Music of hope, heroism from futility of war
During World War I there was no internet, texts, fax or Facebook. Our people communicated through the wairua of music and poetry. E Pari Ra¯ , was composed at that time by Paraire Henare Tomoana for his relative Maku I te rangi Ellison, who lost her son Whakatomo during World War1.
The words of the song “E pari ra¯ nga¯ tai ki te a¯ kau, e hotu ra¯ ko taku manawa” – describes the tide and the waves beating on the cliffs of
Anzac Cove, being echoed by the sobbing and throbbing hearts of mothers, wives and sisters at home in Aotearoa.
The outgoing tide from Gallipoli, crimson red with the blood of soldiers lying in the surf, symbolised the love of the son reaching out to the mothers in Aotearoa, while the incoming tide and beating waves on the shore of Anzac Cove was the love of the mothers reaching to their sons, and the tears nullifying the deaths and horror of war.
The song speaks of hope and heroism from the futility of war. The beauty of poetry and verse is its bridging of thought from the battlefields of death and destruction to the dreams of a better world rising from the pits of despair and desperation.
It’s a tribute to the strength and soft power that our women folk of that time demonstrated at home, taking over farming, forestry and other activities to feed families and communities, while all other resources were poured into the war effort.
Anzac to them was never about glorifying war but more about the overwhelming grief of never again seeing their sons, brothers, husbands and loved ones buried in a foreign land far from home.
That Anzac spirit we have shared with our Australian neighbours started in those tragic days at Gallipoli and since then has spurred some massive human endeavours collectively between us.
This year Meka Whaitiri will be leading the New Zealand contingent to Gallipoli, where she will be speaking on behalf of all New Zealanders. Meka is the Minister for Veterans and her father, the late, Wi Rangi Whaitiri was in the Japan Force and the Korean Force.
Meka will be at the site where hundreds of New Zealanders died. E Pari Ra¯ will be sung by New Zealand ambassadors. The late Moana Jackson’s request that women speak on the paepae has been met with huge narratives and debate from all sides.
Meka is one of those women who will be able to stand on any paepae in Nga¯ ti Kahungunu and Nga¯ ti Porou to speak. During her travels she will be the voice of New Zealanders, a voice for wahine, a voice for Ma¯ ori, her hapu¯ and iwi, in remembering those fallen soldiers in all the theatres of war.
This Anzac Day, join us in singing E Pari Ra¯ at home or publicly and let us remember those who paid the supreme sacrifice for our today.
Have a Happy Anzac Day, everyone.