Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Yeah
– Ae
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– I ētahi wā ka whakaaro ahau, ” He aha taku mahi i roto i te whakatupuranga e whai ake nei?”
In 1940, if I was enlisted to fight for the nation
– I te tau 1940, i whakauruhia ahau ki te whawhai mō te iwi
Or in 1960, if I had to fight for the rights of my people
– Ranei i te tau 1960, ki te whawhai ahau mō ngā tika o taku iwi
And laid down my life on the line so my grandkids could live a life that’s peaceful
– I whakatakotoria e ia taku oranga ki runga i te rārangi kia ora ai aku mokopuna i te oranga rangimarie
Would I be on that? Would I be frontline?
– E ahau i runga i taua? E ahau frontline?
That’s what I’m thinkin’
– Koina taku whakaaro
If I was alive in the 1912 on the Titanic and it was sinkin’
– Ki te i ora ahau i roto i te 1912 i Runga i Te Titanic a ko reira totohu’
Who am I savin’? Am I fightin’ women and children, or am I waitin’?
– Ko wai ahau e whakaora ana? Kei te whawhai ahau ki ngā wāhine me ngā tamariki, kei te tatari rānei ahau?
I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– E whakaaro ana ahau, ” He aha taku mahi i roto i te whakatupuranga e whai ake nei?”
Battle of Karbala, if they captured me for the sake of my father
– Te pakanga o Karbala, ki te mau ratou i ahau mo te whakaaro ki toku papa
Would I stand on my honour like Hussein did it, and tell them to make me martyr
– E tu ahau i runga i toku honore rite Hussein i te reira, a ka mea ki a ratou ki te hanga i ahau martir
Would I really get smarter?
– Ka tino mohio ahau?
Forgive my oppressor or stick to the creed?
– Murua taku kaitukino, toku piri ranei ki te whakapono?
If I got locked inside like Nelson Mandela, but never was freed
– Ki te mauheretia ahau ki roto, pērā ki A Nelson Mandela, engari kāore anō kia tukuna
I see a white man dance to rumba, ain’t study Patrice Lumumba
– Ka kite ahau i tētahi tangata mā e kanikani ana ki te rumba, kāore e ako I A Patrice lumumba
But get on the stage and sing like sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
– Engari haere ki runga i te atamira, ka waiata pēnei i a sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
Fuck it, I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Fuck reira, miharo ahau, “He Aha e meatia e ahau i roto i te whakatupuranga i muri mai?”
Would I fight for justice? Is it the reason my mum named me David?
– Ka whawhai ahau mō te tika? Koia te take i tapaina ai ahau e toku whaea ko Rawiri?
How can you be king? How can you be king? Don’t speak for the people
– Me pehea e taea ai e koe te kingi? Me pehea e taea ai e koe te kingi? Kaua e korero mo te iwi
Them man try draw me out and compare like me and these niggas are equal
– Ka ngana te tangata ki te kukume i ahau ki waho ka whakataurite i ahau ā he ōrite ēnei negro
I’m a Black man and this bozo sayin’ my music socially conscious
– He Tangata Pango ahau, ā, ko tēnei bozo e kī ana i taku waiata e mōhio ana ki te hapori
While the mandem troll the responses, this world’s gone totally bonkers
– Ahakoa te mandem troll nga whakautu, kua ngaro katoa tenei ao bonkers
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– I ētahi wā ka whakaaro ahau, ” He aha taku mahi i roto i te whakatupuranga e whai ake nei?”
But I’m knowin’ the answer, ’cause what am I doin’ in this generation?
– Engari e mōhio ana ahau ki te whakautu, nā te mea he aha taku mahi i tēnei whakatupuranga?
Afraid to speak cah I don’t wanna risk it my occupation
– E wehi ana ki te korero cah e kore ahau e hiahia ki te tūpono i te reira toku mahi
We got kids under occupation, my parents, they wouldn’t get that
– I whiwhi tamariki mātou i raro i te mahi, e oku mātua, kāore rātou i whiwhi i tērā
The people that died for our freedom spoke on justice, couldn’t accept that
– Ko te hunga i mate mo to tatou herekore i korero mo te tika, kaore i taea te whakaae
I talk by the money on all my accounts, so why don’t I speak on the West Bank?
