "No wonder you've come up here so many times and dummy old me couldn't figure out the significance until today." It was the dawning of a new revelation.
We could still feel the presence of our ancestors nearby.
Together we decided to gift this song to Kimihia Kohanga Reo in Kaiti Gisborne. We knew it had a beautiful sound and rhythm, very appropriate for little children: it was even catchy for adults because many of the parents and nannies that came to learn it found it very stimulating, in fact quite invigorating and intoxicating.
The practice was held in the right enviroment, at Kimihia Kohanga Reo, on our weekend practice in preparation for the launching of the development of Kohanga Reo throughout the country. The first words written describe and retain the heartfelt inspiration of that climb, and only we few at home here know and sing it, because it holds the sacred history of our Mountain.
We changed it from the original so we can retain the sacred element, and re-composed the one for the Kohanga Reo, because we had anticipated that other people would cut it, change it and add to it without finding out where it had in fact come from first, and without requesting permission from the composer to do this.
Both my young brother and I discussed the Tapu elements written in the composition before it was finalised, dedicated and released, because some of the parents thought it was too deep for the children to comprehend, hence we settled for this version.
KO TE AROHA ANO HE WAI My love is like an eternal spring E PUPU AKE ANA it bubbles from deep beneath HE AWA, E MAPUNA MAI ANA an Artesian, a continuous source KI ROTO I TE WHATUMANAWA the spring well that feeds the soul KO TE AROHA ANO HE HOHUNU my love is an eternal supply well A I NA I ATAA RERE ANO softly it flows ever so gently KO TONA MATAPUNA HE HOHONU its very source is so deep within A I NA I ATAA RERE ANO it has a calming soothing effect."
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