Εικόνες σελίδας
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The rainbow (stands) in the heaven;
The sun is over Kauakahi's mansion;
Reddish are the leaves of the Mamane tree;
And the Koaie tree of Kauai;

The long grass has been removed by Ku,
The waving (grass) of Kamaile

The toppling surf of Maihiwa;

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Dammed up are the waters at Kalapo,
Bursting out (are they) below Eleu,

Drawn away are the rain-clouds and dried up, in
the sky,

Like a great land-slide from the hills,
The falling of Hilo upon Puna,

Here in Hilo-Peahi.

Red are the waters of Paupauwela,
The Kilau of Malamanui,

The Kilau ridges at Kapapa.

Comes the report to Haalilo,

That your younger brother has been whipped;
Troubled (broken up) is the mind of Haalilo;
At the quarrelling of the priests with Ku;
For the want of sympathy with Ku,
With the son of Haalilo.

Here is the Malanai-haehae,
Descendant of Niheu-kalohe,
The water-dam of Kekuuna,

A prodigy here among the people,
He is tying up his clothing,
He is swinging about his weapons,
The bundle of daggers ;

Here is Haalilo-eh !—

Ku indeed is the chief.

Love to the Kukui trees wafting the voices of Paoa;
Shattered are the buds of the withered Ilima,

Wilted in the month of Makalii ;

In Makalii blossoms the Koolau plant,

Wet with the dew of Maemae.

Faintly comes the sound of the sea below,

Heard only (perhaps as far as) at Malamanui,

Where Ku ate the potato,

Covered (in baking) with the sweet Kupukupu of Lihue.
Rising are bitter thoughts in the mind of Ku-eh—

They are born and with the chief they rest.

Ku indeed is the chief.

A bunch of Hala blossoms for Ku at Kamakoa;

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While Ku was leaping down the pali
Ku nearly perished in the fire

What could have been your fault, O Ku
(Was it) the cutting down of the trees,
The girdling on of the woman's garment,
The throwing down of the spear

That belongs to Ku and is his companion
In the storm and in the sunshine?

Ku is reducing to powder the scales of the rock;
Ku draws life from the bowl of Lono,

From the bowl of Kupaka

Ku indeed is the chief.

O Kailua with the hot and desolating wind,
The wind (coming over) from the south;
Feeble is the voice that is calling out for help;

When that one is calling the winds are answering ;
Stand up at the call, at the cry;

Don't you turn a deaf ear,

The child is born.

The sound has gone forth abroad;

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We too are the men.

Not like the twisted Hala,

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(Nor) the crooked Naio tree,

(Nor) the Ahihi standing motherless inland,
(Nor) the deep pools trodden (by bathers),
(Nor) the Hinahina in the wind,

Moving, leaning, falling;

Not like these (is) Ku.

Perhaps like the Ohia,

(Like) the Lehua on the mountain side,
(Like) the big trees standing in the jungle;

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Ekaha fern,

The Ekaha put on to mats,

With the Kiele, with the Ala,

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With the Olapa of the changing leaves,

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With the flower of the Kuku grass,
Falling hither, falling thither.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Naulu (shower),

The rain that brings the land breeze,

Like a water-bowl that has been poured out,

The land breezes of Kumomoku,

The land breezes coming round to Leleiwi.

Truly, have you not known

The mountain breezes, that double your back up,

(That make you) sit crooked and cramped, the Kaimohala, The Kanehili at Kaupea?

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Lipoa seaweed,

(Or) the Nanue weed, food for fishes,
(Or) the Lipahapaha weed from Waimea,
(Or) the weed that clings to the trees,
(Or) the red crab on the top of Kaala.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Kukui tree,

The Kukui with the rough bark,

Bark that is cracking in the sun,

Like (the skin of) a man drinking awa ;
The scaly-(barked) Kukui trees of Lihue.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Aalii tree,

(Or) the Poholua, sweet-scented tree,

(Or) the Maile, causing one to pant on Maoi,
(Or) the flowering Kaluhea from Kawiwi.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Kokio tree,

With the many branches and wilted flowers,
Dropping the flowers on the ground.

