| Wairua tapu tau mai rā Wairua tapu mai runga Uhia mai ngā taonga pai. Homai tō aroha x2. Wāhia, kia tika Akona mai ā Kia ū ki te pai. Horoia, kia mau tonu rā Mōhou te tino kororia. |
Alight
on us, o Holy Spirit, From on high, o Holy Spirit May what we treasure be covered. Give us Your love. Put our tangled thoughts in order1 Teach us so that we hold firmly to good ways. May we be washed clean, so that we are permanently secure Let the true glory be for You. |
| Note 1.
Wāhia , literally "to be split open," is a very
truncated metaphor, referring a tangled pile of branches being
sawn and split, then piled up as neat stack of firewood.
This is a prayer asking for help to put the weighty conflicts in our mixed-up minds in order like stacked firewood so that we feel OK.  Wairua Tapu This
waiata was first performed by Te Waka Huia in 1994 at the
Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival held in
Hāwera.
The genesis of this waiata was inspired by the most beautiful rendition of ’Holy Spirit’, a hymn that was heard by Dr Ngāpō Wehi at the tangihanga of his beloved sister. The inclusion of Māori Sign Language in the performance was to acknowledge the shocking deaf statistics of Māori at the time; one of the many unprecedented feats attributed to the Wehi legacy. It is a song of gratitude for the myriad blessings of life. It is so simple in composition and yet so calming for the mind, body and soul. Its impact on audiences is profound and will continue to resonate for generations to come. Ngapō Wehi PhD, QSM, JP, (1934-2016)  Dr
Ngapō Wehi QSM was a revered composer, performer and leader in
Māori performing arts. For over five decades, he played a
central role in the development and excellence of kapa haka in
Aotearoa.Together with his wife, the late Pimia Wehi, he co-founded the renowned kapa haka group Te Waka Huia and had earlier led Ngāti Rānana in London. Wehi’s compositions are celebrated for their poetic power, cultural depth, and spiritual resonance, blending traditional forms with contemporary expression to tell the stories of iwi, whenua, and whakapapa. A master of whakaraka (movement), waiata (song), and whakaari (performance), Wehi mentored generations of performers and composers, lifting the standards of Māori performing arts while maintaining its tikanga. His leadership and legacy continue to inspire and shape the national stage, and his influence remains woven through the fabric of kapa haka today. He was a lecturer in Maori studies and education at AIT and UNITEC from 1984 to 1996.
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