Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

A karakia composed by Tuhoto Ariki on the birth of his grand nephew Tuteremoana, "14 generations ago". The poem is recorded in Māori, an English translation is rendered by G. H. Davies and J. H. Hope, with accompanying notes by H. T. Whatahoro regarding each line of the Māori version.

References to kūmara planting and kōrau (the young shoots of mamaku).

"Midwinter in the sky moves every one/ To plant the kūmara crop, to earth up hills/ And clear out weeds. Now soon the growth of leaves/ begins, with aid of Rongo-marae-roa"

p.45 line 58 "O Tupai whakarongo wananga, ka taketake i konei/ ki Tipuaki-o-rangi ka rere mai Poutu i te rangi/ Ka whakaawhi i a Puke-hau-one, ka hoka/ Hine-rau-whārangi Hine-rau-wharangi i konei i ia, kia taha mai/Ahauhu ahua te Puke-nui, ahua te Puke-whakaki/Nau, E Rongo-marae-roa! koia te ngahuru tikotiko-iere/ Te marua-roa o te matahi o te tau/ Te putunga o te hinu/ E tama e i!"

Poutu i te rangi = Name of constellation in heavens when planting kūmara.

Puke-hau-one = hill on which kūmara seed planted.

Ka hoka hine-rau-whārangi i konei = The leaves of the kūmara begin to grow.

Rongo-marae-roa = kūmara god.

Ngahuru-tiki-tiko-iere, te marua roa o te matahi o te tau = the month for harvesting the kūmara, storing it in the rua, and other food...preserved in calabashes, are put in the whata.

p.46 line 119/120 Iranui (the sister of Kahungunu) had a longing to eat kōrau (the shoots of Cyathea medullaris), so they procured seed for it which Iranui sowed at Turanga.