[It was not destroyed while it was small; now it’s too big to cope with. Said by Keaweamaʻuhili’s warriors of Kamehameha. They were at the court of Alapaʻi when the order was given to “Nip off the leaf bud of the wauke plant while it is tender” [E ʻōʻū i ka maka o ka wauke oi ʻōpiopio). This attempt to kill the baby didn’t succeed, and the child grew into a powerful warrior who quelled all of his foes.]
845
He noni no Kaualehu, he pūhai aʻa.
It is a noni tree of Kaualehu whose roots are in shallow ground.
[Said of a person whose knowledge is shallow. The noni root from shallow ground does not make as good a dye as that from deep ground.]
923
He pū hala aʻa kiolea.
A hala tree with thin, hanging roots.
[Said of one who is not strong, like a tree with aerial roots that are not yet imbedded in the earth.]
2683
Pōʻino nā lāʻau aʻa liʻiliʻi i ka ulu pū me ka puakala aʻa loloa.
Plants with fine roots are harmed when left to grow with the rough, long-rooted thorny ones.
[Weak-willed persons are often overcome and influenced by the wicked.]
[An expression of contempt for a person who is so lazy he uses goat hides instead of mats, which require work to make, for his bedding. Such a person is recognized by his goaty odor.]
The breadfruit of Keʻei are gone; only those blown down by the wind are left.
[Said when something mysteriously vanishes. A konohiki of Keʻei in Kona, Hawaiʻi, was placed in charge of a fine breadfruit grove. In spite of his watchfulness, the fruit were stolen as soon as they matured. Secretly he asked all of his relatives to help him watch for the culprit. However, some were related to the thief as well, who learned about the watch and evaded capture. Long after, a slip of the tongue revealed the thief.]
He ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani mai au; ʻaʻohe makani nāna e kulaʻi.
I am a wind-resisting ʻaʻaliʻi; no gale can push me over.
[A boast meaning “I can hold my own even in the face of difficulties.” The ʻaʻaliʻi bush can stand the worst of gales, twisting and bending but seldom breaking off or falling over.]
579
He hina na ka ʻaʻaliʻi kūmakani, he ʻulaʻa pū me ka lepo.
When the wind-resisting ʻaʻaliʻi falls, it lifts the sod up with its roots.
[A boast: When I, a powerful man, fall, others will fall with me.]
623
He iki ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani o Piʻiholo.
A small, wind-resisting ʻaʻaliʻi bush of Piʻiholo.
When the sea is rough, the ʻaʻama crabs climb up [on the rocks].
[People gather out of curiosity when trouble arises.]
1860
Kū akula kaʻu lāʻau i ka ʻaʻama kua lenalena.
My spear pierced the yellow-shelled crab.
[This was the boast of the warrior who speared Keʻeaumoku at the battle of Mokuʻohai. Keʻeaumoku revived and shortly after killed Kiwalaʻō. This battle was between the two cousins Kamehameha and Kiwalaʻō.]
2394
ʻO ka ʻaʻama holo pali pōhaku, e paʻa ana ia i ka ʻahele pulu niu.
The crab that runs about on a rocky cliff will surely be caught with a snare of coconut fibers.
[He who goes where he tempts trouble is bound to suffer.]
[A wish to win the maiden. Lei symbolizes sweetheart, and lehua, a pretty girl.]
358
E nānā wāhine aʻe nō, ʻaʻole ʻoe e loaʻa.
Women can be observed, [but] you cannot be matched.
[One may look at other women but none can be compared to you.]
467
Hānau ke aliʻi i loko o Holoholokū, he aliʻi nui; hānau ke kanaka i loko o Holoholokū, he aliʻi nō; hānau ke aliʻi ma waho aʻe o Holoholokū, ʻaʻohe aliʻi, he kanaka ia.
The child of a chief born in Holoholokū is a high chief; the child of a commoner born in Holoholokū is a chief; the child of a chief born outside of the borders of Holoholokū is a commoner.
[Holoholokū, sacred birthplace of the chiefs, is in Wailua, Kauaʻi.]
619
He ikaika nō nā ʻehu kakahiaka no nā ʻōpio, a piʻi aʻe ka lā heha mai a holo.
The morning is full of strength for youth, but when the sun is high they become tired and run.
[Said of the young who do not work as persistently as their parents — they start well but soon quit.]
788
He makani Kona, ke kū lā ke aʻe i ka moana.
It is the Kona wind, for the sprays are flying at sea.
“Is Hilo light?” “ Yes, Hilo is light for lack of water.”
[A question asked of a runner, and his reply. It means that the way is clear, with no robbers or unpleasant experiences, and no rains to swell the streams and make traveling difficult.]
2246
Nā lā ʻae ʻo ia.
The days that were days indeed.
[The days of youth, prosperity, and strength.]
2577
Paʻipaʻi ka lima, ʻae ka waha.
The hand applauds, the mouth assents.
[Said of one who offers verbal approval yet does nothing to help.]
2599
Pao ka lima, ʻae ka waha.
The hand reaches under, the mouth agrees.
[Said of one who makes promises while accepting bribes.]
[Molokaʻi, who would not take second place to a visiting chief, no matter how much higher his rank. If a visiting chief lay down in his way, the Kalaʻe chief would step over him, disregarding the visitor’s kapu.]
844
He noio ʻaʻe ʻale no ke kai loa.
A noio that treads over the billows of the distant sea.
[An expression of admiration for a person outstanding in wisdom and skill. The noio is a small tern.]
2602
Papani ka uka o Kapela; puaʻi hānono wai ʻole o Kukaniloko; pakī hunahuna ʻole o Holoholokū; ʻaʻohe mea nāna e ʻaʻe paepae kapu o Līloa.
Close the upland of Kapela; no red water gushes from Kukaniloko; not a particle issues from Holoholokū; there is none to step over the sacred platform of Līloa.
[The old chiefs and their sacredness are gone; the descendants are no longer laid to rest at Ka-pela-kapu-o-Kakaʻe at ʻīao; the descendants no longer point to Kukaniloko on Oʻahu and Holoholokū on Kauaʻi as the sacred birthplaces; there is no one to tread on the sacred places in Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, where Līloa once dwelt.]
2834
Ua noa ke kai kapu, ua ʻaʻe ʻia e ke kuewa.
The forbidden sea has heen trespassed by a vagrant.
[Said of a girl well raised by her parents who has now been won by a ne’er-do-well.]
[A rude expression for the people of Lānaʻi. Once, a Lānaʻi chief was conquered in battle, and the conqueror offered him either humiliation or death. He was to choose between kissing his conqueror’s penis or receiving a death clout on the head with a club. He chose humiliation, and as he bent to kiss the penis, he lifted his face quickly in distaste. Hence this saying. His relatives were ashamed, for they felt he should have chosen death and retained his dignity as a chief.]
[His hair may be gray, as one whose hair is bleached with lime, but he has no more wisdom than an inexperienced youth.]
747
Hele kīkaha aʻela ka ua.
The rain goes sneaking along.
[Said of a person who goes out of his way to avoid an acquaintance.]
1679
Ke amo ʻia aʻela ʻo Kaʻaoʻao; ke kahe maila ka hinu.
Kaʻaoʻao is being carried by; the grease is flowing from his body.
[What has happened to him is very obvious. Kaʻaoʻao, angry with his brother Kekaulike, ruthlessly destroyed the crops in his absence. The latter followed him up to Haleakalā and there slew him. His decomposed body was found later by his followers.]
1695
Ke hele maila ko Kaʻū; he iho maila ko Palahemo; he hōkake aʻela i Manukā; haele loa akula i Kaleinapueo.
There come those of Kaʻū; those of Palahemo descend; those of Manukā push this way and that; and away they all go to Kaleinapueo.
[Said when one tries to find out something about another and meets with failure at every turn. A play on place names: ʻū (a grunt of contempt) in Kaʻū; hemo (to get away) in Palahemo; kā (to run along like a vine) in Manukā; and leinapueo (owl’s leaping place) in Kaleinapueo.]
1698
Ke hoʻi aʻela ka ʻōpua i Awalau.
The rain clouds are returning to Awalau.
[Said of a return to the source.]
2159
Moʻa aʻela nō kā ka ʻalae huapī.
The red-headed mudhen has finished cooking her own.
[Said of a selfish person who does only for himself with no regard for others. A play on pī (stingy) in huapī. From the legend of Māui.]
E aha ʻia ana o Hakipuʻu i ka palaoa lāwalu ʻono a Kaʻehu?
What is happening to Hakipuu, with dough cooked in ti leaves, of which Kaehu is so fond?
[This is a line of a chant composed by Kaʻehu, a poet and hula instructor from Kauaʻi. It refers to a part-white woman with whom he flirted. Used in humor when referring to Hakipuʻu, a place on the windward side of Oʻahu.]
508
He aha aku nei kau i Konahuanui?
What were you at Konahuanui for?
[To dream of seeing the private parts exposed is a sign that there will be no luck on the following day.]
