Psalm 104: A Psalm for Aotearoa
Bless the Lord, my soul.
Kororia ki te Atua!
You are wrapped in light,
in a korowai of glory.
You made Rangi, Father Sky,
infinite space stretched out above us.
You made Papatuanuku,
Mother Earth,
resting strong beneath us.
At you command Tangaroa rose and fell;
the seas once covered the mountains of this land
but now tides swirl around us,
drawn by Marama, the moon, in her monthly dance.
Each day the sun, Ra, walks his path through the sky.
Rain falls, springs gush up out of the earth,
nga awa, rivers flow through our islands,
water for bush and bird and cattle.
I nga ra o mua, before Maori and Pakeha,
great forests ruled this land, Tane Mahuta: totara, rimu,
filled with birds from the smallest fantail to the giant eagle,
from the shy kiwi to the long-legged moa.
The sea was filled with life: whale, kahawai.
Aotearoa, cloaked with cloud, shaped by water and wind.
Nga hau e wha, winds from four directions,
brought people to these islands
and you made them a home here,
fed them from your abundance;
though sometimes you hid your face and the people were sad.
When you take away the breath of life your creatures die
and return to the dust. Aue, aue!
Haere, haere, haere …
we mourn the loss of so many creatures, so much beauty.
Send forth your Spirit again on Aotearoa,
Haere mai, Wairua Tapu, renew the face of this whenua,
care for this land,
re-make us who call this our home, nga iwi o te motu.
May the glory of the Lord shine forever!
Kororia ki te Atua!
Bless the Lord, my soul.
Kororia ki te Atua!
You are wrapped in light,
in a korowai of glory.
You made Rangi, Father Sky,
infinite space stretched out above us.
You made Papatuanuku,
Mother Earth,
resting strong beneath us.
At you command Tangaroa rose and fell;
the seas once covered the mountains of this land
but now tides swirl around us,
drawn by Marama, the moon, in her monthly dance.
Each day the sun, Ra, walks his path through the sky.
Rain falls, springs gush up out of the earth,
nga awa, rivers flow through our islands,
water for bush and bird and cattle.
I nga ra o mua, before Maori and Pakeha,
great forests ruled this land, Tane Mahuta: totara, rimu,
filled with birds from the smallest fantail to the giant eagle,
from the shy kiwi to the long-legged moa.
The sea was filled with life: whale, kahawai.
Aotearoa, cloaked with cloud, shaped by water and wind.
Nga hau e wha, winds from four directions,
brought people to these islands
and you made them a home here,
fed them from your abundance;
though sometimes you hid your face and the people were sad.
When you take away the breath of life your creatures die
and return to the dust. Aue, aue!
Haere, haere, haere …
we mourn the loss of so many creatures, so much beauty.
Send forth your Spirit again on Aotearoa,
Haere mai, Wairua Tapu, renew the face of this whenua,
care for this land,
re-make us who call this our home, nga iwi o te motu.
May the glory of the Lord shine forever!
Kororia ki te Atua!
Gorgeous photos by Ian Thomson