Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones – translated The Merchant of Venice into Te Reo Maori

Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones JP, D.Hon, OB., is of Ngati Maniapoto – Tainui descent on his mother’s side. Born 1898 – Died 1976.

In 1913 Pei Jones spent some time at Wesley Training College. He had no further formal education.

Pei Te Hurinui Jones was a prolific recorder of Tainui history and held eminent positions on the Maori Dictionary Revision and the NZ Maori Council. He translated many Maori waiata into English. He was the Chief Advisor to King Koroki, Princess Te Puea and later the present Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

Jones was completely bilingual and published extensively in both Maori and English. He honed his language skills by translating Shakespeare’s works – The Merchant of Venice being one of them, and Fitzgerald’s Omar Khayyan into Maori.

The Merchant of Venice was translated in 1945.

Dr Jones received his honorary doctorate from the Waikato University in 1968, the first Maori to be so honoured from Waikato University for literature.

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