The Broken Wood (Te Rākau Whati)

(Intro) (The terrifying, explosive sound of a massive wooden hull smashing into solid rock: CRACK-BOOM!) (The immediate rush of foaming, violent water pouring into the hull) (A mournful, weeping string melody begins) (Whispered, breathless voices, shaking with cold and fear) Koo-rah-how-poe... (Kurahaupō - The Waka) Rah-ngee-tah-hoo-ah... (Rangitāhua - The Kermadec Reef) Teh Wah-tee... (Te Whati - The Break / The Snapping) (Verse 1) (A slow, dragging heartbeat drum: Thud... ... ... Thud...) The star was bright but the water was blind To the jagged tooth in the dark behind The belly rips and the ocean bleeds Into the wood and the woven reeds! The salt is heavy and the night is cold To drown the story that the fathers told We bail the shadow from the sinking grave But the timber dies in the crushing wave! (Chorus) (The drums become heavy and oppressive, lacking the triumphant bounce of the war chants) (A massive, sorrowful male choir roars in sheer desperation) Koo-rah-how-poe! (Kurahaupō) The wood is broken on the hidden stone! Koo-rah-how-poe! The ocean swallows up the heavy bone! Tahn-gee! (Tangi - Weep / Mourn) The water rises and the fathers fall! Tahn-gee! A dying answer to the drowning call! (Verse 2) (The music drops to just the frantic, splashing rhythm of men desperately bailing water: Splash... Splash...) The brother ships on the ocean line They see the ruin of the broken spine The mothers leap to the passing wood To leave the vessel where the fathers stood! We bind the wound with the magic thread We pull the rope for the drowning dead The ghost is limping on the bleeding sea To drag the ruin where the land should be! (Bridge) (Acapella. Only the sound of splintering wood groaning under the waves and heavy, exhausted sobbing breath: Hah... Hah...) Ah-kuh-oo! (Ākau - The Reef) The teeth are sharp and the water is deep! Ah-kuh-oo! The broken Wah-kah (Waka) where the spirits sleep! Toe-toe! (Toto - Blood) We pay the ocean for the breath we take! Toe-toe! We ride the ruin in the bitter wake! (Chorus) (Maximum volume, an overwhelming wall of tragic, heavy doom metal-style choral chanting) Koo-rah-how-poe! The wood is broken on the hidden stone! Koo-rah-how-poe! The ocean swallows up the heavy bone! Tahn-gee! The water rises and the fathers fall! Tahn-gee! A dying answer to the drowning call! (Outro) (The heavy drums stop) (Only the sound of water sloshing inside a ruined, groaning hull remains) (Spoken in a broken, exhausted whisper) The wood is shattered. The blood is cold. We carry on... (The long, sorrowful scrape of broken timber dragging through the water)