509
He aha ka hala i kapuhia ai ka leo, i hoʻokuli mai ai?
What was the wrong that forbade the voice, that caused the deafness?
[What causes you to refuse to speak or listen to me?]
510
He aha ka puana o ka moe?
What is the answer to the dream?
[What will the result of this be?]
511
He aha kāu o ka lapa manu ʻole?
What are you doing on a ridge where no birds are found?
[That is a wild goose chase.]
820
He moʻa no ka ʻai i ka pūlehu ʻia; he ahi nui aha ia e hoʻā ai?
Food can be cooked in the embers; why should a big fire be lighted?
[A small love affair will do; why assume the responsibilities of a permanent mating? Said by those who prefer to love and leave.]
[There is no one to create a disturbance. The cry of a mudhen at night is an omen of death in the neighborhood.]
2901
Waiakea pepeiao pulu ʻaha.
Waiakea of the ears that hold coconut-fiber snares.
[Snares for small fish, shrimp, or crabs were made of a coconut midrib and the fiber from the husk of the nut. When not in use the snare was sometimes placed behind the ear as one does a pencil. This saying is applied to one who will not heed — he uses his ears only to hold his snare.]
ʻAhaʻaha (1)
1462
Ka makani kā ʻAhaʻaha laʻi o Niua.
The peaceful ʻAhaʻaha breeze of Niua that drives in the ʻahaʻaha fish.
[The ʻAhaʻaha breeze begins as the Kiliʻoʻopu in Waiheʻe, Maui, before reaching Niua Point in Waiehu. It is a gentle breeze and the sea is calm when it blows. Fishermen launch their canoes and go forth to fish, for that is the time when the ʻahaʻaha fish arrive in schools.]
[Rose in triumph, as a kite rises into the sky; hastened away with great speed.]
7
ʻĀhaʻi lā i ka pupuhi.
Away like a gust [of wind].
[Travel with the speed of wind.]
505
Hāwele kīlau i ka lemu, ʻāhaʻi ka puaʻa i ka waha; ke hele nei ʻo Poʻokea.
Draw the fine loincloth under the buttocks; the pork finds its way into the mouth; Poʻokea now departs.
[Poʻokea was a very clever thief during the reign of Kahekili of Maui. Whenever he eluded his pursuers, this was his favorite boast. Any reference to one as being a descendant or relative of Poʻokea implies that he is a thief who steals and runs.]
Hoʻā ke ahi, kōʻala ke ola. O nā hale wale nō kai Honolulu; ʻo ka ʻai a me ka iʻa i Nuʻuanu.
Light the fire for there is life-giving suhstance. Only the houses stand in Honolulu; the vegetable food and meat are in Nuuanu.
[An expression of affection for Nuʻuanu. In olden days, much of the taro lands were found in Nuʻuanu, which supplied Honolulu with poi, taro greens, ʻoʻopu, and freshwater shrimp. So it is said that only houses stand in Honolulu. Food comes from Nuʻuanu.]
Let the youth of Mānoa go home, for it is evening.
[Refers to the youth of Mānoa who used to ride the surf at Kalehuawehe in Waikīkī. The surfboards were shared among several people who would take turns using them. Those who finished first often suggested going home early, even though it might not be evening, to avoid carrying the boards to the hālau where they were stored. Later the expression was used for anyone who went off to avoid work.]
295
ʻEhu ahiahi.
Evening twilight.
[Old age.]
595
He hou ʻoe, he iʻa moe ahiahi.
You are a hou, a fish that sleeps in the evening.
[A small, inoffensive fellow — but one who will fight when annoyed.]
1480
Ka manu keʻu ahiahi.
The bird that croaks in the evening.
[Said of one who talks of or brings bad luck. When the ʻalae (mudhen) croaks near a house at night, trouble is to be expected there.]
2383
ʻO ia lā he koa no ke ʻano ahiahi; ʻo ia nei no ke ʻano kakahiaka.
He is a warrior of the evening hours; but this person here is of the morning hours.
[That person has had his day and is no longer as active as before; but this person is strong, brave, and ready to show his prowess.]
2908
Waiho kāhela i ka laʻi a ahiahi ehuehu mai.
There he lies in the calm, but when evening comes he will he full of animation.
[He is quiet now, but by and by you’ll find him full of life.]
The native sons who surf in the ʻĀhiu wind in the peaceful land of Kahana.
[Said in admiration of a native of Kahana, Oʻahu. In the days when Hiʻiaka traveled to Kahana as a woman, surfing was done there only by the chiefs. The ʻĀhiu is a well known wind of Kahana.]
Better to die in battle where one will have companions in death.
[Uttered by Kaʻeokulani, a chief of Maui.]
363
E nui ke aho, e kuʻu keiki, a moe i ke kai, no ke kai lā hoʻi ka ʻāina.
Take a deep breath, my son, and lay yourself in the sea, for then the land shall belong to the sea.
[Uttered by the priest Kaʻopulupulu at Waiʻanae. Weary with the cruelty and injustice of Kahāhana, chief of Oʻahu, Kaʻopulupulu walked with his son to Waiʻanae, where he told his son to throw himself into the sea. The boy obeyed, and there died. Kaʻopulupulu was later slain and taken to Waikīkī where he was laid on the sacrificial altar at Helumoa.]
446
Hana a lau a lau ke aho, a laila loaʻa ka iʻa kāpapa o ka moana.
Make four hundred times four hundred fish lines before planning to go after the fighting fish of the sea.
[Be well prepared for a big project.]
612
He iʻa no ka moana, he aho loa kū i ke koʻa.
A fish of the deep sea requires a long line that reaches the sea floor.
[In order to obtain a good position, one must prepare.]
725
He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu, he pōkole ke aho; he lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu he loa ke aho.
A fisherman of the shallow sea uses only a short line; a fisherman of the deep sea has a long line.
[A person whose knowledge is shallow does not have much, but he whose knowledge is great, does.]
985
Hihia nā aho a ke kaweleʻā.
The lines used in catching the kaweleʻā are entangled.
[Strewn about in every direction. An expression that refers to an untidy place or the strewing of dead bodies after a battle.]
13
Ahu ka ʻalaʻala palu.
A heap of relish made of octopus liver.
[Nothing worth troubling about. Octopus liver (ʻalaʻala) was not a choice food. It was mashed and used as bait.]
14
Ahu ka hoka i Kapākai.
A heap of disappointment at Kapākai.
[Fooled and left stranded. In ancient times, two fishermen sailed from Kapākai, a small canoe landing between ʻUpolu Point and the heiau of Moʻokini in Kohala. As they were about to leave for Maui, a stranger asked permission to accompany them, and it was granted. Late that night one of the fishermen signaled to the other to toss the passenger overboard because he was doing nothing to help with the canoe. The passenger guessed what they were up to and cried, “Oh! I forgot my cowry sinkers at the canoe landing.” Cowry sinkers were valuable, so they turned about and retumed to Kapākai. Upon landing, the passenger leaped ashore. When asked where the sinkers were, he pointed to two half-buried rocks nearby. The fishermen were disappointed (hoka) in not obtaining the coveted cowry sinkers. In another version the saying originated at the birth of Kamehameha I on a canoe. At the landing at Kapākai his mother pretended illness, whieh drew attention to herself and gave Naeʻole the opportunity to seize the newborn baby and flee with him into hiding.]
15
Ahu ka pala naio.
A heap of excretal residue where pinworms are found.
[A rude remark. Said of something unworthy of attention or to show disbelief in a statement.]
16
Ahu kāpeku i ka nalu o Puhili.
Much thrashing about in the surf of Puhili.
[Signifying an abundance of food. Thrashing about in the water drives fish into the nets.]
Plover that perches on the mound, waits till its breast darkens, then departs for Kahiki.
[The darkening of the breast is a sign that a plover is fat. It flies to these islands from Alaska in the fall and departs in the spring, arriving thin and hungry and departing fat. Applied to a person who comes here, acquires weahh, and departs.]
[One] grasps the pandanus cluster of Kekele by mistake.
[Said of one who meets with disappointment. A play on hala (to miss or to be gone). The hala cluster is often used figuratively to refer to the scrotum. Kekele is a grove at the base of Nuʻuanu Pali.]
2606
Pau kā ʻoe hana, pio kā ʻoe ahi, pala kā ʻoe ʻāhui.
Your work is done, your fire is extinguished, your [banana] bunch has ripened.
[Said by Kahekili, chief of Maui, after he defeated Peleioholani of Oʻahu. Used with relief and gladness that a person has died. Common in old newspapers.]
[In the battle between Kahekili of Maui and Kalaniʻōpuʻu of Hawaiʻi, on the sand dunes of Wailuku, Maui, there was a great slaughter of Hawaiʻi warriors who were called the Piʻipiʻi. Any great slaughter might be compared to the slaughter of the Piʻipiʻi.]
ʻAʻohe nānā i ko lalo ʻai i ke pāpaʻa; e nānā i ko luna o ahulu.
Never mind if the food underneath burns; see that the food at the top is not half-cooked.
