The following karakia was one which a Tohunga would repeat during the tua or tohi, a cleansing and dedication ceremony, while standing in the water. All these karakia are very archaic, and it is beyond one's power to translate them into English, as so many of the words are obsolete, and the meaning not now known. It would be wrong to attempt a word for word translation, but I will give some idea of what this karakia meant. It was said so that the child might be endowed with health, courage, and strength, so that he would catch the enemy, be able to climb mountains, to fight and to hold the enemy, to kill the enemy, to storm a fortified pa, to rise and kill the enemy, to fight in a field of battle where many men are killed, to be brave and to be able to hold and use a stone patu (short weapon), to be able to use and wield the taiaha (long-handled weapon), to be able to go up great mountains, to climb proud trees, the great proud trees of the forest, to brave the great high waves of the ocean, and overcome the dangers of the sea.
Then, as though addressing the infant, To work and get yourself food, to make a large house for yourself, to make a war canoe, to be hospitable and call visitors to your marae, to make fishing nets for yourself, to trawl for fish, to surround yourself with plenty of work.
Such is the general meaning of the following karakia, KO TE TUA, MO TE TANE, tua or tohi repeated over a male child.
Tohi ki te wai no Tu;
Whano koe.
Tangaengae.
Ki te hopu tangata
Tangaengae.
Ki te piki maunga,
Tangaengae.
Me homai, tangaengae,
Mo te tama nei.
Whano koe.
Tangaengae.
Kia riri, ai,
Tangaengae.
Kia niwha ai,
Tangaengae.
Ki te patu tangata,
Tangaengae.
Ki te tomo pa,
Tangaengae.
Ki te patu whakaara,
Tangaengae.
Ki te tu parekura.
Tangaengae.
Kia riri ai
Tangaengae.
Kia toa ai,
Tangaengae.
Ki te mau patu Kowhatu,
Tangaengae.
Ki te mau taiaha
Tangaengae
Me ho mai, Tangaengae.
Hei whakatupu Tangaengae,
Mo te tama nei.
Whano koe.
Tangaengae.
Ki nga maunga nunui,
Tangaengae.
Ki nga rakau whakahihi,
Tangaengae.
Ki nga rakau whakahihi o te wao.
Tangaengae.
Me ho mai Tangaengae.
Hei whakatupu tangaengae,
Mo te tama nei.
Whano koe,
Tangaengae.
Ki nga ngaru teitei, o te moana,
Tangaengae.
Kia turakina i tai,
Tangaengae.
Me ho mai tangaengae,
Hei whakatupu tangaengae,
Mo te Tama nei.
Whano koe,
Tangaengae.
Ki te mahi kai, mau.
Tangaengae.
Ki te hanga whare nui, mou
Tangaengae.
Ki te hanga waka taua,
Tangaengae.
Ki te Karanga pahi,
Tangaengae.
Ki te whakatupu kupenga, mau,
Tangaengae.
Ki te hi ika mau,
Tangaengae.
Ki te hao mahi, mau,
Tangaengae.
Me homai tangaengae
Hei whakatupu tangaengae
Mo te tama nei.
E ahua mai ra
Te toro, i a kiharoa,
Hei kawe rawa, i a au,
Ki te one, i Rangaunu,
Kei te rerenga, ki te Po;
Ko wai au ka kite,
Karakia kia ora ai, kia toa ai, kia kaha ai.
