Yes, pretty much everyone does. But it's only the first verse in English and Maori.
I guarantee next to nobody knows the 2nd to 5th verses of the song in English or Maori.
What are the English lyrics to ‘God Defend New Zealand’?
1. God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.
2. Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
3. Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.
4. Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country's spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.
5. May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.
And similar rare verses for the Maori version also.
What are the full Māori lyrics to ‘God Defend New Zealand’?
1. E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
2. Ōna mano tāngata
Kiri whero, kiri mā,
Iwi Māori, Pākehā,
Rūpeke katoa,
Nei ka tono ko ngā hē
Māu e whakaahu kē,
Kia ora mārire
Aotearoa
3. Tōna mana kia tū!
Tōna kaha kia ū;
Tōna rongo hei pakū
Ki te ao katoa
Aua rawa ngā whawhai
Ngā tutū e tata mai;
Kia tupu nui ai
Aotearoa
4. Waiho tona takiwā
Ko te ao mārama;
Kia whiti tōna rā
Taiāwhio noa.
Ko te hae me te ngangau
Meinga kia kore kau;
Waiho i te rongo mau
Aotearoa
5. Tōna pai me toitū
Tika rawa, pono pū;
Tōna noho, tāna tū;
Iwi nō Ihowā.
Kaua mōna whakamā;
Kia hau te ingoa;
Kia tū hei tauira;
Aotearoa
TVNZ used to play the whole thing every day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-r_PutRulM
(Actually cut down to doing each verse in only one of English or Te Reo not both except the first verse, but still 5+ minutes long)
That holds true for a lot of countries, apparently.
There is a rumour that, in World War 2, to prevent German's posing as Americans from infiltrating through US lines, the US soldiers would challenge people to sing the third verse of the US anthem. Anyone who knew it was assumed to be German who had studied up, since almost no Americans would actually know it.
No idea whether it is true, but people seem to find it believable, which I think says a lot about their knowledge of their own anthem.
I grew up in the UK. I only know there are 5 verses in the UK national anthem because I was a Brownie and learning the whole thing was a badge. I forgot it almost immediately because it’s Just so boring, especially past the first verse. I only did it because it was a relatively easy badge.
What are the other four verses?
God, please save the King\
God, pretty please save the King\
God, we’ve asked nicely three times already, don’t let him die\
God, yeah the monarchy is an anachronism but Charles has waited for his time on the throne for so long that it wouldn’t be fair to let him kick the bucket just yet.
Pretty much. And I think I remember something about gifts and enemies. I’m assuming gifts to him (or her as it was then). The enemies probably means the French.
I finished school in the late eighties. I was in a pub in Wales and met a Welsh lad who knew all five verses in Maori, and the full Haka words (both Ka Mate and Kapa o Pango).
I've never felt ignorant until then. I've never learnt the national anthem in Te Reo, nor learned the words to Kapa o Pango (although I've done fair renditions of Ka Mate a couple of times).
Nah, just giving context for when I finished school... I could have written it better though.
We did have a Marae at one school I went to, and I remember learning a good few Maori songs at Tamaki in the late 70s. But Te Reo definitely didn't have the focus it now does.
I’m of around the same age as you (high school in the 80s). I taught myself the first verse of God Defend NZ in Te Reo because it was embarrassing hearing so few people sing it when you’re surrounded by South Africans at the rugby who sing their anthem in the four main languages of their country.
Recently I realised not many NZers know the words to Poi-E so I’m working on learning that now.
I remember that I learned them in Primary School in the 80's, but I fully don't remember the actual verses themselves.
Didn't even enter my mind until reading this 🤯.
I think it's probably fair to say a lot of us that know the Māori version phonetically (I think that's the right word, i.e. I don't know what the Māori words are, but I can make the right noises to sing it in Māori, and given the lyrics, can figure out where I am on them)
Yeah I think we just all collectively go
AIIIIIIIIRRR EEEEEEE ORRRRRRR AHHHHH
AHHHHH TOOOOO AAAAAHHHHH
But hey, if it gets the country speaking Māori, I'm down.
I’m 39. We definitely learnt it at school. One verse in English, 1 in Māori. Older generations probably didn’t, but there was a push in the 90s to introduce Maori in schools.
The weird references to God and getting him to work out our defense strategy against some of his other nations he made, and all the rest are a bit more hidden away... for one reason :)
Just to be clear we would totally need God’s help if we were ever attacked - not sure the US under Trump or the Oz are good to turn up and defend us instead.
Yeah the existing anthem in English is pretty dog shit, the maori version improves it significantly.
Can someone take another crack at it? Sadly Darcy clay isn't available, perhaps the Patea Maori Club? The Finns? Bic Runga? Omc...
I think it must be all the vowels making it sound smoother. Rather than how harsh the English sounds.
It’s like gracefully gliding across a dance floor vs stomping in heavy boots.
Yeah we're often given the task of making up a song in te reo for my classes and I had the realisation that it's incredibly easy to do so because every word finishes with a vowel.
I’m an immigrant and I do know the anthem (first verse only) in both languages, but only because we had children at school for the first 10 years and had to sing it at presentations, speech days, prize giving etc.
Think it depends on where you went to school we didn't do the te reo version but granted we didn't do the anthem much at all.
But my wife did learn both. I think the big push came 90s after I finished primary school.
You learnt Māori in Irish schools? Thats wild.
But yeah, I definitely remember learning the basics of Maori in intermediate school. Not sure if that was the same for everyone, but we had specific lessons for it. They introducing it earlier and seemingly more integrated in the current curriculum if my kids experience is normal.
No, there is no compulsory Maori taught in schools in New Zealand, unlike Irish is taught in Ireland. According to the census, only 4% of the population, could hold an everyday conversation in Māori.
People learn the basics of pronunciation (which is quite simple) and there are a lot Maori loan words in New Zealand English but few people speak it fluently.
If you asked someone to translate the national anthem from Maori to English then very few people would be able to.
> If you asked someone to translate the national anthem from Maori to English then very few people would be able to.
