Funeral poems and readings in NZ: verses for a service
A funeral reading is a short poem, scripture passage or saying read aloud by a family member, a friend or the celebrant. Pick one that suits the person and that the reader can say steadily. Verses that are out of copyright, such as Ecclesiastes 3, are the simplest to print and share. Te reo Māori sayings should be checked with whānau or a kaumātua.
A reading differs from a eulogy. The eulogy is the personal tribute to one life, and our guide on how to write a eulogy covers that. A reading is borrowed words, chosen to say what the family may not find easy to say. FDANZ's list of service elements keeps them apart: "Performance" covers "special readings, poems, dance, or a music recital", and "Tributes" covers how people share their memories of the person (FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices). This page sticks to readings: where they fit, which verses are free to use, what we can and cannot source for te reo Māori, and how to manage the reading itself.
Where does a reading fit in a New Zealand service?
The order of a funeral is yours to change. FDANZ says "you can change the order that things happen" and that anyone can lead a service, though people usually choose someone with experience of guiding one. Where a reading goes is a choice, not a rule. Ask the celebrant or funeral director where it falls, since they will be timing the whole service. If you are using a celebrant, our celebrant cost guide explains what they do.
Printed service sheets can carry the words, and Davis Funerals notes printed service sheets include details such as "hymns, readings, tributes and messages of thanks" (Davis Funerals). If the service is streamed, a printed or spoken reading is also part of what the camera records; see our funeral live streaming guide.
Which verses are free to use?
Texts whose authors died long ago, or that are centuries old, are generally out of copyright and the simplest to print and read. These three are widely used, and the first two we checked word for word:
| Reading | Where from | Text or source |
|---|---|---|
| Ecclesiastes 3 | Bible, King James Version | "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"; later, "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance" (Bible Gateway) |
| Psalm 23 | Bible, King James Version | "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Bible Gateway) |
| "Remember" | Christina Rossetti (1830 to 1894) | One of more than 40 poems on Simplicity Funerals' list of "favourite funeral poems" (Simplicity) |
That Simplicity list is a useful menu. It also includes "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep", "Death Is Nothing At All", "The Irish Blessing" and "For Everything There Is A Season (Ecclesiastes Chapter 3)". The page says to copy them "for personal use" and gives no copyright status for any of them. Several carry no author. Joyce Grenfell's "If I Should Go Before The Rest Of You" is listed with dates 1910 to 1979, so we would not assume it is free to print or stream. We have not checked the copyright status of individual poems. If a poem will go in a printed order of service or a recorded stream, ask the celebrant or funeral director to check it.
Ecclesiastes and Psalm 23 are scripture, but a service does not have to be religious to use them. For services without a faith framework, see our non-religious funeral guide.
What te reo Māori sayings can be sourced?
Less than the topic deserves, and we would rather say so than invent. Te Ara describes a tangihanga as a gathering in which "traditional speeches, songs and chants are exchanged", and gives one whakataukī that is "commonly recited when news that someone has died is conveyed": "Kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui-a-Tāne" (the tōtara tree has fallen in Tāne's great forest). Te Ara adds that it "carries the message that someone of mana and of great importance to the tribe has died" (Te Ara: Understanding tangihanga, read from an archived copy). That is a saying for announcing a death, not a poem for a service, and it is for someone of standing, so it may not fit every person.
Te Aka Māori Dictionary gives "haere rā" as "goodbye (said to someone leaving), farewell" (Te Aka). Practices differ between families, iwi and hapū. For a family who want a te reo Māori reading, the people to ask are the minister, the kaumātua or the whānau, who can tell you which words are right for this person and this iwi. Our tangihanga guide covers the wider process. We have not included English translations of sayings we could not source.
How do you choose a reading and manage the day?
- Read it aloud first. FDANZ says to listen to music before choosing it so the words are appropriate; the same applies to a poem.
- Check how it ends. Some verses speak to belief in an afterlife the person did not hold.
- Keep it short enough to read steadily. We found no NZ source for an ideal length, so ask the celebrant how long the order of service allows.
- Choose a reader who wants to read. A grandchild, an old friend or the celebrant are all fine.
- Have a back-up reader. Dils suggests that if you cannot get through your words, you ask your celebrant or a family member to share the reading with you, and that dividing the words between two people can make the moment gentler (Dils: Writing a eulogy, 31 August 2026).
Paying for a service
A reading itself costs nothing. The usual costs around it are a celebrant, which FDANZ gives as an indicative $300 to $900, and service sheets at $2 to $3 each (FDANZ: financial matters, indicative as at July 2025). Funeral insurance pays a fixed benefit towards costs, it is not a funeral plan, and total premiums can end up larger than the benefit. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance pays only for accidental death in the first 24 months. Saving is the other way to prepare. See the funeral insurance hub or the burial versus cremation guide if you are comparing costs. The buttons below open Momentum Life's online application; QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and may earn a commission. Momentum Life Limited holds an A.M. Best rating of B (Fair), in the "Vulnerable" range (Momentum financial strength).
Adviser's view
Choose a reading for how it sounds in your voice and how it fits the person, not for how often others use it. Public-domain verses are the safest to print and stream, and for any te reo Māori saying the family, the minister or the kaumātua should have the final word.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Funeral Poems and Readings NZ: Short Verses to Use. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/funeral-poems-and-readings-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices
- FDANZ: Funeral costs and financial support
- Simplicity Funerals Christchurch: Funeral poems
- Dils: Writing a eulogy, a kind guide
- Davis Funerals: Personalising your service
- Te Ara: Tangihanga, death customs
- Te Aka Māori Dictionary: haere rā
- Bible Gateway: Ecclesiastes 3 (KJV)
- Bible Gateway: Psalm 23 (KJV)
- Momentum Life: Financial Strength
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