This waiata laments the death of a young man. In the original version (published in Ko nga moteatea, me nga hakirara o nga Maori, an 1853 collection of traditional songs and stories compiled by George Grey) a line said, 'Ko te tama i aitia e tera wahine, e tera tangata' (a youth who was sexual with that woman, with that man). When published in Ngā Mōteatea, compiled by Apirana Ngata in the 1920s, the text was changed to 'Ko te tama i awhitia e tera wahine, e tera tangata' (a youth who was embraced by that woman, by that man).
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Reference:
George Grey, Ko nga moteatea, me nga hakirara o nga Maori: he mea kohikohi mai. Wellington: Printed by Robert Stokes, 1853, p. 125; Apirana Ngata, Ngā mōeatea. Part 1: he maramara rere nō ngā waka maha gata – The songs. Part 1: scattered pieces from many canoe areas. Auckland: Polynesian Society, 1988, p. 212
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