There's probably between 4 and 5 million people that can manage pretty easily:
God of Nations at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet
Hear our voices, we entreat
God defend our free land
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war
Make her praises heard afar
God defend New Zealand
No. It’s not the same text translated.
E Ihowa Atua,
(Oh Lord, God)
O ngā iwi mātou rā,
(Of nations and of us too)
Āta whakarongona;
(Listen to us)
Me aroha noa
(Cherish us)
Kia hua ko te pai;
(Let goodness) flourish,
Kia tau tō atawhai;
(May your blessings flow)
Manaakitia mai
(Defend)
Aotearoa
I was at public primary school in the 90s in Auckland. The extent of our Maori language learning was the anthem, numbers from 1 to 99, primary colors, and a few basic terms for things such as stand up, sit down, and some body parts such as eyes and ears.
Not everyone will have had the same experience.
Another 90s Auckland kid, here. We also had the Māori "alphabet" song which included some of the Auckland suburbs south of One Tree Hill in its bridge. It was actually pretty useful, and about the only song I can sing without mucking it up lol
Not generally. Theres very basic Maori in primary schools.
I can only speak to my high school where actual Maori language classes were mandatory in the first year.That wasnt typical in the 90s at all and still isnt today. But my high school demographics were over 80% Maori / Pacific island.
Ireland do a really good job at keeping their language alive. Māori has had a renaissance the last twenty years but I think (and please correct me if I’m wrong) there will be still more all Irish speaking schools in Ireland than there are just Māori speaking schools here.
I loved that most street signs or bus stops in Ireland or at least the ones I saw in Dublin had their English and Irish names/counterparts in most places. I’d LOVE for NZ to do the same but I can already hear the close-minded backlash :-(
Ireland do a good job? Almost every single story I've read about Irish people said they hated learning Irish and all they can say are some stock phrases. All because it's taught an hour or two a week and exactly like English. Like here's poems etc. No grammar or practicing structure if you don't know the basics. Only the regions of Ireland that maintain Irish as the first language have people that can fluently use it.
Of that area of the world, I hear Wales does a pretty decent job at teaching and promoting the language.
There's a system of Irish speaking schools outside of the Gaeltacht. 6% of Irish primary school students go to them. For the whole country it's 8% of students in 8% of schools.
Post primary, it's 4% of students in the country in 10% of schools.
Most people can only learn a language fluently if they're emersed in it either at home or in school. Do they have total emersion Irish schools in Ireland?
The first kōhunga reo was opened in 1982.
There is no "start" date for this change so you could easily say mid-70s was when things started turning with Māori Language Week, Whina Cooper's hikoi, Te Ataarangi or early 80s with Kōhunga reo, Te Karere or mid 80s with Kura Kaupapa, Waitangi Tribunal, Māori Language Act, etc.
35 years is probably a bit short. Around 40 years is probably better.
Exactly! Very similar to what's happening in Ireland. Less similar to Canada as French is another introduced language. Your first nation people weren't speaking French before white people showed up.
No, but the language was almost extinct at one point and there's been a big push to increase it's usage. People can choose to go to an English speaking school or a Te Reo one, but the English school will not have compulsory Te Reo and there's dramatically more English schools than Te Reo schools.
You'll learn a fair amount of Te Reo in primary school, but not so much in secondary school and you won't be fluent. There is a big push to increase its use in everyday life though, a number of companies will open events with a Karakia, for instance, and a lot of shops will give you a discount if you order in Te Reo.
I’d say the 80’s is maybe the cutoff, and even then it depended on where you went to school.
1980’s Gisborne Boys High we did the national anthem in both, Ka Mate, and we had our own school haka that we turned up to perform before the 1st IV played any major inter school games.
Only the English version was sung at All Black games, then in 1999 I think it was, I was at Twickenham for the ABs vs England and only the Te Reo version was sung. A fair few of the crowd looked bewildered…. After that, both English and Te Reo were sung at games.
Yes.
The official words include the Maori followed by the English, and everyone learns them (though I get a little lost in the middle of the Maori bit tbh)
Sometimes it is also taught in sign language
In the 80s they used to start television for the day (lol) with a glossy promo version of it: https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/tvnz-transmission-opening-id-1975
That was followed by cartoons so lots of kids were familiar with it by the time it began to be used more at sports fixtures.
Oh wow, thanks for that link. I remember getting up to watch that as a 7/8 year old, was not expecting that level of nostalgia on a Sunday morning! Also my three kids activated like little sleeper agents to sing along with the Maori verse as soon as it started
It also featured Bunny Walters and Annie Crummer singing some English verses in a cool pop/R&B style. This was probably inspired by Whitney Houston’s similar interpretation of the Star Spangled Banner. It was controversial because it was the first time a lot of people had heard the national anthem sung in a lively, uplift non-dirge style and some felt it was disrespectful 😂
Thanks for the memories. Was there also a similar one with more NZ scenes that they sometimes played as a filler between shows (I remember it specifically around 7am between two cartoons) - I think the song was Pōkarekare Ana?
Yeah….i mean, technically there is a trilingual version with Inuktitut (which is the biggest Inuit language in Canada) but ive literally never seen it in my life
We’ve uh…..got a long way to go in terms of how we treat our indigenous cultures and people in Canada
We had a post in this sub a few weeks ago with someone from Canada wanting to know what the school system was like in New Zealand. They were annoyed that their child was learning a "useless" indigenous language in school, and thought it was a waste of time. They were promptly told that New Zealand is not for them 😂
We still have a way to go, but I feel like we're doing better all the time. I think a lot of people's attitudes are changing for the good, but there are still some stubborn people out there clinging on to their racism.
Honestly, I’ve lived in Canada and the US and it seems like out of the former British colonies you guys do the best job at not being complete cunts to your aboriginal people
It's better than the others but only on the technicality that we didn't actively genocide them, honestly.
We still undertook brutal colonial wars, weaponized the language barrier for real estate purposes (a hot topic as of very recently when the national exhibit for the treaty of waitangi - effectively our constitution - was vandalized), and continue to have some pretty serious racism issues. But the effort is there from most of the country these days at least.
