Page:A New Zealand verse (1906).pdf/171

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
The March of Te Rauparaha.
135
 Chant the Rangatira’s praise, Chant it in a thousand lays,Chant the Rangatira’s fame,Chant the Rangatira’s name, Te Rauparaha, Te Rauparaha!
Sound his praises far and near,For his spirit still is here Flying through the gusty shocks, When the sea-ghosts climb the rocksClad in foam shrouds, thick and pale,Woven by the howling gale In the ocean’s monster loom! Warp of green and weft of gloomWoven into sheets of whiteBy the wizards of the night;Chant his name each ocean sprite, Te Rauparaha, Te Rauparaha!
*****
“The sea rushed up with plunging shocks,  Kapai! Rauparaha!To claim the land and beat the rocks,  Kapai! Rauparaha!The rocks stood firm and broke the waves;So stood the Ngatitoa braves—Ngatitoa’s foes are slaves,  Kapai! Rauparaha!
“The stars came out to match the sun,  Kapai! Rauparaha!To claim the crown that he had won,  Kapai! Rauparaha!The sun shot forth its brightest rays,And quenched the stars in fiery blaze;Then chant the Ngatitoa’s praise,  Kapai! Rauparaha!
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.