[Never mind the commoners; pay attention to the chiefs.]
Ahuna (1)
243
ʻAwaʻawa Ahuna.
Sour Ahuna.
[Said of a sour situation. Ahuna was a Chinese who lived on Hawaiʻi in the 1880s. His favorite expression for anything he did not like was ʻawaʻawa (sour).]
[Said of anything that is exposed or very obvious.]
22
Ahuwale nā pali kahakai o Kamilo.
Exposed are the sea cliffs at Kamilo Beach.
[Said of a woman who sits carelessly and exposes herself. Kamilo Beach is in Kaʻū.]
2124
Mālia Hāna ke ahuwale nei Kaihuokala.
Hāna is calm, for Kaihuokala is clearly seen.
[Kaihuokala is a hill on the Hāna side of Haleakalā. When no cloud rests upon it, it is a sign of clear weather. Also expressed Mālie Maui, ke waiho maila Kaihuokala.]
2157
Mimiki ke kai, ahuwale ka papa leho.
When the sea draws out in the tidal wave, the rocks where the cowries hide are exposed.
[An attractive person is compared to a flower-laden tree that attracts birds.]
64
ʻAi a manō, ʻaʻohe nānā i kumu pali.
When the shark eats, he never troubles to look toward the foot of the cliff.
[Said of a person who eats voraciously with no thought of those who provided the food, shows no appreciation for what has been done for him, nor has a care for the morrow.]
75
ʻAi a puʻu ka nuku.
Eat till the lips protrude.
[Eat until one can take no more.]
76
ʻAi kū, ʻai hele.
Eat standing, eat walking.
[Said of anything done without ceremony, or of anything unrestrained by kapu.]
77
ʻAi kū, ʻai noa.
Eat standing, eat freely.
[Said by one about to leave a religious feast, when he must depart before it is over.]
78
ʻAi manu Koʻolau.
Eat of the birds of Koʻolau.
[Said of a feast where delicious foods are eaten.]
He hiʻi alo ua milimili ʻia i ke alo, ua hāʻawe ʻia ma ke kua, ua lei ʻia ma ka ʻāʻī.
A beloved one, fondled in the arms, carried on the back, whose arms have gone ahout the neck as a lei. Said of a beloved child.
1271
Ka ʻai lewa i ka ʻāʻī.
The food that swings from the neck.
[Refers to food containers that were carried suspended from poles.]
2043
Mai hāʻawi wale i ka lei o ka ʻāʻī o ʻalaʻala.
Do not give a lei too freely lest a scrofulous sore appear on the neek.
[In olden times one never gave the lei he wore except to a person closely related. Should such a lei fall into the hands of a sorcerer who disliked him, a scrofulous sore would appear on his neck. If you wish to make a present of a lei, make a fresh one.]
2589
Pala ka hala, ʻula ka ʻāʻī.
When the hala ripens, the neck is brightened by them.
[People are very fond of hala lei. From a name chant of Kualiʻi.]
2765
Puʻupuʻu lei pali i ka ʻāʻī.
An imperfect lei, beautifed by wearing.
[Even an imperfect lei looks beautiful when worn around the neck — as beautiful as flowers and greenery on the slope of a hill.]
One can think of life after the fish is in the canoe.
[Before one feels elated and makes plans he should first secure his “fish.”]
24
Aia akula i kula panoa wai ʻole.
Gone to the dry, waterless plain.
[Gone where one may find himself stranded or deserted.]
25
Aia akula nō i Kiʻilau.
He is gone to Kiʻilau.
[Said of senseless chatter, aimless talk. A play on kiʻi (fetch) and lau (many), meaning to fetch much; that is, to fetch a lot to talk about. Kiʻilau is a place in ʻEwa, Oʻahu.]
26
Aia akula paha i Kiolakaʻa.
Perhaps it is gone to Kiolakaʻa.
[Gone to the place of thrown-away things. Used when something is thrown away and later wanted. A play on kiola, to throw away. Kiolakaʻa is a place in Kaʻū.]
27
Aia akula paha i Waikīkī i ka ʻimi ʻahuʻawa.
Perhaps gone to Waikīkī to seek the ʻahuʻawa sedge.
[Gone where disappointment is met. A play on ahu (heap) and ʻawa (sour).]
28
Aia aku nei paha i Kaiholena.
Perhaps gone to Kaiholena.
[Perhaps gone to loaf somewhere. A play on lena (lazy).]
[In ancient times, certain priests would take charge of a chief’s corpse. The flesh and viscera, called pela, were sometimes taken out to sea where they were deposited. It was said that the viscera of a good chief was accepted by the sea and hidden in its depth, but that of a wicked chief was washed ashore and left there.]
[Said of an expert, or of anyone who is well trained in an art.]
2772
Ua aʻo a ua ʻailolo.
He trained until he ate brains.
[He became an expert. In ancient days, the person who finished a course of study ate some of the brain of the hog or fish offered to the god of his art.]
E lauhoe mai nā waʻa; i ke kā, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke kā; pae aku i ka ʻāina.
Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore is reached.
[Pitch in with a will, everybody, and the work is quickly done.]
ʻĀinahou (1)
1338
Ka iʻa hoʻohihia makau o ʻĀinahou.
The fish of ʻĀinahou that tangles the fish line.
[The ʻalalauwā, which came in great schools to the waterfront of Honolulu. Fishermen of all ages came with their poles to fish, and the crowds were sometimes so great that the lines tangled.]
ʻĀinaʻike (1)
339
ʻEliʻeli kūlana o ʻĀinaʻike.
Profound is the nature of ʻĀinaʻike.
[Refers to a person respected for the depth of his knowledge. A play on ʻeliʻeli (profound, deep) and ʻĀina-ʻike (Land of Knowledge). ʻĀinaʻike is a place on Kauaʻi.]
ʻAina-kō (1)
482
Hāpai kiʻekiʻe i ke aka o ʻAina-kō, kewekewe i ke ālia o Malaekoa.
Lified high is the shadow of ʻAina-kō, making crooked patterns on the salt-encrusted land of Malaekoa.
[It is applied to a conceited, proud, and self-centered person.]
ʻAipō (1)
2611
Pau kuhihewa i ka nani o ʻAipō.
Gone are all the illusions of the beauty of ʻAipō.
[Said of one who finds out for himself what a person, thing, or place is really like.]
E kipi ana lākou nei. ʻAʻole naʻe ʻo lākou ponoʻī akā ʻo kā lākou mau keiki me nā moʻopuna. ʻO ke aliʻi e ola ana i ia wā e kū ʻōlohelohe ana ia, a ʻo ke aupuni e kūkulu ʻia aku ana, ʻo ia ke aupuni paʻa o Hawaiʻi nei.
These people [the missionaries] are going to rebel; not they themselves, but their children and grandchildren. The ruler at that time will be stripped of power, and the government established then will be the permanent government of Hawaiʻi.
[Prophesied by David Malo.]
368
ʻEono moku a Kamehameha ua noa iā ʻoukou, akā ʻo ka hiku o ka moku ua kapu ia naʻu.
Six of Kamehameha’s islands are free to you, but the seventh is kapu, and is for me alone.
[This was uttered by Kamehameha after Oʻahu was conquered. The islands from Hawaiʻi to Oʻahu, which included Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe, belonged to his people. But the seventh “island,” Kaʻahumanu, was his alone. Anyone who attempted to take her from him would be put to death.]
618
He ikaika ke kanaka kaena i ka wā pilikia ʻole, akā he hōhē wale i ka lā o ka pilikia.
A braggart is strong when there is no trouble, but flees when there is.
E akahele i ka mamo a ʻĪ, o kolo mai ka mole uaua.
Beware the descendant of ʻĪ, lest the tough roots crawl forth.
[A warning uttered by Palena, a chief of Kohala, who saw Kuaʻana-a-ʻĪ cruelly treated by the chiefs of Kona. Kuaʻana later went to see the people of his mother, Hoʻoleialiʻi, in Hāna, and to help the chiefs of Hilo in fighting those of Kona.]
254
E akahele ka mea ʻakahi akahi.
Let the person who is inexperienced watch his step.
ʻAkahi a komo ke anu iaʻu, ua nahā ka hale e malu ai.
Cold now penetrates me, for the house that shelters is broken.
[Fear enters when protection is gone. Said by ʻAikanaka of Kauaʻi when two of his war leaders were destroyed by Kawelo.]
91
ʻAkahi au a ʻike i ka ʻino o Hilo.
It is the first time I have seen a Hilo storm.
[For the first time I have met with evil people who wish to harm me.]
92
ʻAkahi hoʻi kuʻu ʻono i ka uhu kāʻalo i kuʻu maka.
Now I long for the uhu fish that passes before my eyes.
[How I would like that handsome fellow for a sweetheart. The uhu is a bright-colored fish, beautiful to look at, and tasty.]
93
ʻAkahi ka hoʻi ka paoa, ke kau nei ka mākole pua heʻo.
Here is a sign of ill luck, for the red-eyed bright-hued one rests above.