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Kawau tree,

(Or) the Kalia (which), placed in the mouth,
Consumes into morsels the people,

The island, the district, the land.

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the porpoise

With his nose that spouts up the sea,

While his body is in the sea, (and) the shark.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like one with the asthma,

The wheezing (bird) that eats the Lehua blossoms;

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The Oo, bird of Kaiona.

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the rind of the banana,

(Or) the tattered sugar-cané leaves of the gods,
Or) the breadfruit tree planted by Kahai;
Truly, have you not known

The woman with the faded garment

On top of Puuokapolei ?

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Wiliwili tree,

Of whose fruit bracelets are made,

Whose trunk is gliding away,

Whose body is in the sea of the rollers surf-riding.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the blast of the wind

Moaning over the hill-tops,

Causing to be tied down the houses in Koolau,
Fastened down lest they fall by the wind;

The tricky hook of the fisherman,

The fish-hook of Manaiakalani.

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Mamaki shrub,

With its long tangling shoots in the forests,
The choicest buds of all shrubs;

With its fine mesh-like covering

Like spray of the surf on the breast of Kuehu,
On the sacred road, on the long road,

On the long road that must be travelled (by all).

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the leaves of the Ti plant,

(Or) the leaves of the Wiliwili in Nuuanu,
Which wilt in the rain and the wind

And fall off.

The Wiliwili leaves on the top of Waahila.
Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the rain of Waahila,

(And) the cold wind of Kahaloa,

Scattering the Kou blossoms

That have been strung and fastened up,

And worn as wreaths on the sea of Kapua.
Not like these (is) Ku,

Not like the Kamaniula tree,

The bright catcher of birds,

(Or) like the garlands of Hala nuts,
(Or) like the blossoms of the Kaa vine,

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The musical (singing) leaves of Ku.
For Ku is the chief.

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like the Makole tree,

That tree of great moisture,

Which gathers thick on the eyelashes.
Not like these (is) Ku.

He is like; here is thy mate, thy equal,
O Keawe-i-Kekahi-alii-o-ka-moku,

O Keawe, Lord of Hawaii.

Bitter is the salt water,

Sweet is the fresh water,

Very hot is the sun,

Warm is my skin,

From my husband, Nininini (comes) the water.

O Pulele,-Is it like?

Not like these (is) Ku.

Not like these is the chief,

Under any comparison.

That was a man,

A god is Ku,

A messenger is Ku from heaven,

A Haole (foreigner) is Ku from Kahiki,
He is (equal to) four men,

Yes (to) eight men ;

O Ku, O Lono, O Kane, O Kanaloa,
O Kane-maikai-ahua-wahine,

O Haihaipuaa, O Kekuawalu la.

To these he is like.

There is Kona, hot is its surface,

Rises the steam from (the heat of) the sun,
Warmed are the offspring of Unulau,
The rainy season and the winter,

Ascending, coming forth is the sun,
The glory of great-voiced Ku ;
Given (to us) is the sun,

To warn the selfish chiefs of Kona.

NOTES.-Verses 1-6 contain the introduction, or invocation, to the great gods acknowledged by the composers of the chant. It will be noticed that even so late as Kualii's time the original Hawaiian gods, "Kane and his company," i.e., Ku and Lono, took the lead of the southern gods, Kanaloa, Kauakahi, and Maliu, introduced during the migratory period

referred to in the first portion of this volume.

Verses 7-21 give the Hawaiian version of the southern legend of how the earth was fished up from the ocean by the demigod Maui. The hook was called Manaiakalani; it was baited with the Alae, the mudhen sacred to Hina, the daughter or wife of Kanaloa, who hid one of the

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