1 “He teka rānei, kua takoto he pakanga mō te tangata i runga i te whenua,
2 E rite ana ki te pononga, e matenui nei ki te ātārangi,
3 koia tōku rite, ka whiwhi nei ki ngā marama horihori,
4 Ka takoto ahau, ka mea ahau, ‘Āhea ahau ara ai?’
5 Ko te kākahu mō ōku kikokiko he kutukutu, he pōkuru oneone;
6 Ko ōku rā hohoro atu i te rākau a te kaiwhatu;
7 “Kia mahara he hau ōku rā;
8 Ko te kanohi o te tangata e kite ana i ahau,
9 Memeha atu te kapua, ngaro atu;
10 E kore ia e hoki mai anō ki tōna whare,
11 “Nā, e kore e kaiponuhia e ahau tōku māngai;
12 He moana rānei ahau, he tohorā,
13 Ki te mea ahau, ‘Kei tōku moenga ahau te mārie ai,
14 Nā, ka whakahaehaetia ahau e koe ki ngā moe,
15 Ā, ki tā tōku wairua he pai te tārona;
16 E whakarihariha ana ahau ki tōku ora;
17 “He aha te tangata, i whakanuia ai e koe?
18 I titiro ai koe i a ia i tēnei ata,
19 Kia pēhea ake te roa ōu kāhore nei e tahuri atu i ahau,
20 Mehemea kua hara ahau, kia aha atu ahau ki a koe, e te kaitiaki o ngā tāngata?
21 He aha koe tē whakarere noa ai i tōku hē,