It happens at every official occasion. The brass band strikes up the New Zealand national anthem. A sole voice at the microphone launches into the first few Maori words . . . “E Ihowa Atua”. Some of the crowd mumble throughthe first verse while most stand silent with lips pursed. We get to the English words. Then the crowd begins to sing. The official force-feeding of te reo is just not working very well.
God Defend New Zealand was written as a five-verse poem in the 1870s by Irish-born, Victoria-raised immigrant Thomas Bracken of Dunedin. A competition to compose music for the poem was held in 1876 by The Saturday Advertiser and judged by three prominent Melbourne musicians, with a prize of 10 guineas (equivalent in today's money to around $3000).
The Maori language version was produced in 1878 by Thomas H. Smith of Auckland, a judge in the Native Land Court, on request of Governor George Edward Grey, and in 1979 this was back-translated into English by former Maori Language Commissioner, Professor Timoti Karetu. The Maori version, needless to say, is not a direct translation of the English version. Neither is the rhythmic structure close to the English.
English: God of Nations
God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.
Maori: Aotearoa
E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
English translation (Karetu)
O Lord, God,
of all people
Listen to us,
Cherish us
May good flourish,
May your blessings flow.
Defend
Aotearoa