– Ka kōrero au mā te moni i runga i aku pūkete katoa, nō reira he aha au e kore ai e kōrero i Te Tai hauāuru?
Remember growin’ up prejudice, the damage 7-7 did
– Kia mahara ki te whakatipu i te whakaaro kino, ko te kino 7-7 i mahia
Extremist and terrorist, I was afraid of the Taliban
– He tino tangata, he kaiwhakatuma, i wehi ahau i Te Taliban
Can’t speak out on illegal settlers, now I’m afraid of a shadow-ban
– Kaore e taea te korero mo nga kainoho ture, inaianei kei te wehi ahau i te aukati atarangi
What would I do in a next generation?
– He aha taku mahi i roto i te whakatupuranga e whai ake nei?
Critiquin’ African leaders for sellin’ our country’s natural resources to the West for peanuts
– Te whakahe i Ngā kaiārahi O Awherika mō te hoko i ngā rawa māori o tō tātou whenua ki te Uru mō ngā pīni
If they don’t hear, they’ll feel us
– Ki te kore ratou e rongo, ka fe ratou ia tatou
I question what I’m alive for
– Ka ui ahau he aha te mea e ora ana ahau
Now can you say you’re alive if you ain’t got somethin’ you’re willin’ to die for?
– Na, ka taea e koe te mea kei te ora koe ki te kore koe e whai i tētahi mea e hiahia ana koe ki te mate?
What am I willin’ to die for? What am I doin’ in this generation?
– He aha taku e pai ai kia mate? He aha taku mahi i tēnei whakatupuranga?
I get in my head sometimes, I feel like I’m in despair
– Ka uru ahau ki roto i toku mahunga i ētahi wā, e whakaaro ana ahau kei te pouri ahau
That feelin’ of total powerlessness, I get that sinkin’ feelin’
– Ko te āhua o te kore kaha katoa, ka whiwhi ahau i taua āhua o te hemo
That good ain’t defeatin’ evil
– Ko te pai e kore e hinga i te kino
I put that pain on vinyl, but feel like that shit ain’t movin’ the needle
– Ka hoatu e ahau taua mamae ki runga i te vinyl, engari kia rite ki taua mea e kore e neke i te ngira
Retweetin’ people, raisin’ awareness, in all fairness
– Retweetin ‘people, raisin’ awareness, i roto i te tika katoa
Ain’t gonna bring Chris back to his parents
– Kāore A Chris e whakahoki mai ki ōna mātua
But there’s no other option, it’s a process
– Engari kaore he whiringa ke atu, he tukanga
Gotta stand and protest cah they want man silenced
– Me tu me te whakahe cah e hiahia ana ratou kia whakamutua te tangata
Cah they want man dead or they want man hopeless
– Cah e hiahia ana ratou ki te tangata mate ranei e hiahia ana ratou ki te tangata kore tumanako
In the next generation, I spoke with my ancestors in the night and I showed them
– I te whakatupuranga i muri mai, ka kōrero ahau ki oku tīpuna i te pō, ā, ka whakaaturia e au ki a rātou
They spoke with tears in their eyes for the brothers they lost and said it was progress
– I kōrero rātau me te roimata i roto i o rātau kanohi mō ngā tuakana i ngaro rātau ā i kī rātau he ahunga whakamua
“How can it be progress?” I asked him, confused, disgusted
– “Me pēhea te ahu whakamua? “Ka ui ahau ki a ia, raruraru, whakarihariha
They said, “David, just so you can fight this, you know how much sufferin’ touched us?
– Ka mea ratou, ” David, kia taea ai e koe te whawhai ki tenei, e mohio ana koe ki te nui o te mamae i pa ki a matou?