[Said when a rainbow appears before the path of one who was on a business journey. Such a rainbow is regarded the same as meeting a red-eyed person — a sign of bad luck. Better to turn about and go home.]
94
ʻAkahi ka neo.
Now a barrenness.
[Said by one who encounters bad luck. He makes no gain, or he loses all.]
254
E akahele ka mea ʻakahi akahi.
Let the person who is inexperienced watch his step.
318
E Kaululāʻau, ʻakahi nō pō i pipili ai nā maka.
O Kaululāʻau, it is the first night that the eyelids have stuck so.
[Used in derision of one who doesn’t use his eyes. Kaululāʻau was a Maui chief who, because of his mischief, was banished to the island of Lānaʻi by his father. There he destroyed the evil inhabitants of that island by applying gum to their eyelids after they had fallen asleep.]
He pohō na ka pohō, ʻo ke akamai no ke hana a nui.
Sinking is to be expected where it is naturally found, but one should use as much skill as possible [to avoid it].
[Losses come easily; it requires skill and wisdom to avoid them.]
1240
I nanea nō ka holo o ka waʻa i ke akamai o ke kū hoe.
One can enjoy a canoe ride when the paddler is skilled.
[A sexual union is successful when the man knows how it is done.]
1418
Kākia kui nao a ke akamai.
The nailing down of a screw by an expert.
[A boast of skill in securing something and holding on to it. This saying is taken from an old love song in which the singer claims that the love of her sweetheart is securcly nailed down.]
1995
Liʻiliʻi manu ʻai laiki, akamai i ka hana pūnana.
Small is the rice bird but an expert in nest building.
[He may be insignificant but he’s a good worker.]
2301
Na wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alanui i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua?
Why shouldnʻt I know, when it is a road often traveled by my parents ?
[Reply of Liholiho when someone praised his wisdom.]
2318
Noʻeau ka hana a ka ua; akamai ka ʻimina o ka noʻonoʻo.
Clever are the deeds of the rain; wise in seeking knowledge.
[Said in admiration of a clever person.]
2463
ʻO ke kū hoe akamai nō ia, he piʻipiʻi kai ʻole ma ka ʻaoʻao.
That is the way of a skilled paddler — the sea does not wash in on the sides.
Eager to drink of the gushing spring of Koʻolihilihi.
[Eager to make love. Koʻolihilihi (Prop-eyelashes) is a spring in Puna. When royal visitors were expected, the people attached lehua blossoms to the makaloa sedge that grew around the spring so that when their guests stooped to drink, the lehua fringes touched their cheeks and eyelashes. The last person for whom the spring was bedecked was Keohokalole, mother of Liliʻuokalani.]
2382
ʻO ia kona maʻi he ake pau.
His disease is tuberculosis.
[Said of a person who is too eager to finish his work. A play on ake pau (eager to finish), the Hawaiian term for tuberculosis (literally “consumed lung”).]
[An expression of contempt referring to an idle vagabond who eats and departs, thinking nothing of those who have helped him. The ʻakekeke, or ruddy turnstone, is a winter visitor to Hawaiʻi.]
[Perhaps gone to loaf somewhere. A play on lena (lazy).]
113
Aloha mai nō, aloha aku; ʻo ka huhiā ka mea e ola ʻole ai.
When love is given, love should he returned; anger is the thing that gives no life.
138
ʻAʻohe hale i piha i ka hoihoi; hāʻawi mai a lawe aku nō.
No house has a perpetual welcome; it is given and it is taken away.
[A warning not to wear out one’s welcome.]
145
ʻAʻohe ia e loaʻa aku, he ulua kāpapa no ka moana.
He cannot be caught for he is an ulua fish of the deep ocean.
[Said in admiration of a hero or warrior who will not give up without a struggle.]
171
ʻAʻohe lihi ʻike aku i ka nani o Punahoa.
Hasn’t known the beauty of Punahoa.
[Used when the charms of a person or place are unknown. Punahoa is an unusually attractive place.]
186
ʻAʻohe mea koe aku iā Makaliʻi; pau nō ka liko me ka lāʻele.
Makaliʻi left nothing, taking [everything] from buds to old leaves.
[Said of one who selfishly takes all, or of a lecherous person who takes those of the opposite sex of all ages. From a legend surrounding a chief, Makaliʻi, who took from his people until they faced starvation.]
[An epithet for Pele, who devoured even the rocks and trees.]
103
Akua nō hoʻi nā hana!
Such extraordinary behavior!
[Said of a person who is mean and willful, with no thought for anyone but himself. He is compared to the heroic figures of old (akua) who were born deformed and abandoned as infants, then rescued and raised to adulthood. Such persons were often belligerent by nature.]
364
E ola au i ke akua.
May I live by God.
[An oath. God is witness that one is not guilty of the misdeed of which he is accused.]
370
E pale lauʻī i ko akua ke hiki aku i Kona.
Place a shield of ti leaves before your god when you arrive in Kona.
[A message sent by Kaʻahumanu to Liholiho requesting him to free the kapu of his god Kūkāʻilimoku. Kaʻahumanu was at that time striving to abolish the kapu system.]
520
He akua ʻai kahu ka lawena ʻōlelo.
Gossip is a god that destroys its keeper.
521
He akua ʻai ʻopihi ʻo Pele.
Pele is a goddess who eats limpets.
[Pele was said to be fond of swimming and surfing. While doing so she would pause to eat seafood.]
[Rose in triumph, as a kite rises into the sky; hastened away with great speed.]
24
Aia akula i kula panoa wai ʻole.
Gone to the dry, waterless plain.
[Gone where one may find himself stranded or deserted.]
25
Aia akula nō i Kiʻilau.
He is gone to Kiʻilau.
[Said of senseless chatter, aimless talk. A play on kiʻi (fetch) and lau (many), meaning to fetch much; that is, to fetch a lot to talk about. Kiʻilau is a place in ʻEwa, Oʻahu.]
26
Aia akula paha i Kiolakaʻa.
Perhaps it is gone to Kiolakaʻa.
[Gone to the place of thrown-away things. Used when something is thrown away and later wanted. A play on kiola, to throw away. Kiolakaʻa is a place in Kaʻū.]
27
Aia akula paha i Waikīkī i ka ʻimi ʻahuʻawa.
Perhaps gone to Waikīkī to seek the ʻahuʻawa sedge.
[Gone where disappointment is met. A play on ahu (heap) and ʻawa (sour).]
111
A! Like akula me ke kāmaʻa o Keawe.
Ah! Like Keawe’s sandals.
[Said of a forgetful person who looks everywhere and then finds the article at hand. Keawe and his servant once went to Kaʻū by canoe and then traveled upland from Kalae. When they came to a small stretch of lava rocks, Keawe wanted his sandals. The servant looked at his empty hands and asked the chief to wait while he ran back to see if he had dropped them along the way. The servant met some travelers and asked if they had by any chance seen the chief’s sandals. They pointed to his chest. He had tied them together with a string and was wearing them around his neck.]
[Your worldly possessions are gone. An impolite saying with a play on Kau-nā-lewa (Hang-suspended), as if to say, “Now all you have is a hanging scrotum.” Kaunalewa was a famous coconut grove on Kauaʻi.]
[To sail across the sea. Also applied to a hill that juts out into the sea or is seen from far out at sea.]
258
E ala! E alu! E kuilima!
Up! Together! Join hands!
[A call to come together to tackle a given task.]
259
E ala, e hoa i ka malo.
Get up and gird your loincloth.
[A call to rise and get to work.]
260
E ala e Kaʻū, kahiko o Mākaha; e ala e Puna, Puna Kumākaha; e ala e Hilo naʻau kele!
Arise, O Kaʻū of ancient descent; arise, O Puna of the Kumākaha group; arise, O Hilo of the water-soaked foundation!
[A rallying call. These names are found in Kaʻū and Puna chants of the chiefs. The Mākaha and Ku-mākaha (Like-the-Mākaha) were originally one. Some moved to Puna and took the name Kumākaha.]
261
E ala kākou e ʻai o hiki mai kaumahalua.
Let us rise and eat before the doubly-weighted ones arrive.
[Let’s get going and eat before company comes. The people of Honokaneiki, in Kohala, were not noted for their hospitality. Travelers to Honokaneiki were called “doubly-weighted” because they had to swim to get there from the cliff of Kakaʻauki. With bundles, and being soaked by the sea, the weight of a person was doubled. In order to finish their morning meal before others arrived, the people of Honokaneiki awoke early, ate, and went about their work.]
280
E hele ka ʻelemakule, ka luahine, a me nā kamaliʻi a moe i ke ala ʻaʻohe mea nāna e hoʻopilikia.
Let the old men, the old women, and the children go and sleep on the wayside; let them not be molested.
[A person who assumes a bright or vivacious look in hypocrisy. A play on maka (eye) and hinu (bright).]
624
He iki hala au no Keaʻau, ʻaʻohe pōhaku ʻalā e nahā ai.
I am a small hala fruit of Keaʻau, but there is no rock hard enough to smash me.
