E ngā kuku o te manawa,

Ngā rangatira mō āpōpō, nei a mihi ka rere ki a kōrua. Mō kōrua i ako mai ai i ngā pūkengā hei whakawhanake i tēnei whatumanawa, nā kōrua hoki au i ako kia tika taku whāngai i a kōrua. He tika te kaupapa matua o te whakataukī nei “he ora te whakapiri, he mate te whakatākiri”. Nā kōrua i pakari ai, i kotahi ai tō tātou whānau, ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke o tēnei ao hurihuri. E ngā kairangi matahiapō, ahakoa te aha, ka tū tonu tātou i roto i te aroha. Kei te tino poho kererū au ki tō kōrua kaha ki te ū ki ō kōrua wawata, tō kōrua whakaaro nui ki te hauora ō te ao whānui, tō matihere ki ngā tamariki, ki a Papatūānuku, ki a Tangaroa, ki Te Wao Nui a Tāne hoki. Ko tōku tino tūranga ko tōku tū hei Whaea mō kōrua. Nōku te māringanui kia whai i ngā hononga i waenga i a tātou. Wānanga tahi ana tātou, ka whakaohoa tōku wairua, ā ka mīharo au ki tō kōrua auahatanga me te kaha i roto i ō kōrua uara, ō kōrua mātāpono hoki. Ka mātiro whakamua ahau ki ōku moemoeā mō kōrua, ko ngā mea nui ko ō kōrua oranga, ō kōrua wairua pai, ngākau nui ki ngā tāngata katoa, ngākau māhaki hoki. Ka hoki ōku mahara ki te wā i whānau mai ai kōrua. He ao hou ka hua mai, wehe atu au i te rekareka, tē aro i a au i mua i taua wā, te mutunga kē mai o te puke aroha! Haramai tētahi āhua! Nāwai, nāwai ka tipu mai kōrua, e hika mā, ngā kuru pounamu, mō te hatekehi kāore he painga! Mei kore ake kōrua kua kore au i mārama ki te rētōtanga o te aroha, otirā, i pai ake taku mārama ki te mahi a ō tātou mātua, tūpuna. E ngā huia kaimanawa, aku kati karamea, he kokonga ngākau e kore i kitea. (Sincere thanks to Stacey Morrison for her support in writing this.) Te Reo translation printed at Hinemoa’s request.