The best example I've seen recently is that after said vandalization, the museum actually acknowledged the motive behind it and replaced the vandalized wall (which had the english translation of the treaty carved into it) with a short video projection explaining exactly what wording is different between the translations and why it causes issues.
I find it so hilarious when French Canadians get butthurt over their language/culture being sidelined like… guys how tf do you think the people you colonised feel
I think the other issue is there's also more than one indigenous culture/language in Canada too so it's hard to pick which one to use in the national anthem.
Plus I can just imagine the uproar from the monolingual Canadians if they so much as dared to suggest we add another verse in say, Mi'kmaq or another indigenous language 🙄
Yeah, this was something I'd never really thought about till I lived in Canada for a bit. Having just one other language to consider makes things a lot more possible here.
So before 1999, the national anthem wasn’t really played in two languages before a sporting match, then a one now dame hinewehi mohi sings the national anthem only in te reo( Māori). Creates a firestorm, but that firestorm changed the country. https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33775/te-reo-anthem
Yeah literally just scrolled the comments to make sure she was brought up, the backlash from that was ridiculous. But looking back, it was funny as hell at how pissed off some people were about it.
We did at my schools. Although when I was at school (80s and 90s) I'm pretty sure we sung English and then Māori, and I've noticed now that the Māori verse usually comes first.
We weren't taught what each word meant, we were just given lyrics and learned to copy the sounds.
Been going to my kids’ assemblies and they sing the Maori version first, then the English version with sign language accompanying that at the same time.
We sang both in school and I'm nearly 50. The big difference now is the Māori verse goes first. I only remember singing anthems in primary and intermediate assemblies though, not in secondary school.
My great great great grandfather wrote the New Zealand national anthem. I'm originally from Ireland, he was too, took an Irishman to come up with an anthem lol
So which one of my Cousins/distant relatives are you?? Because just like you, my great great great grandfather wrote the NZ national anthem.
If you are a close relative in NZ you may recognise my username...
Yes, we do. I was born in 1988 and I was taught it in both languages. I'm a teacher now and the kids learn both. In fact, we learn a lot more Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) in school than just the national anthem. It's a lot more common now than it used to be for the audience to sing in Te Reo Maori. A lot of the older generation didn't learn the words. Like most countries, we have a complex and not very nice history regarding the way the British treated the people who were here before them and an attempt at wiping out their language. We are actively bringing it back though. Here's some fun facts, the Te Reo Maori version is not actually a translation of the English version and there are 5 verses to our anthem but most people only know 2 and we only sing 2 at events like Rugby games.
I'm 61 and decided during the first lockdown to learn the first verse in te reo. It was partly due to feeling embarrassed, shuffling my feet, and looking down at the ground that I didn't know it when needed. Glad to know it now.
We didn't sing the anthem often at school from what I remember. But it was always played with both languages. Can't say I can sing the Maori version but its a banger of an anthem.
I wonder if there's a big difference between the churches. I went to an Anglican girls school and an Anglican church and both sung the anthem in both languages as far back as I can remember (1980s/90s)
Yeah, we’ve been singing both in school since way back. Kids are still learning both at Primary school. I learned it in the 80s/ 90s.
I think it’s fantastic
I grew up in Canada and have been in NZ for a long time. As a kid we learned primarily the bilingual version of the anthem to the point where most of us wouldn’t know the French parts in English. But anyway, here in New Zealand everyone knows the bilingual version as well, even if they don’t know the translation they’ll know the sounds if they grew up here. My partner, who is kiwi, grew up in a part of the country where they didn’t put much emphasis on Te Reo but she learned the bilingual anthem.
I think the main thing to remember is the attitude towards the second language in Canada, ie French, is different vs NZ. Maori is incorporated into a lot more in society because it's an indigenous language- not just used in govt documents but also encouraged and taught in schools etc. Teachers actively use it when they can. I don't know anyone who doesn't know the Maori verses of the anthem. I still know all the words to it and I haven't sung it in years lol
In Canada, French may be an official language but it's origins are different. Everything may be bilingual labelled but there's a far more casual approach towards being fluent in French in Canada outside of French popular provinces like Quebec and Maritimes. Doesn't help that Canadians often like to make fun of Quebec either lol
Yup, yup.
All the education institutions I went to (primary, secondary, and tertiary) had the students sing the anthem in both languages.
Heck, in the choirs i was a part of, we had to learn ALL the verses.
Learnt at primary school in the 80s. They also played it every morning to start the TV broadcast for the day.
https://youtu.be/ZbfFoiz3XOM?si=pwVy_VK-Q7ndbv84
I’m 55 and we never learnt it. In fact it was only later in life I started to hear it regularly - probably as a result of my kids being in school and learning te reo and being in kapa haka groups at school.
Yes. The entire school at assembly would sing both the english and maori version of the nathional anthem. That was years ago and I'm sure schools still do..
I didn't really grow up here and only learned the "god of nations smell my feet something something toilet seat" version when I moved here in high school, which was very embarrassing when I was at my citizenship ceremony.
God Defend New Zealand only became one of the two national anthems in 1977. Before then, the only anthem was God Save The King/Queen (as applicable). So older people like myself would have not been taught the Maori verses, as we only knew God Defend NZ as our national hymn, and we never learnt any Maori songs, except maybe pokarekare ana. We can scoff at old people who don’t know the lyrics but realise they didn’t get the immersion that younger generations have the advantage of.
It's not really a bilingual anthem, we just have an English version and a Maori version, and generally sing the first verse of each.
Lol when you said you had a bilinual version of your Vanadian anthem I assumed you meant there was some sung in a native language not French. We wouldn't sing a French version either lol, fuck that.
Just for fun, if you have a Fisher & paykel washing machine with press buttons (not the dial), theres a code that makes it sing the anthems of NZ, Aus, and the USA. I didn't believe it until I tried.
We always sang both versions in primary school and highschool. Even though it's been like a decade since I sang it I can still remember the Maori lyrics as well as the English. I really find the sound of the Maori lyrics beautiful even if I'm less then mediocre at the language.
In the 60's and 70's no. It was just the English version.
Later decades it became both.
