Track 01
Tīpuna
Tīpuna was originally written (mainly) in English, and then fully translated into te reo Māori, conveying the same themes and ideas. Allana worked with Māori translator and good friend Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham to produce this bilingual version. The word tīpuna means ancestors (plural form) — used in the dialect of the Tairawhiti, the East Coast of the North Island, where Allana hails from.
This song is about knowing your tīpuna are always with you and around you. They help and guide you in everything you do. They may not be with you in this physical world, but they are there — and you feel their love holding and supporting you. Tīpuna also speaks of connecting to your homeland and the taiao — the natural world. Verse one speaks of the sweet singing voice of the tūī and the whispering wind. Verse two speaks of being welcomed home.
Tīpuna is for everyone who feels a connection to their ancestors and to Aotearoa.
Verse 1
Rangona ai te korokoro tūī. Waiatatia mai
Rangona ai a Tāwhirirangi. Kōhimutia mai
Pre-chorus
Ārahina mai ai e ngā tīpuna rā
He au awa ki te au moana. Tohua mai rā
Chorus
Pūmau ana ki ngā tīpuna. Kua whetūrangitia
Āhuru mōwai i tō aroha. Pīataata mai rā
Āio ana ā-roto e tōia nei au e. Awhi kau
Verse 2
I hear the call of the kaikaranga. Karangatia mai
I see the people welcome me home. Pōhiritia mai
Pre-chorus
And always in everything, my tīpuna will guide me
Like the river runs to the sea. Tohua mai rā
Chorus
Pūmau ana ki ngā tīpuna. Kua whetūrangitia
Āhuru mōwai i tō aroha. Pīataata mai rā
Āio ana ā-roto e tōia nei au e
Awhi kau. Auē, rangona ana te aroha ā-roto
Original English Lyric Version
I hear the song of the tūī in the tree. Waiatatia mai
I hear the sound of the wind blowing free. Kōhimutia mai
And in everything my tīpuna will guide me
Like the river runs to the sea. Tohua mai rā
I hold close to the stars at night. Kua whetūrangitia,
Where my ancestors wait for me. Pīataata mai rā
I feel peace within, your love leads me
Awhi kau. Auē, rangona ana te aroha a roto
I hear the call of the kaikaranga. Karangatia mai
I see the people welcome me home. Pōwhiritia mai