Mahi Piupiu

Mahi Piupiu
Ko ngā mahi a ringa he tāonga tuku iho a ngā tipuna e
Ko te mahi raranga, ko te mahi kete
Ngā mahi harakeke, te mahi piupiu e, Aue!!!
Ko te pūharakeke tapahia mai rā te wāhanga mārō o te rau kōrari e
(Kia tūpatopato) Kia tūpato kei whara ngā matua, whara te pēpi me te rito e
Kia tika, kia tika, auē wahine mā Kia tika rā wahine ma kia koi ngā naihi, kia tūpato rā…kei motumotu
(Haehaetia rā) Haehaetia rā kia pai mo te mahi, mahia tō tauira ki runga i te pāpā whakapātia tō harakeke e
(Hakukutia rā) Hakukutia tō harakeke ki te kuku e puta ai ngā muka te tauira o tō piupiu
(Te tauira korirangi) Te tauira korirangi, pātikitiki ko taku tauira, taku tauira hei aha rā
Auē te mamae!!! Te mahi nui rawa e, ngā ringaringa …..te tuara hi! Kia kaha rā!
(Ko te mirotanga rā) Ko te mirotanga rā o te muka nei e ki runga i te papa
Miromirohia, kotahi rā te miro mō ngā rau e rua, mirohia, mirohia kia maha ngā rau e
(Koropupu auē) Koropupu, koropupu, hū nei te waiwera kia wera tonu, ka tuku tō piupiu ki roto
(Hū ana, hū ana) Hū ana, hū ana ka puta te tae ki waho kia uru ai te mā ka kitea tō tauira
Tangohia whakairihia kia maroke rā e
Whakairi ki runga runga rawa tō piupiu e
(Ko te hononga e) Ko te hononga e me te whatuwhatunga, ngā ringaringa aue te mamae e
Ko te waiwaitanga me te tiraurau tahuna te waiwai kia mau ngā paru ngā tae Pākehā e
(Whakaotitia ra) Kia oti te waiwai me whakairi kia maroke rā ka hōatu rā te paru
(Hōatuhia rā) Hoatuhia rā me te tai a te Pākehā kia whakairi anō, auē, kua oti rā
Auē te mana te wehi, te ihi me te tapu
He tāonga e, he taonga e hi! a ngā tipuna x2
Ko te mana te wehi, te ihi te tapu, auē, auē, hei ha, hei ha…hei ha
Composed in 1987 by Tihi Puanaki .
The waiata was written when two aunties, Aunty Kura and Aunty Nellie came to Christchurch to teach some of the rōpu members how to make piupiu.
They started out with a hiss and a roar with 12 people wanting to learn but soon after seeing the work that was involved most lost interest , which then only left 2 people. With high hopes to make 20 piu, they actually only made one the size to fit a doll.
Tihi wrote the waiata while the two aunty’s dictated to her the process of making a piupiu from start to finish. Originally it was written as a poi for Te Kotahitanga Kapa Haka based in Christchurch, later in 1993 her long time friend and comrade Roberta Arahanga who had since moved to Wairarapa and was tutoring Whānau Whānui Kapa Haka with the support of Tihi’s sister Paremo Matthews.
She turned this poi in to a waiata ā ringa or action song. Roberta says “ Tihi was upset at first, but later admitted that the action song had put the waiata on the map”.
The actions themselves were a combined effort of Whānau Whānui members and aptly describe in detail the long, involved and tiresome process of making a piupiu.