[The boast of a Puna man — I am small, perhaps, but mighty.]
752
Hele nō ka ʻalā, hele nō ka lima.
The rock goes, the hand goes.
[To make good poi, the free hand must work in unison with the poi pounder. Keep both hands going to do good work.]
755
Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā, wali ka ʻulu o Halepuaʻa.
The water flows, the smooth stone [pounder] works, and the breadfruit of Halepuaʻa is well mixed [into poi].
[Everything goes smoothly when one is prosperous. A play on wai (water) and ʻalā (smooth stone). ʻAlā commonly refers to cash. In later times, Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā came to refer to a generous donation. Halepuaʻa is a place in Puna, Hawaiʻi.]
1278
Ka ʻalā paʻa o Kaueleau.
The hard rock of Kaueleau.
[A dollar, or a hard, unyielding person. There is a rock at Kaueleau, Puna, Hawaiʻi, called the ʻalāpaʻa.]
1797
Kīkē ka ʻalā, uē ka māmane.
When the boulders clash, the māmane tree weeps.
[This was first uttered by Hiʻiaka as she watched the fires of Pele destroy Lohiʻau. She described the terrifying outpouring of lava as it overwhelmed him. Later used to mean that when two people clash, those who belong to them often weep.]
2690
Poʻohū ka lae i ka ʻalā.
The forehead is swollen by the smooth waterworn stone.
[The price is so high that it feels like a lump on the forehead. ʻAlā is often used to refer to money.]
[Nothing worth troubling about. Octopus liver (ʻalaʻala) was not a choice food. It was mashed and used as bait.]
900
He poʻe ʻuʻu maunu palu ʻalaʻala na kekahi poʻe lawaiʻa.
Those who draw out the liver of the octopus, to prepare bait for fishermen.
[Said of those who do the dirty work by which others reap the benefit.]
1132
Hū ka ʻalaʻala.
The aerial bulbs appeared.
[A lot of nothing worth troubling about. Here, ʻalaʻala refers to the aerial bulbs on the hoi vine. ʻAlaʻala is also the term applied to the liver of the octopus in songs and sayings, regarded as a symbol for something unimportant.]
1522
Kāpae ka ʻalaʻala he heʻe no kai uli.
[The weight causes] the head of the octopus to lean to one side; it is of the deep sea.
[Said disparagingly of a prosperous or important person. Once Hiʻiaka purposely avoided a kahuna who was seeking her. When he found her he said, “Oh! The head of the octopus leans to one side! After all, you are an octopus of the deep sea, a goddess!”]
2041
Mai ʻalaʻala paha i ka ua o ka Waʻahila.
Almost received a scar on the neek, perhaps, from the Waʻahila rain.
[He just escaped trouble.]
2043
Mai hāʻawi wale i ka lei o ka ʻāʻī o ʻalaʻala.
Do not give a lei too freely lest a scrofulous sore appear on the neek.
[In olden times one never gave the lei he wore except to a person closely related. Should such a lei fall into the hands of a sorcerer who disliked him, a scrofulous sore would appear on his neck. If you wish to make a present of a lei, make a fresh one.]
[Gone on a wild goose chase. A play on ʻalaʻala (octopus liver), meaning nothing worthwhile. ʻAlaʻalapūloa is another name for the weed commonly known as ʻuhaloa.]
[The ascent of Nuʻalolo, Kauaʻi, is steep and difficult. In the olden days the people built a ladder in order to go up and down more easily. This ladder is famed in ancient poetry of Kauaʻi.]
1989
Lewa i ke alahaka o Nuʻalolo.
Swaying on the ladder of Nualolo.
[Lacking security, especially of one who has no home.]
Everywhere in Puʻuloa is the trail of Kaʻahupāhau.
[Said of a person who goes everywhere, looking, peering, seeing all, or of a person familiar with every nook and corner of a place. Kaʻahupāhau is the shark goddess of Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor) who guarded the people from being molested by sharks. She moved about, constantly watching.]
Everywhere in Puʻuloa is the trail of Kaʻahupāhau.
[Said of a person who goes everywhere, looking, peering, seeing all, or of a person familiar with every nook and corner of a place. Kaʻahupāhau is the shark goddess of Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor) who guarded the people from being molested by sharks. She moved about, constantly watching.]
He ʻalaʻihi kalaloa e pau ai nā lima i ke ʻekeʻeke.
An ʻalaʻihi kalaloa fish that makes one draw back his hands.
[A person that is not to be trifled with. The ʻalaihi have spiny fins that can pierce the hands.]
1277
Ka ʻalaʻihi kualoa e kukū ʻai i nā lima.
The long-backed ʻalaʻihi fish that pierces the hands.
[Said of one who is not to be trifled with.]
Alakaʻi (4)
582
He hoa ka ua no Alakaʻi.
The rain is a companion to Alakaʻi.
[Alaka’i, Kauaʻi, does not lack rain.]
1837
Komo pohō i ka naele o Alakaʻi.
Sunk in the bog of Alakaʻi.
[Said of one who is overwhelmed with trouble.]
2034
Luʻuluʻu Hanalei i ka ua nui; kaumaha i ka noe o Alakaʻi.
Heavily weighted is Hanalei in the pouring rain; laden down by the mist of Alakaʻi.
[An expression used in dirges and chants of woe to express the burden of sadness, the heaviness of grief, and tears pouring freely like rain. Rains and fogs of other localities may also be used.]
2038
Mahae ka ua i Alakaʻi.
The rain at Alakaʻi is divided.
[The people are divided in their opinion of their leader (alakaʻi).]
He hale kanaka, ke ʻalalā ala no keiki, ke hae ala no ka ʻīlio.
It is an inhabited house, for the wail of children and the bark of a dog are heard.
[The signs of living about a home are the voices of humanity and animals. Used in answer to someone’s apology over their children crying or dogs barking.]
745
Hele ka makuahine, ʻalalā keiki i kauhale.
When the mother goes out, the children cry at home.
[Said of a neglectful mother.]
987
Hiʻikua waha ka ʻopeʻope, hiʻi ke keiki ma ke alo, uē ʻalalā i ka nahele.
A bundle borne on the back, a baby in the arms, wailing in the forest.
[Said of an offering to the gods with a loudly spoken prayer.]
Alanaio (2)
37
Aia i Hilo ʻo Alanaio; aia i Puna ʻo Kapoho; aia i Laupāhoehoe ʻo Ulekiʻi.
In Hilo is Alanaio; in Puna is Kapoho; in Laupāhoehoe is Ulekii.
[A vulgar play on place names, calling attention to private parts, which are omens of disappointment when seen in dreams. An expression of contempt for one who brings bad luck. Alanaio (Way-of-the-pinworm), the anus, is in Hilo; Kapoho (The Container), the vagina, is in Puna; and Ulekiʻi (Rigid Penis) is in Laupāhoehoe.]
51
Aia i Pāʻula ka waha o nei kauwā; aia i Alanaio ka waha o nei kauwā; aia i Paukū-nui ka waha o nei kauā.
The mouth of this slave is at Pāʻula; the mouth of this slave is at Alanaio; the mouth of this slave is at Paukū-nui.
[An insulting saying. It began when Keawe, ruler of Hawaiʻi, went on a visit to Kauaʻi and while in a crowd of chiefs silently broke wind. None knew the source, but it was Keawe’s servant who made this insulting remark. Pāʻula (Red Dish) signifies that the rectal opening shows red; Alanaio (Way-of-the-pinworm) also refers to the anus; and Paukū-nui (Large Segments) refers to large stools. Hence, a red, worm-infested anus that produces large stools. It was not until Keawe returned to Hawaiʻi that his servant learned that his own chief had been the culprit. Pāʻula, Paukū-nui, and Alanaio are place names in Hilo.]
Kanukanu, hūnā i ka meheu, i ka maʻawe alanui o Kapuʻukolu.
Covering with earth, hiding the footprints on the narrow trail of Kapuukolu.
[Said of a cautious person who guards his ways from those who pry. In ancient times a person who did not want to be traced by his footsteps carefully eradicated them as he went.]
1675
Ke alanui pali o ʻAʻalaloa.
The cliff trail of ʻAʻalaloa.
[A well-known trail from Wailuku to Lahaina.]
2299
Nā wāhine kiaʻi alanui o Nuʻuanu.
The women who guard the Nuʻuanu trail.
[Hapuʻu and Kalaʻihauola were supernatural women whose stone forms guarded the Nuʻuanu trail near the gap. It was around Kalaʻihauola that the umbilical cords of babies were hidden to ensure their good health. When the new road over the Nuʻuanu Pali was made, these stones were destroyed.]
2301
Na wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alanui i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua?
Why shouldnʻt I know, when it is a road often traveled by my parents ?
[Reply of Liholiho when someone praised his wisdom.]
ʻO Kalani ka ʻio o Lelepā, ka ʻālapa piʻi moʻo o Kū.
The heavenly one is the hawk of Lelepā, the warrior descendant of Kū.
