17/04/2026
ANZAC DAY 25 APRIL 2026
Each year, at ANZAC Day and other commemorative services across Aotearoa, one moment stands apart for its stillness and solemnity: the recitation of the Ode of Remembrance. These lines, drawn from Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem For the Fallen, have become a universal pledge to honour those who served and those who never returned.
Binyon wrote the poem early in the First World War, moved by the sacrifice of young soldiers fighting far from home. Although written in England, the words quickly resonated across the Commonwealth. In New Zealand, the Ode has become a central element of remembrance ceremonies, spoken with deep respect by veterans, whānau, and communities.
The Ode endures because it is simple, powerful, and timeless. It reminds us that remembrance is not passive—it is an active commitment to carry forward the memory of those who served. In Aotearoa, the English lines are often paired with a te reo Māori translation, reflecting our bicultural heritage and the shared service of Māori and Pākehā alike.
English:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Te Reo Māori:
E kore rātou e kaumātuatia
pērā i a tātou kua mahue nei.
E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore,
ahakoa pehea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā.
I te hekenga atu o te rā, tae noa ki te aranga mai o te ata,
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
Response:
We will remember them.
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.
