Cook Islands
Te Atua Mou Ē
Te Atua Mou E
Te Atua Mou E
1982
1982
Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki (Lady Davis)
Sir Tom Davis
✝ God / Faith 🤝 Unity ☮ Peace ❤ Love of homeland |
Key Facts
- 1. The anthem was a husband-and-wife creation: the music is by Sir Tom Davis, the country's Prime Minister at the time, and the lyrics are by his wife, Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki, Lady Davis, a paramount chief.
- 2. It was made official in 1982 through Article 76(D) of the Cook Islands constitution, replacing New Zealand's "God Defend New Zealand".
- 3. In 2017 a proposal to replace the phrase "pā 'enua" ("all the islands of the sea") with "Kuki Airani" ("Cook Islands") met strong objections that the new wording was not proper Cook Islands Māori and disrespected the original authors.
- 4. The lyrics are in Cook Islands Māori (te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani), a Polynesian language distinct from New Zealand Māori.
Lyrics
Te Atua mou ē
Ko koe rāi te pū
O te pā 'enua ē.
'Akarongo mai
I tō mātou nei reo
Tē kāpiki atu nei.
Pāruru mai
I a mātou nei
'Omai te korona mou
Kia ngāteitei
Kia vai rāi te aro'a
O te pā 'enua ē.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
Editorial"Te Atua Mou Ē" ("To God Almighty") became the national anthem of the Cook Islands in 1982, when Article 76(D) of the constitution adopted it in place of New Zealand's "God Defend New Zealand". Its music was written by Sir Tom Davis, then Prime Minister, and its words by his wife, Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki, Lady Davis, a high chief (ariki). The brief hymn is a prayer asking God, the ruler of the isles of the sea, to protect the islands and let peace and love reign throughout them.
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Sources & References
- Te Atua Mou E . Wikipedia (2026)
- Cook Islands . nationalanthems.info (2013)
Source & Review
- Source status
- Reliable secondary source
- Translation
- Nationalia working translation
- Rights status
- Third-party rights may apply
- Last reviewed
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- AI-assisted editorial review
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