| Hutia te rito o te harakeke, | If you pluck out the centre shoot of the flax, |
| Kei whea te korimako e koo? | Where will the bellbird sing? |
| Ka rere ki uta, ka rere ki tai. | It will fly inland, it will fly seawards. |
| Kii mai koe ki au, | If you ask me, |
| he aha te mea nui i te ao? | What is the most important thing in the world? |
| Maaku e kii atu, | I will reply, |
| He tangata, he tangata, he tangata! | It is people, it is people, it is people! |