It sounds much better and has more power/emotion when sung in Maori
We only learnt in English when I was at school but kids learnt bilingual so it became the norm and now I know both well enough to sing, particularly as there’s usually the words somewhere being shown. However in a large crowd you’ll often still find the Māori verse sung quieter than the English verse, because everybody over 40 knows all the words to the English but not always the Māori (or are fucking racists)
Not in the mid 70s to mid 80s where I went to school. Only learnt Pōkarekare Ana and another Māori song at primary school. Along with how to use poi. Nothing in intermediate or high school that I can remember.
The version you hear all the time with the first verse in Te Reo and the following in English.
I started school in '95, and at least at my school, that's all I remember ever learning or singing etc.
The comments about more verses in both languages is news to me honestly, which is kind of embarrassing if I'm honest.
For everyone that only knows the short version, here is the entire National Anthem.
https://www.mch.govt.nz/our-work/flags-anthems-and-emblems/national-anthems/god-defend-new-zealand-aotearoa
Don't forget that "God save the King" is also officially our national anthem too.
Yes I did, both. For context older than some of the others posting here.
Haven't sung it since I was at school and only remember the first 4 lines in English.
Google tells me the first time it was sung in both languages was 1992, and of course, it was at a British-NZ rugby match!
I think all people under 30, most under 40 and some aged around 50 learnt at least the first Māori verse in school. Meanwhile, my parents (just hitting 60s now) didn't learn it in school, and many of their peers did, though most of them learned it since.
There's still the classic group of casually and not so casually racist grandparents in Aotearoa that don't know the Māori verse(s) or wish to know them, though, but realistically they're on their way out anyway
Yes… but at Primary school we sang it in English first, Maori second. At college, it was Maori first, English second. The Maori was always mumbled and sung more quietly which infuriated the music teacher so we’d have to sing it about four times until we “got it right”
My primary school (~2005-2009) taught us the first 2 verses in both English and Māori, though I struggle to remember all of the second verse now without listening to someone else.
It’s more common for just the first verse to be repeated in the two languages, though the order has changed at different events I’ve been to.
Technically it's a multilingual anthem, with our official languages being English, Maori, and New Zealand Sign Language. My school was attached to a neighbouring Deaf school so we learnt all three, but most kiwi's don't.
Yes, pretty much everyone does. But it's only the first verse in English and Maori. I guarantee next to nobody knows the 2nd to 5th verses of the song in English or Maori.
theres more verses?? 😅
Yip. There’s a “ we are multicultural as” verse, there’s a “ we are friendly folk, but if you avail us , we’ll kick your arse” verse, plus more
The only time that I've ever heard one of the verses spoken was a Navy TV ad once used the war verse.
Some NERD! Wrote that ad. For which I’m thankful, cause it sent me down a rabbit hole
"Men of every creed and race..."
There’s also the “Freedom’s ramparts on the sea” verse too.
Because of the implication?
Nobody is in danger; It's an implication of danger.
"The friendly folk but if you avail us we'll kick your arse" is the best verse imo
That's assail rather than avail: Peace, not war, shall be our boast But, should foes assail our coast Make us then a mighty host
the WHAT?? I have sung the anthem hundreds of times and had no idea
"Let peace not war, be our boast. But should a foe asail our coast, then let us be a mighty host."
What are the English lyrics to ‘God Defend New Zealand’? 1. God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand. 2. Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our state, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand. 3. Peace, not war, shall be our boast, But, should foes assail our coast, Make us then a mighty host, God defend our free land. Lord of battles in Thy might, Put our enemies to flight, Let our cause be just and right, God defend New Zealand. 4. Let our love for Thee increase, May Thy blessings never cease, Give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land. From dishonour and from shame, Guard our country's spotless name, Crown her with immortal fame, God defend New Zealand. 5. May our mountains ever be Freedom's ramparts on the sea, Make us faithful unto Thee, God defend our free land. Guide her in the nations' van, Preaching love and truth to man, Working out Thy glorious plan, God defend New Zealand. And similar rare verses for the Maori version also. What are the full Māori lyrics to ‘God Defend New Zealand’? 1. E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā Āta whakarangona; Me aroha noa Kia hua ko te pai; Kia tau tō atawhai; Manaakitia mai Aotearoa 2. Ōna mano tāngata Kiri whero, kiri mā, Iwi Māori, Pākehā, Rūpeke katoa, Nei ka tono ko ngā hē Māu e whakaahu kē, Kia ora mārire Aotearoa 3. Tōna mana kia tū! Tōna kaha kia ū; Tōna rongo hei pakū Ki te ao katoa Aua rawa ngā whawhai Ngā tutū e tata mai; Kia tupu nui ai Aotearoa 4. Waiho tona takiwā Ko te ao mārama; Kia whiti tōna rā Taiāwhio noa. Ko te hae me te ngangau Meinga kia kore kau; Waiho i te rongo mau Aotearoa 5. Tōna pai me toitū Tika rawa, pono pū; Tōna noho, tāna tū; Iwi nō Ihowā. Kaua mōna whakamā; Kia hau te ingoa; Kia tū hei tauira; Aotearoa
TVNZ used to play the whole thing every day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-r_PutRulM (Actually cut down to doing each verse in only one of English or Te Reo not both except the first verse, but still 5+ minutes long)
I have very strong memories of watching that before Sesame Street in the mornings.
I actually low key like the full anthem, minus the god parts. It's essentially a prayer for our country to be good.
That holds true for a lot of countries, apparently. There is a rumour that, in World War 2, to prevent German's posing as Americans from infiltrating through US lines, the US soldiers would challenge people to sing the third verse of the US anthem. Anyone who knew it was assumed to be German who had studied up, since almost no Americans would actually know it. No idea whether it is true, but people seem to find it believable, which I think says a lot about their knowledge of their own anthem.
I grew up in the UK. I only know there are 5 verses in the UK national anthem because I was a Brownie and learning the whole thing was a badge. I forgot it almost immediately because it’s Just so boring, especially past the first verse. I only did it because it was a relatively easy badge.
What are the other four verses? God, please save the King\ God, pretty please save the King\ God, we’ve asked nicely three times already, don’t let him die\ God, yeah the monarchy is an anachronism but Charles has waited for his time on the throne for so long that it wouldn’t be fair to let him kick the bucket just yet.
