Over a period of forty years Sir Apirana Ngata, distinguished leader and scholar, collected and recorded hundreds of songs and chants from the iwi of Aotearoa, which became the four volumes of Nga Moteatea, with translations and annotations by Ngata and Pei te Hurinui Jones. This is the first volume of a new edition of this national treasure, the largest and most comprehensive collection of Maori waiata and a unique contribution to New Zealand poetry. It is a rich resource for continuing research and scholarship in many fields, offers prime texts in the teaching of Maori language, literature and tribal history and serves as inspiration for contemporary composition and performance. This completely redesigned and reset edition published in association with the Polynesian Society, preserves the integrity of Ngata's and Jones's and their commentary. Long vowels in Maori have been macronised and changes have been made to conform to current usage with correction of errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Typography has been modernised. This edition also includes two audio CDs of waiata drawn from the Archive of Maori and Pacific Music at the University of Auckland.