Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– E patu ana i toku mamae ki ona maihao
Singing my life with his words
– Te waiata i toku ora ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
I heard he sang a good song
– I rongo ahau he waiata pai tana
I heard he had a style
– I rongo ahau he kāhua tōna
And so I came to see him
– Na ka haere mai ahau ki te kite ia ia
To listen for a while
– Ki te whakarongo mo te wa
And there he was this young boy
– A i reira ko ia tenei tamaiti taitamariki
A stranger to my eyes
– He tangata ke ki oku kanohi
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– E patu ana i toku mamae ki ona maihao
Singing my life with his words
– Te waiata i toku ora ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
I felt all flushed with fever
– I rongo ahau i te werawera katoa
Embarrassed by the crowd
– I whakama te mano
I felt he found my letters
– I whakaaro ahau kua kitea e ia aku reta
And read each one out loud
– Me te pānui i ia tangata ki te reo nui
I prayed that he would finish
– I inoi ahau kia mutu tana mahi
But he just kept right on
– Engari i mau tonu ia
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– E patu ana i toku mamae ki ona maihao
Singing my life with his words
– Te waiata i toku ora ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
He sang as if he knew me
– I waiata ia me te mea e mohio ana ia ki ahau
In all my dark despair
– I roto i toku pouri pouri katoa
And then he looked right through me
– Na ka titiro ia tika i roto i ahau
As if I wasn’t there
– Me te mea kaore au i reira
And he just kept on singing
– A ka waiata tonu ia
Singing clear and strong
– Waiata mārama, kaha hoki
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– E patu ana i toku mamae ki ona maihao
Singing my life with his words
– Te waiata i toku ora ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Oh, oh-oh
– Aue, aue-aue
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
– Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
La-la-la, la-la
– Ko La-la-la, ko la-la
Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh-oh
– Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh-oh
La, ah-ah, ah
– La, ah-ah, ah
La, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah
– Ko La, ko ah-ah, ko ah-ah-ah
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– E patu ana i toku mamae ki ona maihao
Singing my life with his words
– Te waiata i toku ora ki ana kupu
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me (Softly)
– Te whakamate i ahau (Softly)
He was strumming my pain
– I whakatangihia e ia taku mamae
Yeah, he was singing my life
– Ae, i waiata ia i toku ora
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Killing me softly with his song
– Te whakamate i ahau māia ki tana waiata
Telling my whole life with his words
– Te korero i toku ora katoa ki ana kupu
Killing me softly
– Te whakamate i ahau i te maeneene
With his song
– Ki tana waiata