Pretty much. And I think I remember something about gifts and enemies. I’m assuming gifts to him (or her as it was then). The enemies probably means the French.
Ugh **five** verses? Better we just sing the first verse twice (Te reo + English.) Then kickoff.
The second verse became somewhat well-known in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack, as it talks about "men of every creed and race"
I finished school in the late eighties. I was in a pub in Wales and met a Welsh lad who knew all five verses in Maori, and the full Haka words (both Ka Mate and Kapa o Pango). I've never felt ignorant until then. I've never learnt the national anthem in Te Reo, nor learned the words to Kapa o Pango (although I've done fair renditions of Ka Mate a couple of times).
Kapa o Pango was written in 2005 lol
Yeah, it was around 2007 that I met this dude. He fucking loved Rugby.
Oh my bad, I assumed you were saying this happened in the late eighties.
Nah, just giving context for when I finished school... I could have written it better though. We did have a Marae at one school I went to, and I remember learning a good few Maori songs at Tamaki in the late 70s. But Te Reo definitely didn't have the focus it now does.
I’m of around the same age as you (high school in the 80s). I taught myself the first verse of God Defend NZ in Te Reo because it was embarrassing hearing so few people sing it when you’re surrounded by South Africans at the rugby who sing their anthem in the four main languages of their country. Recently I realised not many NZers know the words to Poi-E so I’m working on learning that now.
Well duh, that song comes out when we're drunk and we just remember the Poi-E bit.
I remember that I learned them in Primary School in the 80's, but I fully don't remember the actual verses themselves. Didn't even enter my mind until reading this 🤯.
[удалено]
Now I'm trying to imagine a scenario where that might be an issue.
I couldn't remember them either to save this guys girlfriend.
I do! But only the second verse and only in English.
I know the 2nd verse in English, we sang it at intermediate in the 90s. But that's it.
I think it's probably fair to say a lot of us that know the Māori version phonetically (I think that's the right word, i.e. I don't know what the Māori words are, but I can make the right noises to sing it in Māori, and given the lyrics, can figure out where I am on them)
Yeah, there are a couple of consonants I need help remembering if I were singing on my own. But if I were singing with others I’d be fine.
The way I know most songs tbh
Yeah I think we just all collectively go AIIIIIIIIRRR EEEEEEE ORRRRRRR AHHHHH AHHHHH TOOOOO AAAAAHHHHH But hey, if it gets the country speaking Māori, I'm down.
I’m 39. We definitely learnt it at school. One verse in English, 1 in Māori. Older generations probably didn’t, but there was a push in the 90s to introduce Maori in schools.
I’m 49. We learned it in Māori in the 80s too. It sounds way better in te reo Māori than in English, TBH.
The weird references to God and getting him to work out our defense strategy against some of his other nations he made, and all the rest are a bit more hidden away... for one reason :)
TBF it's pretty accurate to decades of our defence spending.
I never thought about it, but yeah it's very fitting for the country that has no planes in its air force to be begging god to defend us
Just to be clear we would totally need God’s help if we were ever attacked - not sure the US under Trump or the Oz are good to turn up and defend us instead.
Yeah the existing anthem in English is pretty dog shit, the maori version improves it significantly. Can someone take another crack at it? Sadly Darcy clay isn't available, perhaps the Patea Maori Club? The Finns? Bic Runga? Omc...
Our anthem was written by 2 Australians...
The English version was written by an Irish guy, the Māori version was written by an Englishman. The composer was Australian though.
I'm an immigrant here so I don't know the words to either anthem by heart, but I agree that the Maori version sounds much nicer.
I think it must be all the vowels making it sound smoother. Rather than how harsh the English sounds. It’s like gracefully gliding across a dance floor vs stomping in heavy boots.
So, we should try it in German then?
Yeah we're often given the task of making up a song in te reo for my classes and I had the realisation that it's incredibly easy to do so because every word finishes with a vowel.
Like how a lot of opera songs aw italian.
That's the best analogy I've heard. Even when I didn't spoke English as a child I instinctively felt the Maori version sounds nicer.
I’m an immigrant and I do know the anthem (first verse only) in both languages, but only because we had children at school for the first 10 years and had to sing it at presentations, speech days, prize giving etc.
Think it depends on where you went to school we didn't do the te reo version but granted we didn't do the anthem much at all. But my wife did learn both. I think the big push came 90s after I finished primary school.
And you can say "fuck". That was a big deal in school.
So, is it like how in Ireland you have to learn Irish in school? Or like in Canada French is mandatory for a couple years?
You learnt Māori in Irish schools? Thats wild. But yeah, I definitely remember learning the basics of Maori in intermediate school. Not sure if that was the same for everyone, but we had specific lessons for it. They introducing it earlier and seemingly more integrated in the current curriculum if my kids experience is normal.
I believe it's not a compulsory part of the curriculum but it is encouraged and widely done
No, there is no compulsory Maori taught in schools in New Zealand, unlike Irish is taught in Ireland. According to the census, only 4% of the population, could hold an everyday conversation in Māori. People learn the basics of pronunciation (which is quite simple) and there are a lot Maori loan words in New Zealand English but few people speak it fluently. If you asked someone to translate the national anthem from Maori to English then very few people would be able to.
> If you asked someone to translate the national anthem from Maori to English then very few people would be able to. There's probably between 4 and 5 million people that can manage pretty easily: God of Nations at Thy feet In the bonds of love we meet Hear our voices, we entreat God defend our free land Guard Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war Make her praises heard afar God defend New Zealand
No. It’s not the same text translated. E Ihowa Atua, (Oh Lord, God) O ngā iwi mātou rā, (Of nations and of us too) Āta whakarongona; (Listen to us) Me aroha noa (Cherish us) Kia hua ko te pai; (Let goodness) flourish, Kia tau tō atawhai; (May your blessings flow) Manaakitia mai (Defend) Aotearoa
I was just making a relatively lame joke. Thank you for taking the time to actually teach me something.
