Mātāmua ko te kupu! : te haka tēnā! te wana, taku ihi, e, pupuritia! / nā tā Tīmoti Kāretu.

Ngā Whakaahua -- Ngā Waiata me ngā Haka -- He Mihi -- He Kupu Takamua -- Te Waiata ā-Ringa -- Ngā Waiata ā-Ringa o ngā Pakanga Nui e Rua o te Ao -- Tā te Ao Ipoipo -- Tēnei Mea te Waiata Poroporoaki -- Ngā Waiata Whakangahau a te Ao Māori -- Ngā Titonga i Kawea i ngā Whakataetae Haka Matua o te Motu -- Te Ao Pākeha i Roto i te Titonga Māori -- He Mihi rā, kei aku Rangatira, kei ngā Tūmau, kei ngā Ringawera -- He Paku Whakaaro, he Kōingo Nui -- He Kuputohu.

Ko Ta Timoti Karetu tetahi o nga tohunga reo Maori o te motu - ko ia te kaiarataki i Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori, i Te Mangai Paho, i Te Kohanga Reo tae atu ki Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo, i whai ra ki te whakawhanake i nga uri matatau o nga iwi o te motu kia matatau ke atu. I te ao haka, he kaitito, he kaihaka, he kaiako, he kaiwhakawa, he kaiarahi, he matanga hoki ia. I tenei pukapuka ana, ka whakatakoto a Ta Timoti i te whanuitanga o ana wheako e pa ana ki te haka me te waiata - mai i nga waiata o nga pakanga o te ao e rua ki te aranga mai o nga whakataetae kapa haka, mai i te waiata aroha ki te waiata a-ringa, mai i a Ta Apirana Ngata titonga ki a Te Puea Herangi, mai i te atamira o Te Matatini ki nga hui o te wa i te marae atea. Puta noa i te pukapuka, ka horahia e ia nga kupu o nga waiata me nga haka, ka whakamaramahia hoki nga kaupapa me nga horopaki mo tena, mo tena, ka mutu, no hea ia e peua i tana whakaaro kia Matamua ko te Kupu! He mea tuhi te pukapuka nei ki te reo Maori kairangi tonu hei pataka mo te matauranga me te reo Maori. Sir Timoti Karetu is one of the country's leading exponents of te reo Maori -- from leading the Maori Language Commission to producing a new generation of language experts through his teaching at Te Panekiretanga. He is also an unrivalled creator of waiata and haka, composing songs and judging at Te Matatini and other events. In this book, Sir Timoti shares his extensive experience in the artforms of haka and waiata - from Maori songs of the two world wars to the rise of kapa haka competitions, from love songs to action songs, from Sir Apirana Ngata to Te Puea Herangi, and from Te Matatini to contemporary hui on marae. Throughout the book, he draws on exemplars of Maori song and haka, explaining form and meanings, maintaining his stance that Lyric is Paramount! Written in exemplary te reo Maori, Matamua ko te Kupu! will become a taonga of Maori knowledge and language.