Whakamāori 2 E04: Māori Battalion Letter Nā Hana Mereraiha Dear Mother, Just a few lines of my greatest love and arohanui hoping also dear that this letter of mine will reach and find you all situated on the throne of perfect health as it leaves me Bunty, George and myself in the same way. Even though ten thousand miles of sea and land separates us our love will persist until we return home, which we all hope will be in the near future. I received your most welcome parcel of Kutai and you cannot imagine how glad I was in receiving it and it was still in perfect order and condition. (What I liked best was the puha by gee it lasted alright.) I hope you will send some more of that Toroi over. E Māmā, He iti te kupu nui nō te aroha, me taku tūmanako anō hoki, e Mā, kia tae atu rā taku reta ki a koe e noho ana koutou i te torona (ahurewa) o te ora, pēnei i a mātou nei ko Bunty ko George. Ahakoa he moana he whenua tekau mano maero te roa e whakawehewehe ana i a tātou ko tō mātou aroha ka mau tonu tae rawa ki tō mātou hokinga ki te kāinga, ā kō kō ake pea, koirā tā tātou e wawata nei. I tae mai tō pākete kūtai ki aku ringa mutunga mai o te tūwhera, ka mutu me mōhio koe i taku harikoa i te whakawhiwhinga mai ōku ki ngā hua, he pai tonu te āhua. Ko taku tino ko te puha, aīare autaia tonu te whakauka! Tēnā koa tukuna mai he Toroi atu anō. Nā Kimo Houltham Bunty joined the Battalion yesterday and it was the first time I saw him ever since he's been in the Middle East and he looked well and he was pretty wild at Uncle Re for not letting him know that his mother was dead. Poor Bunty he took it with a smile. You already know that we are in Syria, I suppose, it's not a bad place. I went out on leave to a place called Baalbek and it's the oldest city in the world, bought a book on the history of Baalbek and it says in this book they can trace this city right back to Cain and Abel. The book goes on to say that Cain son of Adam and Eve built Baalbek He built it as a place of refuge from the wrath of God after murdering his brother Abel He built it 133 years after this world was created. Nō nanahi nei hono mai ai a Bunty ki te ope- tauā, koia te wā tuatahi kua kite au i a ia i tana taenga mai ki te Rāwhiti. Pai nei tōna hanga, puku tōnā rae ki a Uncle Re i tana noho ngū mō te matenga o tōna whaea. Ka aroha hoki a Bunty. Mōhio kē ana koe kei Syria mātou, me te mea nei he wāhi pai. I a au e whakangā ana, puta ai au ki tētahi wāhi ko Baalbek (BAAL-bek), ko te tāone tawhito rawa puta noa i te ao. I hokona he pukapuka e pā ana ki te hitōria o Baalbek, ka toro atu te whakapapa o te tāone nei ki a Cain rāua ko Abel. Ka kōrero hoki te pukapuka nei, nā Cain, te tama a Arama rāua ko Ewa te tāone o Baalbek i hanga. I hangaia hei ārai i te riri o te atua i tana patu i a Abel. I hangaia te taone nei 133 tau whai muri atu i te hanganga o te ao. Nā Anaha Hiini The book goes on to say that Adam inhabited Damascus and he died at Zebadani and Abylena was the scene of the murder of Abel whose name it preserves. You should see the rocks they built this city with. Huge things they are, one rock weighs 200 tons. There's no machine in this world that can lift them now, they must have been strong them days. I'll send you a photo of it next letter I write. Well dear Mother I haven't much more to say, so I will bring this letter to an abrupt conclusion hoping that God will watch over you and keep you all until we return home again. I will close now with love and kisses to you all. I remain your loving affectionate son (Sgd) Ben P.S. Have you still got my suit? Hei tā te pukapuka, i Damascus (Damarscis) a Arama e noho ana ka mate ai ia ki Zebadani, ā, ko Abylena te wāhi i kōhuruhia ai a Abel e mau tonu nei tōna ingoa. Me i taea e koe ngā toka/kōhatu i whakamahia rā kia hangaia te tāone te kite ki reira rākaunui ai a Karu Kōrekoreko i te kaitā o tētehi toka/kōhatu noa iho e rua tana te taumahatanga. Karekau he mīhini i tēnei ao e taea nei e ia ngā pīki toka/kōhatu te hiki, kāore e kore i tino kaha te hunga i aua rā o tua. Māku tētehi whakaahua e tuku kia tukua anō e au tētehi anō reta ki a koe. Heoi anō, e Mā, kua rahi pea ēnei pahupahu āku, nō reira, me whakakapi wawe ake tenei reta i konei i a au e manako tonu nei e tau tonu ana ngā tauwhirotanga a te wāhi ngaro ki a koe kia hoki rā anō au ki te kāinga. Kia whakakapia tēnei tuhinga āku ki te aroha me te mahi a te kihi. Nāku, nā tō tama mateoha, Nā Ben. Kōrero whakamutunga: Kei a koe tonu taku hūtu?