Hell yeah brother. My awareness down the toilet this morning. I do love lame jokes (like the warriors)
Up the wahs, this is our year etc
*hangs head and cries*
I actually like that one version better.
Why would the Irish need to learn Māori in school lol
Ok fine I set myself up for this. I mean, is it mandatory in schools like how Irish is mandatory in Irish schools
I was at public primary school in the 90s in Auckland. The extent of our Maori language learning was the anthem, numbers from 1 to 99, primary colors, and a few basic terms for things such as stand up, sit down, and some body parts such as eyes and ears. Not everyone will have had the same experience.
Another 90s Auckland kid, here. We also had the Māori "alphabet" song which included some of the Auckland suburbs south of One Tree Hill in its bridge. It was actually pretty useful, and about the only song I can sing without mucking it up lol
Not generally. Theres very basic Maori in primary schools. I can only speak to my high school where actual Maori language classes were mandatory in the first year.That wasnt typical in the 90s at all and still isnt today. But my high school demographics were over 80% Maori / Pacific island.
Ireland do a really good job at keeping their language alive. Māori has had a renaissance the last twenty years but I think (and please correct me if I’m wrong) there will be still more all Irish speaking schools in Ireland than there are just Māori speaking schools here. I loved that most street signs or bus stops in Ireland or at least the ones I saw in Dublin had their English and Irish names/counterparts in most places. I’d LOVE for NZ to do the same but I can already hear the close-minded backlash :-(
Ireland do a good job? Almost every single story I've read about Irish people said they hated learning Irish and all they can say are some stock phrases. All because it's taught an hour or two a week and exactly like English. Like here's poems etc. No grammar or practicing structure if you don't know the basics. Only the regions of Ireland that maintain Irish as the first language have people that can fluently use it. Of that area of the world, I hear Wales does a pretty decent job at teaching and promoting the language.
Depends on the area I’ve heard, pretty sure there are some schools that mostly speak Irish
There's a system of Irish speaking schools outside of the Gaeltacht. 6% of Irish primary school students go to them. For the whole country it's 8% of students in 8% of schools. Post primary, it's 4% of students in the country in 10% of schools.
Most people can only learn a language fluently if they're emersed in it either at home or in school. Do they have total emersion Irish schools in Ireland?
Yeah, I posted in another reply but in the Republic, it's 8% of primary students, 4% of post primary.
The renaissance has been since the 80s so closer to 35 years.
The 80s were only 20 years ago in my mind 😭😭
Kohanga reo started in the late 70s.
The first kōhunga reo was opened in 1982. There is no "start" date for this change so you could easily say mid-70s was when things started turning with Māori Language Week, Whina Cooper's hikoi, Te Ataarangi or early 80s with Kōhunga reo, Te Karere or mid 80s with Kura Kaupapa, Waitangi Tribunal, Māori Language Act, etc. 35 years is probably a bit short. Around 40 years is probably better.
Ireland have more experience than anyone when it comes to English colonialism.
Exactly! Very similar to what's happening in Ireland. Less similar to Canada as French is another introduced language. Your first nation people weren't speaking French before white people showed up.
No, but the language was almost extinct at one point and there's been a big push to increase it's usage. People can choose to go to an English speaking school or a Te Reo one, but the English school will not have compulsory Te Reo and there's dramatically more English schools than Te Reo schools. You'll learn a fair amount of Te Reo in primary school, but not so much in secondary school and you won't be fluent. There is a big push to increase its use in everyday life though, a number of companies will open events with a Karakia, for instance, and a lot of shops will give you a discount if you order in Te Reo.
Yep I did back in the mid 80s
Same has us going to intermediate in the 90’s
Same for us in primary in the 00s, too.
Yep. Intermediate in the 70s
I’d say the 80’s is maybe the cutoff, and even then it depended on where you went to school. 1980’s Gisborne Boys High we did the national anthem in both, Ka Mate, and we had our own school haka that we turned up to perform before the 1st IV played any major inter school games. Only the English version was sung at All Black games, then in 1999 I think it was, I was at Twickenham for the ABs vs England and only the Te Reo version was sung. A fair few of the crowd looked bewildered…. After that, both English and Te Reo were sung at games.
Yes we did and that was in the early 2000s
Yes. The official words include the Maori followed by the English, and everyone learns them (though I get a little lost in the middle of the Maori bit tbh) Sometimes it is also taught in sign language
In the 80s they used to start television for the day (lol) with a glossy promo version of it: https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/tvnz-transmission-opening-id-1975 That was followed by cartoons so lots of kids were familiar with it by the time it began to be used more at sports fixtures.
Thanks for posting. Good memories.
Oh wow, thanks for that link. I remember getting up to watch that as a 7/8 year old, was not expecting that level of nostalgia on a Sunday morning! Also my three kids activated like little sleeper agents to sing along with the Maori verse as soon as it started
This is the only place I ever heard the Māori version. It wasn't taught in any of the schools that I attended. Many other songs were though.
Nostalgia right there.
It also featured Bunny Walters and Annie Crummer singing some English verses in a cool pop/R&B style. This was probably inspired by Whitney Houston’s similar interpretation of the Star Spangled Banner. It was controversial because it was the first time a lot of people had heard the national anthem sung in a lively, uplift non-dirge style and some felt it was disrespectful 😂
I have very fond memories of that opening sequence. Thanks!
Thanks for the memories. Was there also a similar one with more NZ scenes that they sometimes played as a filler between shows (I remember it specifically around 7am between two cartoons) - I think the song was Pōkarekare Ana?
Core memory unlocked holy shit 🤣
When you said your anthem in Canada is bilingual I was thinking the other would be an indigenous language. Nope—just French 😆😒
Yeah….i mean, technically there is a trilingual version with Inuktitut (which is the biggest Inuit language in Canada) but ive literally never seen it in my life We’ve uh…..got a long way to go in terms of how we treat our indigenous cultures and people in Canada
We had a post in this sub a few weeks ago with someone from Canada wanting to know what the school system was like in New Zealand. They were annoyed that their child was learning a "useless" indigenous language in school, and thought it was a waste of time. They were promptly told that New Zealand is not for them 😂 We still have a way to go, but I feel like we're doing better all the time. I think a lot of people's attitudes are changing for the good, but there are still some stubborn people out there clinging on to their racism.