And you got a chance, we come from a time and a place where you couldn’t get justice
– Na ka whiwhi koe i te tupono, ka haere mai matou i te wa, me te wahi i reira e kore e taea e koe te tiki tika
Had to find peace in the fact that we all answer to the one what we trust in
– Me kimi te rangimarie i te mea ka whakautu katoa tatou ki te mea e whakawhirinaki ana tatou
And in our generation, we did do peaceful protest, just like you
– A, i roto i to tatou whakatupuranga, i mahi matou i te whakahe rangimarie, rite tonu ki a koe
Burnt buildings, just like you, did boycotts, just like you
– Ko ngā whare i tahuna, pērā ki a koe, i mahi i ngā whakawātea, pērā ki a koe
Sat in a hostel powerless, did feel powerless just like you
– Noho i roto i te hostel powerless, i fe powerless rite koe
And I know that it may sound strange, but we made some change and we’re just like you
– A e mohio ana ahau he mea ke pea, engari i whakarerekētia e mātou, ā, he rite tonu mātou ki a koe
I know that you question your character, I know that you suffer in silence
– E mohio ana ahau e uiui koe tou huru, e mohio ana ahau e mamae koe i roto i te puku
I know that it don’t feel right when you go to the club in Victoria Island
– E mōhio ana ahau kāore i te tika te āhua ina haere koe ki Te karapu i Te Motu o Wikitoria
‘Cause how can you dance in the club? There’s a hundred people beggin’ outside it
– ‘Na te mea ka taea e koe te kanikani i te karapu? Kotahi rau ngā tāngata e inoi ana ki waho
I know the sins of your father, I know that you’re desperate to fight them
– E mohio ana ahau ki nga hara o tou papa, e mohio ana ahau kei te tino hiahia koe ki te whawhai ki a ratou
So step in your purpose, speak for your people, share all your secrets
– Na taahiraa i roto i to koutou whakaaro, korero mo koutou iwi, faaite i to koutou mea ngaro katoa
Expose your emotions, you might not see, but there’s people that need it
– Whakakitea koutou kare, e kore ai e kite koe, engari i reira te iwi e hiahia ana i te reira
Never demand it, and if God can grant it, manifest it and receive it
– E kore e tono i te Reira, a ki te Taea E te Atua te hoatu i te reira, whakakitea te reira, me te farii i te reira
Your name is David, and that covenant sacred, you gotta promise you’ll keep it”
– Ko Rawiri tou ingoa, a ko taua kawenata tapu, me oati koe ka puritia e koe”
Deep it, let man talk on the ting, but I bleed it
– Kia hohonu, kia kōrero te tangata i runga i te ting, engari ka toto ahau i te reira
Man wanna speak on the scene, but I seen it
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero i runga i te scene, engari i kite ahau i te reira
Tried in the fire by Ghetts, I’m anointed
– I whakamatautauria I roto i te ahi E Ghetts, kua whakawahi ahau
Kano passed me the torch, I received it
– I tukuna mai e Kano te rama ki ahau, i riro mai I ahau
God told me I’m the one, I believed it
– I mea mai te atua ki ahau ko ahau te tangata, i whakapono ahau
Shout Hollowman ’cause he helped me achieve it
– Karanga Hollowman ‘ no te mea i āwhina ia ahau ki te whakatutuki i te reira
I’m the youngest of my brothers, father eased the burden on our mothers
– Ko ahau te mea iti rawa o oku tuakana, i whakaitihia e te papa te kawenga ki o tatou whaea
Give these niggas money, see their colours
– Homai he moni ki ēnei negro, tirohia ō rātou tae
Don’t mix me with them, I’m not the one
– Kaua e whakaranu i ahau ki a rātou, ehara ahau i te mea kotahi
Grind and miss the summer, when it comes, I’m Abraham, I sacrifice the sun
– Ka huri, ka ngaro i te raumati, ina tae mai, ko Aperahama ahau, ka patua e ahau te ra
Where I’m from they sacrifice their son
– No hea ahau ka patua e rātau tā rātau tama
Hold up, I ain’t finished, I ain’t dumb
– Kia mau, e kore ahau e oti, e kore ahau e maamaa
My ancestors, my ancestors told me that my life is prophecy
– I korerotia mai e oku tupuna ki ahau, he poropititanga toku ora
And it’s not just me, it’s a whole generation of people gradually makin’ change
– Ehara i te mea ko au anake, he whakatupuranga katoa o te iwi e whakarerekē haere ana
There ain’t a greater task
– Kāore he mahi nui ake
Shift that, make a name, make a star
– Huri e, hanga he ingoa, hanga he whetu
They don’t know what they’re facin’ when they ask
– Kāore rātou e mōhio he aha te mea e pā ana ki a rātou ina pātai rātou
With the will of David in my heart
– Me Te hiahia o Rawiri i roto i toku ngakau
The story of the boy who played the harp
– Ko te kōrero o te tamaiti i whakatangi i te harp
