Te ara ki te po no te atua
Te ara ki te ao no te tangata

At the time when the earth was hot
At the time when the heavens churned
At the time when the sun was dark
At the time when the moon barely shone
At the rise of the Seven Sisters
The waters the source of the earth
Darkness made the darkness
The night created the night

Snowfall on the fire mountains
Ice in House of the Sun
The winter of interstellar space
The black of deepest dream
Deep underground stillness, no sound
What life there may be, it is sleeping
Nothing but night
Can the night give birth?
Nothing but night
Will the night give birth?

The essence of darkness
The promise of light
At midnight, it is midnight

A little less darkness
One photon of light
No eyes to see, eyes yet to be

Cimmerian darkness
A sliver of light
Night ending, coming into dawn

From the ocean we rise
We rise up
From the oceans: life

Te ara ki te po no te atua
Te ara ki te ao no te tangata

Pregnant night
The black gives birth
Seven girls still
The seven waters
An octopus slips
Between the worlds
An egg cracks open, a thousand birds
They are singing
Caterpillar, butterfly, white tern, dragonfly
Kolea, Apapane, Pueo, Elepaio
Albatross, Io, Tropic Bird, Sea Swallow
Honeysucker, Stork, Crane, Nene, Crow
The birds that fly shut out the starlight
Still nothing but darkness night all around
Naiʻa leap
Koholā call
Every creature adding light
To the darkness

A little less darkness
A little more light
First rays of dawn, first rays of dawn

A little less darkness
A little more light
Feel the warmth of the sun, warmth of the sun

A little less darkness
The great gift of light
Let the morning come, let the day begin

From the ocean we rise
We rise up
From the oceans: life

Sunrise
New life
Sunrise
Life

Sunlight
A new creation
Sunlight
Light

Te ara ki te po no te atua
Te ara ki te ao no te tangata

Arms open to the sunrise
Dance in the light
The first day is here, the first day is now

Ears open to the sun’s song
Listen to the light
The first day is here, the first day is now

Eyes open to the sunrise
Be seen by the light
The first day is here, the first day is now

The fragrance of sunshine
Breathe in the light
The first day is here, the first day is now

From the ocean we rise
We rise up
From the oceans: life

From the ocean we rise
We rise up
From the oceans: life

Te ara ki te po no te atua
Te ara ki te ao no te tangata

© Kirtland C. Peterson, 2021