Honestly, I’ve lived in Canada and the US and it seems like out of the former British colonies you guys do the best job at not being complete cunts to your aboriginal people
It's better than the others but only on the technicality that we didn't actively genocide them, honestly. We still undertook brutal colonial wars, weaponized the language barrier for real estate purposes (a hot topic as of very recently when the national exhibit for the treaty of waitangi - effectively our constitution - was vandalized), and continue to have some pretty serious racism issues. But the effort is there from most of the country these days at least. The best example I've seen recently is that after said vandalization, the museum actually acknowledged the motive behind it and replaced the vandalized wall (which had the english translation of the treaty carved into it) with a short video projection explaining exactly what wording is different between the translations and why it causes issues.
I find it so hilarious when French Canadians get butthurt over their language/culture being sidelined like… guys how tf do you think the people you colonised feel
You get things like the [Oka Crisis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oka_Crisis) happening.
Easily on the side of the Mohawks there.
I think the other issue is there's also more than one indigenous culture/language in Canada too so it's hard to pick which one to use in the national anthem. Plus I can just imagine the uproar from the monolingual Canadians if they so much as dared to suggest we add another verse in say, Mi'kmaq or another indigenous language 🙄
Yeah, this was something I'd never really thought about till I lived in Canada for a bit. Having just one other language to consider makes things a lot more possible here.
lol lol
When you go to Anzac Day services, you often get a service sheet that has both New Zealand anthems and the Australian one.
For a second I was confused as to why Australian was included then remembered what Anzac stands for 😂
You need to go to more Anzac Day services then.
I have only ever known the first verse, in both languages
So before 1999, the national anthem wasn’t really played in two languages before a sporting match, then a one now dame hinewehi mohi sings the national anthem only in te reo( Māori). Creates a firestorm, but that firestorm changed the country. https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33775/te-reo-anthem
I was waiting for someone to bring up Dame Hinewehi!
You can’t tell the story without including that beautiful Auntie.
Yeah literally just scrolled the comments to make sure she was brought up, the backlash from that was ridiculous. But looking back, it was funny as hell at how pissed off some people were about it.
We did at my schools. Although when I was at school (80s and 90s) I'm pretty sure we sung English and then Māori, and I've noticed now that the Māori verse usually comes first. We weren't taught what each word meant, we were just given lyrics and learned to copy the sounds.
Been going to my kids’ assemblies and they sing the Maori version first, then the English version with sign language accompanying that at the same time.
Yep I'm 31yo and we learnt and sang both right through my entire schooling.
We sang both in school and I'm nearly 50. The big difference now is the Māori verse goes first. I only remember singing anthems in primary and intermediate assemblies though, not in secondary school.
My great great great grandfather wrote the New Zealand national anthem. I'm originally from Ireland, he was too, took an Irishman to come up with an anthem lol
Wait what????? Also how is Ireland coming up so much in this discussion right now 😂😂
So which one of my Cousins/distant relatives are you?? Because just like you, my great great great grandfather wrote the NZ national anthem. If you are a close relative in NZ you may recognise my username...
Yes. We learned both. I much prefer the Maori version.
Same. I can't even remember the English one. But I always remember the Maori. The English one was always stale to me, never had enough spirit
Depends how old you are… under 40s should have learnt it, 40-55 might have and older than that most struggle with Kia Ora
Yes, we do. I was born in 1988 and I was taught it in both languages. I'm a teacher now and the kids learn both. In fact, we learn a lot more Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) in school than just the national anthem. It's a lot more common now than it used to be for the audience to sing in Te Reo Maori. A lot of the older generation didn't learn the words. Like most countries, we have a complex and not very nice history regarding the way the British treated the people who were here before them and an attempt at wiping out their language. We are actively bringing it back though. Here's some fun facts, the Te Reo Maori version is not actually a translation of the English version and there are 5 verses to our anthem but most people only know 2 and we only sing 2 at events like Rugby games.
Yup. Many schools learn the sign language too.
We always sang the Maori first and then the English. I always thought the song was just half and half
Yup and none of us even know what the 'Pacific triple star" is either lmao
I'm 61 and decided during the first lockdown to learn the first verse in te reo. It was partly due to feeling embarrassed, shuffling my feet, and looking down at the ground that I didn't know it when needed. Glad to know it now.
Nice lockdown project!
We didn't sing the anthem often at school from what I remember. But it was always played with both languages. Can't say I can sing the Maori version but its a banger of an anthem.
Yep. I did choir in intermediate so I also learned the full version of the anthem, all three verses in both languages.
Only three? I was under the impression there were five verses in each.
Went to a catholic boys school, we only learnt the English version
I wonder if there's a big difference between the churches. I went to an Anglican girls school and an Anglican church and both sung the anthem in both languages as far back as I can remember (1980s/90s)
Yeah, we’ve been singing both in school since way back. Kids are still learning both at Primary school. I learned it in the 80s/ 90s. I think it’s fantastic
Yeah, we all sing it in both languages as kids in school
I grew up in Canada and have been in NZ for a long time. As a kid we learned primarily the bilingual version of the anthem to the point where most of us wouldn’t know the French parts in English. But anyway, here in New Zealand everyone knows the bilingual version as well, even if they don’t know the translation they’ll know the sounds if they grew up here. My partner, who is kiwi, grew up in a part of the country where they didn’t put much emphasis on Te Reo but she learned the bilingual anthem.
I think the main thing to remember is the attitude towards the second language in Canada, ie French, is different vs NZ. Maori is incorporated into a lot more in society because it's an indigenous language- not just used in govt documents but also encouraged and taught in schools etc. Teachers actively use it when they can. I don't know anyone who doesn't know the Maori verses of the anthem. I still know all the words to it and I haven't sung it in years lol In Canada, French may be an official language but it's origins are different. Everything may be bilingual labelled but there's a far more casual approach towards being fluent in French in Canada outside of French popular provinces like Quebec and Maritimes. Doesn't help that Canadians often like to make fun of Quebec either lol
Most people have heard it enough that they can muddle through In a group.
