Purea Nei
Hirini Melbourne
Origins
'Purea Nei', which means to cleanse and renew was written by Hirini Melbourne his in remembrance for one of his students who died after going through a lot of adversity. it is based on a Ngāpuhi proverb: “Hokia ki o maunga kia purea e koe i nga hau o Tawhirimatea” / "Return to your ancestral mountains to be cleansed by the winds of Tawhirimatea.
Hirini Melbourne was from Tuhoe and Ngati Kahungunu tribes. He was a secondary school teacher and editor of Maori language school publications. A writer of stories, as well as composer and singer, Hirini is a significant figure in the revival of the Maori language with dozens of his now classic songs sung in classrooms throughout New Zealand.
Purea nei e te hauHoroia e te uaWhitiwhitia e te raMahea ake nga pōraruraruMakere ana nga here.
E rere wairua, e rereKi nga ao o te rangiWhitiwhitia e te raMahea ake nga pōraruraruMakere ana nga here,Makere ana nga here.
Translation
Cleansed by the windwashed by the rainand warmed by the sun,all troubles are cleared awayand all restraints got rid of.
Fly O free spirit, flyto the clouds in the heavens,warmed by the sun,with all troubles cleared awayall restraints got rid of,all restrictions cast aside.
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Anna Coddington performed this gorgeous version below live at RNZ back in 2018
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