[Retort of a kahu when he overheard someone criticize his chief, Kamehameha, who was then only a young warrior. He used the name Lele-pā to imply that his chief could fly over any barrier.]
ʻĀlapa (1)
1711
Ke inu akula paha aʻu ʻĀlapa i ka wai o Wailuku.
My ʻĀlapa warriors must now be drinking the water of Wailuku.
[Said when an expected success has turned into a failure. This was a remark made by Kalaniʻōpuʻu to his wife Kalola and son Kiwalaʻō, in the belief that his selected warriors, the ʻAlapa, were winning in their battle against Kahekili. Instead they were utterly destroyed.]
[Refers to Wailau, Molokaʻi, where the fishing god ʻAiʻai hid all the shrimps at a ledge called Kōkl because he was annoyed at the people there for neglecting to preserve the fish spawn. He later revealed the hiding place to a youth he especially liked.]
[Said of a haughty person. Pele was once so annoyed with Maliʻo and her brother Halaaniani that she turned them both into stone and let them lie in the sea in Puna, Hawaiʻi. It was at the bay named after Halaaniani that clusters of pandanus were tossed into the sea with tokens to loved ones. These were borne by the current to Kamilo in Kaʻū.]
ʻAʻole hiki i ka iʻa liʻiliʻi ke ale i ka iʻa nui.
A small fish cannot swallow a big one.
[A commoner cannot do anything to a chief.]
927
He puhi ke aloha, he iʻa noho i ke ale.
Love is like an eel, the creature that dwells in the sea cavern.
[Love makes one restless in the mind, like the writhing of an eel.]
955
He ula no ka naele, panau no ka hiʻu komo i ke ale.
That is a lobster of a sea cave, with one flip of the tail he is in the rocky cavern.
[Said of an independent person who knows how to take care of himself.]
1545
Ka puhi o ka ale, ahu ke ʻolo.
An eel of the sea caverns, the chin sags.
[When an eel of the deep sea grows large, the upper part of its neck sags with fat. Said of one who is prosperous — his pockets sag with money. Also said of a person with a double chin. Also, the scrotum.]
Love comes like a billow and rests before the eyes.
[Said of an overwhelming love that leaves a constant yearning, with the image of one’s affections ever before one.]
229
ʻAʻole make ka waʻa i ka ʻale o waho, aia no i ka ʻale o loko.
A canoe is not swamped by the billows of the ocean, but by the billows near the land.
[Trouble often comes from one’s own people rather than from outsiders.]
371
E paneʻe ka waʻa ʻoi moe ka ʻale.
Set the canoes moving while the billows are at rest.
[Said by Holowae, a kahuna, to suggest that Kalaniʻōpuʻu retum to Hawaiʻi while there was peace. Later used to stir one to action.]
404
Haehae ka manu, ke ʻale nei ka wai.
Tear up the birds, the water is surging.
[Let us hurry, as there is no time for niceties. Kaneʻalohi and his son lived near the lake of Halulu at Waiʻaleʻale, Kauaʻi. They were catchers of ʻuwaʻu birds. Someone falsely accused them of poaching on land belonging to the chief of Hanalei, who sent a large company of warriors to destroy them. The son noticed agitation in the water of Halulu and cried out a warning to his father, who tore the birds to hasten cooking.]
474
Haoʻe nā ʻale o Hōpoe i ka ʻino.
The billows of Hōpoe rise in the storm.
[His anger is mounting. Hōpoe, Puna, has notoriously high seas.]
530
He ʻale kua loloa no ka moana.
A long-backed wave of the ocean.
[The boast of a strong man who likens his back to the waves of the sea.]
Kokolo no o pipipi, o kalamoe me ālealea a ke alo o Kuhaimoana.
Pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea crept to the presence of Kuhaimoana.
[Kuhaimoana is an important shark god, and pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea are shellfish. Said of hangers-on who gather around an important person for favors.]
[Said of one who has had a good trouncing. Kaumaka, a defeated chief, was put to death by drowning.]
1040
Hoʻi nō a nanahu i kona alelo.
He turns to bite his own tongue.
[Said of one who criticizes others and later does just as they. Also expressed Nahu nō ʻo ia i kona alelo.]
2111
Make ʻo Mikololou a ola i ke alelo.
Mikololou died and lived again through his tongue.
[Said of one who talks himself out of a predicament. Mikololou was a shark god of Maui destroyed by the shark goddess Kaʻahupāhau of Pearl Harbor for expressing a desire to eat a human being. He was drawn up to land where his flesh fell off and dried in the heat of the sun. One day some children found his tongue in the sand and played with it, tossing it back and forth. When it fell into the sea, the spirit of Mikololou possessed it and it became a living shark again.]
2449
ʻO ke alelo ka hoe uli o ka ʻōlelo a ka waha.
The tongue is the steering paddle of the words uttered by the mouth.
[Advice to heed the tongue lest it speak words that offend.]
ʻAʻohe e nalo ka iwi o ke aliʻi ʻino, o ko ke aliʻi maikaʻi ke nalo.
The bones of an evil chief will not be concealed, but the bones of a good chief will.
[When an evil chief died, the people did not take the trouble to conceal his bones.]
160
ʻAʻohe kanaka kū ākiʻi i ke alo o nā aliʻi.
No idleness or standing about with hands on hips in the presence of chiefs.
198
ʻAʻohe ola o ka ʻāina i ke aliʻi haipule ʻole.
The land cannot live under an irreligious chief.
224
ʻAʻole e make ko ke kahuna kanaka, ʻo ko ke aliʻi kanaka ke make.
The servant of the kahuna will not be put to death, but the chief’s servant will.
[A warning not to antagonize the friend of an influential man. A kahuna will do his best to protect his own servant.]
304
Eia ka lua hūnā o nā aliʻi: ʻo ka waha.
Here is the secret cave of the chiefs: the mouth.
[We refuse to discuss our chiefs too freely.]
321
E kipi ana lākou nei. ʻAʻole naʻe ʻo lākou ponoʻī akā ʻo kā lākou mau keiki me nā moʻopuna. ʻO ke aliʻi e ola ana i ia wā e kū ʻōlohelohe ana ia, a ʻo ke aupuni e kūkulu ʻia aku ana, ʻo ia ke aupuni paʻa o Hawaiʻi nei.
These people [the missionaries] are going to rebel; not they themselves, but their children and grandchildren. The ruler at that time will be stripped of power, and the government established then will be the permanent government of Hawaiʻi.
E mālama i ka leo o ke aliʻi, o hāʻule wale i ka weuweu.
Take care of the chief’s voice, lest it drop among the grass.
[Heed the chief’s voice; do not ignore his commands.]
ʻAlio (2)
1403
Ka ʻili hau pā kai o ʻAlio.
The hau bark, wet by the sea sprays of ʻAlio.
[This is a reference to a strong shore-dweller. Salt air and sea sprays made the bark of the hau trees on the shore stronger than those of the upland. ʻAlio is a place on Kauaʻi.]
2012
Liʻuliʻu wale ka nohona i ka lā o Hauola, a holoholo i ke one o ʻAlio.
Long has one tarried in the sunlight of Hauola and walked on the sand of ʻAlio.
[Said in praise of an aged person. There is a play on ola (life) in the name Hauola.]
No idleness or standing about with hands on hips in the presence of chiefs.
164
ʻAʻohe kio pōhaku nalo i ke alo pali.
On the slope of a cliff, not one jutting rock is hidden from sight.
[All is distinctly seen or known; there isn’t any use in being secretive or finding a place to hide.]
197
ʻAʻohe o kahi nānā o luna o ka pali; iho mai a lalo nei; ʻike i ke au nui ke au iki, he alo a he alo.
The top of the cliff isnt the place to look at us; come down here and learn of the big and little current, face to face.
[Learn the details. Also, an invitation to discuss something. Said by Pele to Pāʻoa when he came to seek the lava-encased remains of his friend Lohiʻau.]
401
Hāʻawe i ke kua; hiʻi i ke alo.
A burden on the back; a babe in the arms.
[Said of a hard-working woman who carries a load on her back and a baby in her arms.]
528
He ʻalā makahinu i ke alo o ke aliʻi.
A shiny stone in the presence of a chief.
[A person who assumes a bright or vivacious look in hypocrisy. A play on maka (eye) and hinu (bright).]
[Whenever concentration and united effort are required, this saying is used. A sorcerer at Hakalau once created havoc in his own and other neighborhoods. Many attempts to counter-pray him failed until a visiting kahuna suggested that all of the others band together to concentrate on the common enemy. This time they succeeded.]
[Said of the dust raised up by a whirlwind and carried, spinning round and round like a living object.]
1642
Ka wahine alualu pū hala o Kamilo.
The hala-pursuing woman of Kamilo.
[A current comes to Kamilo in Kaʻū from Halaaniani in Puna; whatever is tossed in the sea at Halaaniani floats into Kamilo. Kapua once left her husband in Puna and went to Kaʻū. He missed her so badly that he decided to send her a pretty loincloth she had made him. This might make her think of him and come back. He wrapped the malo around the stem of a hala cluster, tied it securely in place with a cord, and tossed it into the sea. A few days later some women went fishing at Kamilo and noticed a hala cluster bobbing in the water. Kapua was among them. Eagerly they tried to seize it until one of the women succeeded. Kapua watched as the string was untied and the malo unfolded. She knew that it was her husband’s plea to come home, so she returned to Puna.]