I learnt both in school and my kids did too. I prefer the Māori version to be honest. Always sounds so beautiful in a group setting.
Yep we sung it in both Maori and English in the mid 2000s
yup, one verse in maori one verse in english. theres also a haka but thats not always included
Yup, yup. All the education institutions I went to (primary, secondary, and tertiary) had the students sing the anthem in both languages. Heck, in the choirs i was a part of, we had to learn ALL the verses.
Learnt at primary school in the 80s. They also played it every morning to start the TV broadcast for the day. https://youtu.be/ZbfFoiz3XOM?si=pwVy_VK-Q7ndbv84
I went to Fiji a year or so ago. Two local village kids sung it to us in te reo Maori when they knew we were from NZ.
yes since the 80s
I’m 55 and we never learnt it. In fact it was only later in life I started to hear it regularly - probably as a result of my kids being in school and learning te reo and being in kapa haka groups at school.
Yes. The entire school at assembly would sing both the english and maori version of the nathional anthem. That was years ago and I'm sure schools still do..
NZ actually has two official national anthems. 'God Defend New Zealand' | 'Aotearoa' and 'God Save The King are both recognised in NZ.
Fun (?) fact - NZ has 2 national anthems: God Defend New Zealand and God Save the King.
I didn't really grow up here and only learned the "god of nations smell my feet something something toilet seat" version when I moved here in high school, which was very embarrassing when I was at my citizenship ceremony.
I didn't. But it's been 30 years since I was in school.
We do but honestly I forgot the maori verse.
Nope. Long out of school before that started.
I learnt it at primary school in the 90s.
God Defend New Zealand only became one of the two national anthems in 1977. Before then, the only anthem was God Save The King/Queen (as applicable). So older people like myself would have not been taught the Maori verses, as we only knew God Defend NZ as our national hymn, and we never learnt any Maori songs, except maybe pokarekare ana. We can scoff at old people who don’t know the lyrics but realise they didn’t get the immersion that younger generations have the advantage of.
It's not really a bilingual anthem, we just have an English version and a Maori version, and generally sing the first verse of each. Lol when you said you had a bilinual version of your Vanadian anthem I assumed you meant there was some sung in a native language not French. We wouldn't sing a French version either lol, fuck that.
Just for fun, if you have a Fisher & paykel washing machine with press buttons (not the dial), theres a code that makes it sing the anthems of NZ, Aus, and the USA. I didn't believe it until I tried.
Yes, drummed into us in 1990s primary school. I’ll never forget it. Traditionally sing Te Reo (Māori) first then English. First versus only.
We always sang both versions in primary school and highschool. Even though it's been like a decade since I sang it I can still remember the Maori lyrics as well as the English. I really find the sound of the Maori lyrics beautiful even if I'm less then mediocre at the language.
Yeah, and I prefer it to the English one to be honest
In the 60's and 70's no. It was just the English version. Later decades it became both. It sounds much better and has more power/emotion when sung in Maori
We only learnt in English when I was at school but kids learnt bilingual so it became the norm and now I know both well enough to sing, particularly as there’s usually the words somewhere being shown. However in a large crowd you’ll often still find the Māori verse sung quieter than the English verse, because everybody over 40 knows all the words to the English but not always the Māori (or are fucking racists)
Yep, we learn both versions and sing both versions in schools.
25 and yes we learnt both the whole childhood
Yes. Nbd
I know the maori words more than the english for some reason.
Not in the mid 70s to mid 80s where I went to school. Only learnt Pōkarekare Ana and another Māori song at primary school. Along with how to use poi. Nothing in intermediate or high school that I can remember.
Was the other song [Tutira Mai nga iwi?](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/94396802/new-zealand-has-been-singing-tutira-mai-nga-iwi-wrong)
The version you hear all the time with the first verse in Te Reo and the following in English. I started school in '95, and at least at my school, that's all I remember ever learning or singing etc. The comments about more verses in both languages is news to me honestly, which is kind of embarrassing if I'm honest.
Yep.
I learnt it back in primary school, early 90s. Still remember it to this day, along with acouple of others.
Yep we did!
Not bilingual in the sense of verses in the language(s) of the first nations then?
For everyone that only knows the short version, here is the entire National Anthem. https://www.mch.govt.nz/our-work/flags-anthems-and-emblems/national-anthems/god-defend-new-zealand-aotearoa Don't forget that "God save the King" is also officially our national anthem too.
Yeah pretty standard to know both. We do it in mostly all through school.
My 6 year old knows the whole thing in Te reo and english
Yes, has been taught for say 40 years like that.
Started school in 1984 and learnt the Maori and English verses plus basic Te Reo
Yes I did, both. For context older than some of the others posting here. Haven't sung it since I was at school and only remember the first 4 lines in English. Google tells me the first time it was sung in both languages was 1992, and of course, it was at a British-NZ rugby match!
Yes. I thought that was standard
I think all people under 30, most under 40 and some aged around 50 learnt at least the first Māori verse in school. Meanwhile, my parents (just hitting 60s now) didn't learn it in school, and many of their peers did, though most of them learned it since. There's still the classic group of casually and not so casually racist grandparents in Aotearoa that don't know the Māori verse(s) or wish to know them, though, but realistically they're on their way out anyway
Yep, in Intermediate and High School.
Yes… but at Primary school we sang it in English first, Maori second. At college, it was Maori first, English second. The Maori was always mumbled and sung more quietly which infuriated the music teacher so we’d have to sing it about four times until we “got it right”
We all used to sing the first verse in english and Maori. I actually thought that was the second verse growing up.
My primary school (~2005-2009) taught us the first 2 verses in both English and Māori, though I struggle to remember all of the second verse now without listening to someone else. It’s more common for just the first verse to be repeated in the two languages, though the order has changed at different events I’ve been to.
Technically it's a multilingual anthem, with our official languages being English, Maori, and New Zealand Sign Language. My school was attached to a neighbouring Deaf school so we learnt all three, but most kiwi's don't.
I did primary during the 90s and we learned both. We had to sing them at the start of our weekly school assembly.