Aotearoa +God Defend New Zealand & God Save The Queen

"God Defend New Zealand" (Māori: "Aotearoa",  meaning 'New Zealand') is one of two national anthems of New Zealand, the other being "God Save the King". Legally the two have equal status, but "God Defend New Zealand" is more commonly used. Originally written as a poem, it was set to music as part of a competition in 1876. Over the years its popularity increased, and it was eventually named the second national anthem in 1977. It has English and Māori lyrics, with slightly different meanings. Since the late 1990s, the usual practice when performed in public is to perform the first verse of the national anthem twice, first in Māori and then in English.

 

 

National Anthems: Aotearoa . New Zealand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-5g35zY0cU

 

 

History and performance

"God Defend New Zealand" was written as a poem in the 1870s by Irish-born, Victorian-raised immigrant Thomas Bracken of Dunedin.  A competition to compose music for the poem was held in 1876 by The Saturday Advertiser and judged by three prominent Melbourne musicians, with a prize of ten guineas.  The winner of the competition was the Vandemonian-born John Joseph Woods of Lawrence, Otago, who composed the melody in a single sitting the evening after finding out about the competition.

 

 The song was first performed at the Queen's Theatre, Princes Street in Dunedin, on Christmas Day, 1876. In February 1878, sheet music was published.

 

 

A Māori version of the song was produced in 1878 by Thomas Henry Smith of Auckland, a judge in the Native Land Court, on request of Premier George Edward Grey. A copy of the Māori lyrics, using Aotearoa for its title, was printed in Otago newspapers in October 1878.  In Smith's original text the word "whakarangona" was used to translate 'hear', rather than the modern "whakarongona".

 

In 1897, Premier Richard Seddon presented a copy of words and music to Queen Victoria. The song became increasingly popular during the early 20th century, and in 1940 the New Zealand government bought the copyright and made it New Zealand's 'national hymn' in time for that year's centennial celebrations.

 

 It was used at the British Empire Games from 1950 onwards, and first used at the Olympics during the 1952 Summer Olympics, when both it and God Save the King was played following Yvette Williams' victory in the 1952 long jump.

 It next played during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.  Following the performance at the Munich games, a campaign began to have the song adopted as the national anthem.

 

"God Save the Queen" was New Zealand's sole national anthem until the 1970s.

 In May 1973 a remit to change the New Zealand flag, declare a New Zealand republic and change the national anthem was voted down by the Labour Party at their national conference.  In 1976 Garth Henry Latta from Dunedin presented a petition to Parliament asking "God Defend New Zealand" to be made the national anthem.

 

With the consent of Queen Elizabeth II, the government of Robert Muldoon gazetted the song as the country's second national anthem on 21 November 1977, on equal standing with "God Save the Queen".

 

God Save The Queen & God Defend New Zealand

- Hayley Westenra (NZ War Memorial Ceremony London 2006)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL9CFbtwUWc

 

Hayley ヘイリー 海莉 singing the National Anthems of the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the dedication ceremony of the New Zealand War Memorial  on 11 November 2006 at Hyde Park, London.

 

This took place in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark and the Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair.

 

God Save The Queen and God Defend New Zealand have equal status as the official National Anthems of New Zealand. This version recorded from Sky News TV by Steve Hayter for HWI,  edited and belatedly uploaded by Dave Ludlow nearly three years late.

 

Lyrics

The Māori version is not a direct translation of the English version.

English 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.

 

Māori  Aotearoa

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

 

 

Meaning of "Pacific's triple star"

There is some discussion, with no official explanation, of the meaning of "Pacific's triple star".

Unofficial explanations range from New Zealand's three biggest islands (North, South, and Stewart Island),  to the three stars on the flag of Te Kooti (a Māori political and religious leader of the 19th century).

Note on whakarangona

The original 1878 Māori version uses whakarangona (to be heard), the passive form of the verb whakarongo (to hear). An alternate form of the verb, whakarongona, first appeared as one of several errors in the Māori version when God Defend New Zealand was published as the national hymn in 1940. The latter form has appeared in many versions of the anthem since this time, although the Ministry of Culture and Heritage continues to use whakarangona.

 

New Zealand National Anthem

from The Big Sing 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhwLOhxwx8

 

13-15 August 2015 Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

 

God Defend New Zealand (National Anthem): Hayley Westenra - Rugby World Cup Final 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhCgcZ0efAA

Hayley Westenra sings the New Zealand National Anthem God Defend New Zealand before the start of the Rugby World Cup final between France and the New Zealand All Blacks on 23 October 2011. Broadcast on ITV1 HD.