1643
Ka wahine hele lā o Kaiona, alualu wai liʻulā o ke kaha pua ʻōhai.
The woman, Kaiona, who travels in the sunshine pursuing the mirage of the place where the ʻōhai blossoms grow.
[Kaiona was a goddess of Kaʻala and the Waiʻanae Mountains. She was a kind person who helped anyone who lost his way in the mountains by sending a bird, an ʻiwa, to guide the lost one out of the forest. In modern times Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop was compared to Kaiona in songs.]
2864
ʻŪlili alualu huʻa kai.
Wandering tattler that chases after sea foam.
[Said of a person who runs here and there for trivial things.]
[Applied to a person laden with somebody else’s work. A chief was once traveling along the beach at Kamaʻole, Kula, Maui. A woman, not recognizing him as a chief, asked him to carry her bundle of sea urchins, which he did. Other women came along and did likewise until the chief was loaded with them.]
2369
ʻO Hinaiaʻeleʻele ka malama, ʻāluka ka pala a ka ʻōhiʻa.
Hinaiaʻeleʻele is the month when the mountain apples open everywhere.
[An epithet applied to the kauwā of Haneoʻo, Hāna, Maui.]
1679
Ke amo ʻia aʻela ʻo Kaʻaoʻao; ke kahe maila ka hinu.
Kaʻaoʻao is being carried by; the grease is flowing from his body.
[What has happened to him is very obvious. Kaʻaoʻao, angry with his brother Kekaulike, ruthlessly destroyed the crops in his absence. The latter followed him up to Haleakalā and there slew him. His decomposed body was found later by his followers.]
[The fire of anger or of love will burn as long as it has something to feed upon.]
234
ʻAu ana ka Lae o Maunauna i ka ʻino.
Point Maunauna swims in the storm.
[Said of a courageous person who withstands the storm of life. Point Maunauna (Battered) is at Waimea, Oʻahu, where high seas are common.]
248
E aha ʻia ana o Hakipuʻu i ka palaoa lāwalu ʻono a Kaʻehu?
What is happening to Hakipuu, with dough cooked in ti leaves, of which Kaehu is so fond?
[This is a line of a chant composed by Kaʻehu, a poet and hula instructor from Kauaʻi. It refers to a part-white woman with whom he flirted. Used in humor when referring to Hakipuʻu, a place on the windward side of Oʻahu.]
250
E ʻai ana ʻoe i ka poi paua o Keaiwa.
Now you are eating poi made from the paua taro of Keaiwa.
[A boast from the district of Kaʻū: “Now you are seeing the very best that we have.” Also used to say, “Now you will find out how fine a girl (or boy) can be in making love.” The paua was the best taro in Kaʻū and the only variety that grew on the plains.]
Eager to drink of the gushing spring of Koʻolihilihi.
[Eager to make love. Koʻolihilihi (Prop-eyelashes) is a spring in Puna. When royal visitors were expected, the people attached lehua blossoms to the makaloa sedge that grew around the spring so that when their guests stooped to drink, the lehua fringes touched their cheeks and eyelashes. The last person for whom the spring was bedecked was Keohokalole, mother of Liliʻuokalani.]
Ako ʻē ka hale a paʻa, a i ke komo ʻana mai o ka hoʻoilo, ʻaʻole e kulu i ka ua o Hilinehu.
Thatch the house beforehand so when winter comes it will not leak in the shower of Hilinehu.
[Do not procrastinate; make preparations for the future now.]
222
ʻAʻole e ʻike ʻia ke kākala o ka moa ma kāna ʻoʻō ʻana.
One cannot tell by his crowing what the cock’s spur can do.
[One cannot judge by his bragging what a person can really do.]
382
E uku ʻia ke kanaka kiʻi lāʻau, he luhi kona i ka hele ʻana.
The man who goes to fetch medicinal herbs is to be paid — the trip he makes is labor.
[The person sent by the kahuna to gather herbs for a patient’s medicine was always paid by the patient’s family. If they faiied to pay, and the gatherer grumbled, the medicine would do no good. A person who was paid couldn’t grumble without hurting himself.]
620
He ʻike ʻana ia i ka pono.
It is a recognizing of the right thing.
[One has seen the right thing to do and has done it.]
1175
I ka hale nō pau ke aʻo ʻana.
Instructions are completed at home.
[Do all of your teaching at home. First uttered by Pupuakea, half-brother of Lonoikamakahiki, when his instructor advised him as they were preparing for battle. The instructor’s teaching was all done at home; from then on the warrior chief was on his own. Also directed toward parents who noisily scold their children in public.]
1179
I Kahiki nō ka hao, ʻo ke kiʻo ʻana i Hawaiʻi nei.
In Kahiki was the iron; in Hawaiʻi, the rusting.
[Perhaps the foreigner was a good person while he was at home, but here he grows careless with his behavior.]
[When mullet came into Keʻehi they came in such great schools that children could drive the fish up to the sand by striking the water with their hands or with the vines that grow on the beach.]
[This is an expression much used in chants of Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Waiolama is a place between Waiakea and the town of Hilo. It was said to have sand that sparkled in the sunlight.]
He ʻio ʻoe, he ʻio au, he ʻio nā ʻānela o ke akua, kiʻi maila nō iā ʻoe a lawe.
You are a hawk, I am a hawk, and the angels of God are hawks.
[Uttered by Hitchcock, a missionary, over the coffin of a sorcerer who had threatened to pray him to death and referred to himself as an ʻio, the bird that flies the highest.]
ʻAno kaikoʻo lalo o Kealahula, ua puhia ke ʻala ma Puahinahina.
It is somewhat rough down at Kealahula, for the fragrance [of seaweed] is being wafted hither from the direction of Puahinahina.
[There is a disturbance over there, and we are noticing signs of it here. The breeze carries the smell of seaweed when the water is rough.]
119
ʻAno lani; ʻano honua.
A heavenly nature; an earthly nature.
[Said of some ʻaumākua who make themselves visible to loved ones by assuming an earthly form, such as fish, fowl, or animal, yet retain the nature of a god.]
2383
ʻO ia lā he koa no ke ʻano ahiahi; ʻo ia nei no ke ʻano kakahiaka.
He is a warrior of the evening hours; but this person here is of the morning hours.
[That person has had his day and is no longer as active as before; but this person is strong, brave, and ready to show his prowess.]
ʻAkahi a komo ke anu iaʻu, ua nahā ka hale e malu ai.
Cold now penetrates me, for the house that shelters is broken.
[Fear enters when protection is gone. Said by ʻAikanaka of Kauaʻi when two of his war leaders were destroyed by Kawelo.]
120
Anu hewa i ka pō, he kuʻuna iʻa ʻole.
Feeling the cold air of the night was all in vain; no fish was caught in the net.
[A wasted effort.]
122
Anu koʻū ka hale, ua hala ka makamaka.
Cold and damp is the house, for the host is gone.
[A house becomes sad and forlorn when it is no longer occupied by the host whose welcome was always warm.]
123
Anu ʻo ʻEwa i ka iʻa hāmau leo e. E hāmau!
ʻEwa is made cold by the fish that silences the voice. Hush!
[A warning to keep still. First uttered by Hiʻiaka to her friend Wahineʻomaʻo to warn her not to speak to Lohiʻau while they were in a canoe near ʻEwa.]
479
Hao nā kēpā o Līhuʻe i ke anu.
The spurs of Līhue dig in with cold.
[Lihuʻe, Oʻahu, often gets very cold.]
757
Hele pōʻala i ke anu o Waimea.
Going in a circle in the cold of Waimea.
[Said of a person who goes in circles and gets nowhere. Waimea, Hawaiʻi, is a cold place and when foggy, it is easy for one unfamiliar with the place to lose his way.]
[A cloud that rises from sea level or close to the cloud banks and is as white as steam. When seen in Kona, Hawaiʻi, this is a sign of rain.]
256
ʻEā! Ke kau mai nei ke ao panopano i uka. E ua mai ana paha.
Say! A black cloud appears in the upland. Perhaps it is going to rain.
[A favorite joke uttered when a black-skinned person is seen.]
264
E ao, o kā i ka waha.
Watch out lest it smite the mouth.
[A warning not to be too free in using rude and insulting words toward others lest someday one must take them back. Also, things said of others may happen to the person who says them.]
265
E ao o miki aku o Ka-ʻili-pehu.
Watch out or Swell-skin will get at you.
[Beware lest you get a pummeling that will cause a swelling.]
266
E ao o pau poʻo, pau hiʻu ia manō.
Be careful lest you go head and tail into the shark.
