Nursery Rhymes›Oceania Lullabies›Hine e Hine
With Nelly · New Zealand

Hine e Hine

Key: C~56 BPMGuitar & Piano chords

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One of New Zealand’s most beloved lullabies, written by Māori composer Fanny Howie in the early 1900s — a gentle promise that sadness never lasts, because love is always near.

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Verse 1

C         F      C
E tangi ana koe,
F         C      G7
Hine e hine.
(You are weeping – little girl, little girl.)
C         F      C
Hush now, hush now, little one, I know you’re weeping still,
F         C      G7
hush now, hush now, little one, rest now and be still.

Verse 2

C         F      C
Kati töpouri rä,
F         C      G7
Hine e hine.
(Be sad no longer – little girl, little girl.)
C         F      C
Be sad no more, my little one, for love surrounds you here,
F         C      G7
hush now, hush now, little one, there’s nothing left to fear.
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

C
x
Guitar
CEG
Piano
F
Guitar
CFA
Piano
G7
Guitar
DFGB
Piano
Good to know

What this song means

Hine e Hine was written around 1907 by Fanny Howie, also known by her stage name Princess Te Rangi Pai, and has since become one of the best-loved Māori lullabies in New Zealand. Its gentle message, that tears will pass and love remains, made it so beloved that an instrumental version closed New Zealand’s television broadcasts for well over a decade, accompanying the famous “Goodnight Kiwi” cartoon.

Traditional Māori lullaby, written by Fanny Howie (Princess Te Rangi Pai) around 1907. Lyrics and translation adapted from the well-known traditional text.

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Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
  • Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
  • Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.

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