_Takataka te kape;_ I turn them this way, that way. _Kapekapea!_ Quickly stir the funeral pile, _Ka eke i tua,_ Now this way haul, now that! _Ka eke i waho,_ _Ka eke i te Maru-aitu_ Their spirits far have gone; _Te ihi nei,_ The flesh alone remains; They have gone the way of Destiny. _Te mana nei,_ Their courage no longer stirs them; Their pride and power have flown; _Nga toa nei._ Their valour's gone! _Ko tai ko ki,_ In the fullness of life they fell-- _Ko tai ko rea,_ Like the fullness of the tide! _Ko tai takoto ki raro._ And now they lie naked before me! _Ma peruperu!_ They leaped in the war-dance; _Ma whiwhi!_ They were strenuous in battle; _Ma rawea!_ But they fell. _Haere ake ra te ihi o nga toa,_ Farewell! spirits of the brave! _Te mana o nga toa,_ The pride and power of heroes! _Te whatu te ate-a-Nuku_ Heart of Earth, and heart of _Te whatu te ate-a-Rangi._ Heaven-- For both joined to produce you! _Huri ana te po,_ Now turns the night-- _Huri ana te ao,_ It turns to day again. _He rangi ka mahea;_ The clouds obscure the sky; _He whai ao,_ We search for light, _He ao marama!_ The perfect light of day! The people sat there on the _marae_, silently watching the burning of the dead. Far above the trees of the surrounding forest rose the thick black column of smoke from the blazing pile. It went up as straight as an arrow, unswayed by any breath of air, to a great height. To the savage watchers it was verily the incense of the battle-field, rising to the war-god's nostrils. "Now and then," says Bent, "a body would burst, and the blaze of flame and the smoke would leap straight up, high into the air." Long the Hauhaus gazed at the dreadful crematory blaze on the palisaded _marae_, replenishing the fire with dry logs as it burned down, until all the dead were consumed, and nothing but a great heap of charcoal and ashes remained. * * * * *