NewZealand Rugby version:
Leader:
Ringa pakia! Slap the hands against the thighs!
Uma tiraha! Puff out the chest.
Turi whatia! Bend the knees!
Hope whai ake! Let the hips follow!
Waewae takahia kia kino! Stomp the feet as hard as you can!
Leader:
Ka mate, ka mate I die, I die,
Team:
Ka ora' Ka ora' I live, I live
Leader:
Ka mate, ka mate I die, I die,
Team:
Ka ora Ka ora " I live, I live,
All:
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru This is the hairy man
Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā ...Who caused the sun to shine again for me
A Upane! Ka Upane! Up the ladder, Up the ladder
A Upane Kaupane" Up to the top
Whiti te rā,! The sun shines!
Hī! Rise!
The haka is a war dance. The words are chanted loudly (shouted) in a menacing way accompanied by arm actions and foot stamping. A haka was traditionally performed before charging into battle. The Maori pronunciation is basically one vowel per syllable, with the vowels having the European rather than English sound.
The `wh' is aspirated almost like an `f' (f is good enough for most people).
As for what it all means, about 140 years ago, a particularly notorious warlike chief named Te Rauparaha of the Ngati Toa tribe (based just North of present day Wellington), was being chased by his enemies. He hid in a kumara pit (the local sweet potato, only much better) and waited in the dark for his pursuers to find him.
He heard sounds above and thought he was done for when the top of the pit was opened up and sunshine flooded in. He was blinded and struggled to see those about to slay him, when his sight cleared and he instead saw the hairy legs of the local chief (reputed to have been exceptionally hirsute) who had hid him.
Te Rauparaha is said to have jumped from the pit and performed this haka on the spot, so happy was he to have escaped. Undoubtedly, he also had in his mind to do a little pursuing of his own --- Te Rauparaha being that way inclined was he.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gbj_ig09WQ
Other Versions and improvisations are composed before special games....see link below