Rū nui, rū roa Riu nui, riu roa Rua nui, rua roa Te rū i riu Te rū i te rua Te rū i mokotia Te riu i mokotia Te rua i mokotia Ruaimoko, Ruaimoko, Ruaimoko
Ka tanuku koa te tihi o Aorangi, ka tanuku E rere rā taki atu taki mai ngā wai o Waitaki, e rere rā E rere rā taki mai ngā waipuke i aku kamo, e rere rā
Aku kura ki te hau Nāku i tiki i te pōuriuri I te pō tangotango I a Hinemanuhiri, i a Ruaimoko E tuki rā i te whēnua
Nā Te Kāhautu Maxwell i whakapākehātia.English translation by Te Kāhautu Maxwell
Causing earthquakes Creating valleys Creating caverns Earthquakes creating valleys Earthquakes creating caverns The earthquake that tattooed the land The valleys that tattooed the land The caverns that tattooed the land Ruaimoko God of earthquakes tattooer of the land
The summit of Aorangi has collapsed, has fallen The waters of the Waitaki ebb and flow, likewise the tears of my eyes well fourth
The loved ones that I seek out in the darkest night The never ending night of Hinemanuhiri And where Ruaimoko resides whom shakes the land violently credits