"We're Back (Te Vaka version)"
(Written by Opetaia Foa'i, adapted from "We're Back" by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear)

TOKELAUAN

​Heke heke toku vaka

Te atea
te atea
te atea 
te atea

O huke huke kua maua aue
​
Nei ki mātou kua pā mai
ki te folauga o te tai
tātou tagata e mākeke
mea uma na galo kua maua
hāfia ai tupuna
amanakia te folauga

Nei kua pā mai tātou
atunuku hakili
folauga hakili

Tēnā tēnā

Nei ki mātou kua pā mai
ki te folauga o te tai
tātou tagata e mākeke
mea uma na galo kua maua
hāfia ai tupuna
amanakia te folauga

Nei kua pā mai tātou
atunuku hakili
folauga hakili
atunuku hakili
folauga hakili

Te kaumana
te kaumana
fakaaliali
tēnā tēnā 
tū mai fakamalie
tēnā tēnā
tū mai fakamaopoopo

Te atea
te atea 
(fakamaopoopo)
te atea 
(atunuku)
te atea 
(ko tēnei tātou nuku)

Nei kua pā mai tātou
atunuku hakili
folauga hakili
atunuku hakili
folauga hakili
 
tēnā aue 
heke heke toku vaka
tūmau aue
heke heke toku vaka
tūmau
heke heke toku vaka
heke heke toku vaka
te kaumana

Folauga hakili

ENGLISH
​
Gliding on my canoe

The realm
the realm
the realm
​the realm

Searching and finding, oh!

Finally we're back
to voyaging the sea
our people are stronger
what once has been lost is now found
the ancestors would be proud
we honour the voyaging past

Finally we're back
finding islands
voyaging to find

Over there! Over there!

Finally we're back
to voyaging the sea
our people are stronger
what once has been lost is now found
the ancestors would be proud
we honour the voyaging past

Finally we're back
finding islands
voyaging to find
finding islands
voyaging to find

It's an omen
it's an omen
show it
over there! Over there!
stand up and make it good
over there! Over there!
stand up bringing together

The realm
the realm
(bringing together)
the realm
(land)
the realm
(this is our land)

Finally we're back
finding islands
voyaging to find
finding islands
voyaging to find

There, oh!
gliding on my canoe
hold on, oh!
gliding on my canoe
hold on
gliding on my canoe
gliding on my canoe
it's an omen

​Voyaging to find