Mau Moko

For 60 years we fought for our tradition

Ono tekau ngā tau e kōkiri ana (auē) mō o mātou tikanga

An art nearly forgotten, our practice almost lost

He tata wareware te tuhi toi, i tata ngaro ō mātou ritenga

The suppression of our tōhunga, suppressed by the crown

Koropehu ō mātou tōhunga, ka pēhia e te kuīnitanga

Our moko protected us from your hate

I parea mātou e te mana moko i āu mahi kino

We are the people who wear moko

Ko te hunga mau moko mātou

You don't understand

E kore koe e mātau (e)

The story in our markings

Te tikanga tāmoko

The story of our ancestors

Kōrero tuku iho

We are the people who wear moko

Tāngata Mau Moko

You displayed our skin as spectacle

Kua horahia e koe te kiri Māori hei whakaaturanga

We have taken back our tradition, revived by a criminal world

Hoki mai te mana, nā te ao taihara i whakaora (e)

Your judging eyes try to hurt us

Ka whiua mai rā ō kanohi whakawā kei patu mai

But our moko protects us from your hate

Otirā, ka whakamarua mātou e te moko i tō mauāhara

We are the people who wear moko

Ko te hunga mau moko mātou

you don't understand

E kore koe e mātau (e)

The story in our markings

Te tikanga tāmoko

The story of our ancestors

Kōrero tuku iho

We are the people who wear moko

Tāngata Mau Moko

Wear moko

Mau Moko

We are the people who wear moko

Ko te hunga Mau Moko

Restore our mana

Hoki mai te mana

Who are we!

Kō wai mātou ē!

We are the people who wear moko

Ko nga tangata mau moko mātou

you don't understand

Kīhai koe e māmara

The story in our markings

Ō mātou kōrero tuhi kiri

The story of our ancestors!

Ō mātou kōrero tuku iho!

We are the people who wear moko

Ko te hunga mau moko mātou

you don't understand

E kore koe e mātau (e)

The story in our markings

Te tikanga tāmoko

The story of our ancestors

Kōrero tuku iho

We are the people who wear moko

Tāngata Mau Moko

Savage, monkey, stone age, backwards No!

Mohoao, makimaki, ao kōhatu, kōmuri Kao!

Who are we!

Kō wai mātou ē!

We are the people who wear moko

Ko nga tangata mau moko mātou e!

We are the people who wear moko

Ko te hunga Mau Moko