A tauparapara is usually the opening of a mihi. Here are samples of some of the common ones.
The following are a few examples of commonly used tauparapara. There are hundreds of different tauparapara and the following is just a small sample. Tauparapara are usually used at the beginning of a mihi and can be used to identify the speaker, the iwi, the purpose of the hui and to set the mood. It is important that when using a tauparapara you understand the translation, and if possible the meaning, so that the correct one can be used for the occasion. Some can be used on either the Tangata Whenua or the Manuhiri side, while others are for one side only.
| Ka tangi te titi | The Mutton bird cries |
| Ka tangi te kaka | The Parrot cries |
| Ka tangi hoki ko ahau | I also cry |
| Tihei (wa) Mauri Ora! | Behold there is Life! |
(Things to think about: Why are these particular birds used? What birds could be used for a Tangihanga?)
| Korihi te manu | The bird sings |
| Takiri mai i te ata | The morning has dawned |
| Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea | The day has broken |
| Tihei (wa) Mauri Ora! | Behold there is Life! |
(Things to think about: What is the difference between waiata and korihi? Why does the bird sing at daybreak?)
| Tuhia ki te rangi | Write it in the sky |
| Tuhia ki te whenua | Write it in the land |
| Tuhia ki te ngakau o nga tangata | Write it in the heart of the people |
| Ko te mea nui | The greatest thing |
| Ko te aroha | Is love |
| Tihei (wa) Mauri Ora! | Behold there is Life! |
(Things to think about: What kind of hui would this be very appropriate for? Where would you look and point while saying this?)
Notes:
The wa is used by speakers from the northern iwi.
The saying Tihei mauri ora comes from when Hineahuone (the first made woman) had life breathed into her. The tihei is like the sneeze when a child is born, the mauri is the force and the ora is the life. There is also a saying Tihei mauri mate which is the death force, and used sometimes at tangihanga. For the purpose of this excercise, we will not use it at this point in time, but it is something interesting to keep your ears open for at tangihanga.
The titi and the kaka are used in the tauparapara because of their reo, which
is crystal clear, in the case of the titi, and continuous in the case of the
kaka. Speakers try to let their reo be like these birds.
A kereru /
kukupa which is a pigeon would not be used as the reo of that manu is very soft.
Birds are an important part of our poetry and culture, each having different
meanings.
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