[A warning to be on one’s guard. Nanaue, of Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, had two forms — that of a man and that of a shark. As people passed his farm to go to the beach, he would utter this warning. After they had passed, he would run to the river, change into a shark, and swim under the water to the sea where he would catch and eat those he had warned. No one knew that it was Nanaue who was eating the people until someone pulled off the shoulder covering he always wore and discovered a shark’s mouth between his shoulder blades. After he was put to death the people were safe again.]
284
E hoʻi e peʻe i ke ōpū weuweu me he moho lā. E ao o haʻi ka pua o ka mauʻu iā ʻoe.
Go back and hide among the clumps of grass like the wingless rail. Be careful not to break even a blade of grass.
[Retum to the country to live a humble life and leave no trace to be noticed and followed. So said the chief Keliʻiwahamana to his daughter when he was dying. Later used as advice to a young person not to be aggressive or show off.]
When one learns to be a warrior, one must also learn to run.
[It is no disgrace to run when there is danger of being destroyed; perhaps there may be another day when one can fight and win.]
262
E aʻo i ka hana o pā i ka leo o ka makua hūnōai.
Learn to work lest you be struck by the voice of the parent-in-law.
[Advice to a son or daughter before marriage.]
276
E hana mua a paʻa ke kahua ma mua o ke aʻo ana aku iā haʻi.
Build yourself a firm foundation before teaching others.
328
E lawe i ke aʻo a mālama, a e ʻoi mau ka naʻauao.
He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge.
1175
I ka hale nō pau ke aʻo ʻana.
Instructions are completed at home.
[Do all of your teaching at home. First uttered by Pupuakea, half-brother of Lonoikamakahiki, when his instructor advised him as they were preparing for battle. The instructor’s teaching was all done at home; from then on the warrior chief was on his own. Also directed toward parents who noisily scold their children in public.]
[Advice to one who has erred and wishes to rectify his mistake. Young taro leaves often were substituted for pigs when making an offering to the gods. To remove sickness of mind or body, one made five separate offerings of young taro leaves.]
814
He mea ʻao lūʻau ʻia ke kānāwai.
A law [of an ʻaumakua] can be removed with an offering of cooked taro leaves.
[An ʻaumakua could be propitiated by offering taro leaves and prayers for forgiveness.]
2523
ʻOno kahi ʻao luʻau me ke aloha pū.
A little taro green is delicious when love is present.
[Even the plainest fare is delicious when there is love.]
Aia a pohā ka leo o ka ʻaʻo, kāpule ke momona o ka ʻuwaʻu i ka puapua.
When the ʻaʻo birds’ voices are distinctly heard, the ʻuwaʻu birds are fat even to the very tails.
[The ʻao bird was not heard during the nesting season. When the fledglings emerged and their cries were heard, the season had come when young ʻuwaʻu were best for eating, and the people went to snare them.]
545
He ʻaʻo ka manu noho i ka lua, ʻaʻole e loaʻa i ka lima ke nao aku.
It is an ʻaʻo, a bird that lives in a burrow and cannot he caught even when the arm is thrust into the hole.
[Refers to Kahuku, Kaʻū. At one time, Kamehameha I made a bargain with some farmers to exchange poi for fish. A konohiki of Kahuku named Kaholowaho took huge calabashes of poi to the chief, who gave him one small fish in return. Kaholowaho tied the fish to one end of a carrying stick to show his neighbors what the chief had done. After several such exchanges, Kaholowaho brought Kamehameha a small taro in a big container. When the chief saw the taro he laughed, and from then on he played fair. The fish tied to one side of the carrying stick produced the saying, “One-sided Kahuku.”]
1697
Ke hina ke uahi ma kahi ʻaoʻao he mea mākole ko ia ʻaoʻao.
When the smoke falls on one side, someone on that side will feel a smarting of the eyes.
[Where strong words fall, feelings are hurt.]
2463
ʻO ke kū hoe akamai nō ia, he piʻipiʻi kai ʻole ma ka ʻaoʻao.
That is the way of a skilled paddler — the sea does not wash in on the sides.
A hewa no he hale kanaka, ʻaʻohe hewa o ka hale kanaka ʻole.
Fault can he found in an inhabited house and none in an uninhabited one.
[Mistakes and weakness are always found in humanity.]
40
Aia i ka mole kamaliʻi, ʻaʻohe i oʻo ka iwi.
Still rooted in childhood when the bones have not matured.
[Said of a person who is still a child, either physically or mentally.]
64
ʻAi a manō, ʻaʻohe nānā i kumu pali.
When the shark eats, he never troubles to look toward the foot of the cliff.
[Said of a person who eats voraciously with no thought of those who provided the food, shows no appreciation for what has been done for him, nor has a care for the morrow.]
124
ʻAʻohe ʻai pani ʻia o ka ʻamo.
No particular food blocks the anus.
[All food is good; there is none that hinders evacuation. A rude remark to a very finicky person.]
125
ʻAʻohe ʻai waiwai ke hiki mai ka makahiki.
No food is of any value when the Makahiki festival comes.
[Enjoy what you have now lest it not be of much use later. Gifts were given to the priests who came in the Makahiki procession of the god Lono. Then all trading and giving ceased. The farmers and fishermen received no personal gain until it was over.]
126
ʻAʻohe ʻalae nāna e keʻu ka ʻaha.
No mudhens cry to disturb the council meeting.
[There is no one to create a disturbance. The cry of a mudhen at night is an omen of death in the neighborhood.]
[Said of a haughty person. Pele was once so annoyed with Maliʻo and her brother Halaaniani that she turned them both into stone and let them lie in the sea in Puna, Hawaiʻi. It was at the bay named after Halaaniani that clusters of pandanus were tossed into the sea with tokens to loved ones. These were borne by the current to Kamilo in Kaʻū.]
Aia nō ka pono — o ka hoʻohuli i ka lima i lalo, ʻaʻole o ka hoʻohuli i luna.
That is what it should be — to turn the hands palms down, not palms up.
[No one can work with the palms of his hands turned up. When a person is always busy, he is said to keep his palms down.]
100
Ako ʻē ka hale a paʻa, a i ke komo ʻana mai o ka hoʻoilo, ʻaʻole e kulu i ka ua o Hilinehu.
Thatch the house beforehand so when winter comes it will not leak in the shower of Hilinehu.
[Do not procrastinate; make preparations for the future now.]
220
ʻAʻole, ʻaʻole i pau koʻu loa.
No, my height is not reached.
[A remark made when there is a reference to killing by sorcery. While drowning a victim to be offered as a sacrifice, the kahuna who did the drowning held his victim down as he repeated, “No, my height is not reached,” meaning that the water covers only the victim, who was advised to “Moe mālie i ke kai o ko haku’ (“Lie still in the sea of your lord”), meaning “Don’t struggle because you are bound to die.”]
221
ʻAʻole e ʻai ʻia he maunu ʻino.
It will not be taken by the fish; it is poor bait.
[People will pay no attention to poor production. When it is good, it will attract attention.]
222
ʻAʻole e ʻike ʻia ke kākala o ka moa ma kāna ʻoʻō ʻana.
One cannot tell by his crowing what the cock’s spur can do.
[One cannot judge by his bragging what a person can really do.]
223
ʻAʻole e kū ka ikaika i kēia pākela nui; ke pōʻai mai nei ka ʻohu ma uka, ma kai, ma ʻō a ma ʻaneʻi.
One cannot show his strength against such odds; the rain clouds are circling from the upland, the lowland, and from all sides.
[Said by Maheleana, a warrior of Kualiʻi, when he saw his small company surrounded by the enemy.]
Puna is concerned at Leleʻapiki and looks about at Nānāwale.
[The people are but followers and obedient to their rulers. The people of Puna were not anxious to go to war when a battle was declared between Kiwalaʻō and Kamehameha; it was the will of their chief. Lele-ʻapiki (Tricky-leap) and Nānā-wale (Just-looking) are places in Puna.]
[Said of one who barely escapes. Luhia, who was part lizard and part human, used to go outside of the houses of his neighbors to see what they were eating. When he found that they were to have ʻoʻopu fish cooked in ti leaves, he would wait until the flsh were ready to be eaten, then he would cry, “Escape through the handle, my brothers!” The place where the ti leaf bundle was tied would break open, and out would scamper lizards instead of ʻoʻopu fish, to the terror of those who were about to eat. The lizards would then run back to the streams and become ʻoʻopu fish again.]
ʻĀpua (1)
1898
Kū ke ʻā i kai o ʻĀpua.
Lava rocks were heaped down at ʻĀpua.
[Said of a confusing untidiness, like the strewing of lava rocks, or of utter destruction. ʻApua, in Puna, Hawaiʻi, is a land of rocks.]
Apuakea (1)
1548
Ka ua Apuakea o Mololani.
The Apuakea rain of Mololani.
[Apuakea was once a beautiful maiden who was changed by Hiʻiaka into the rain that bears her name. Mololani is in Nuʻuanu.]
[It was felt that discussing any business such as fishing or birdcatching before-hand results in failure.]
69
Aia nō i ke kō a ke au.
Whichever way the current goes.
[Time will tell.]
91
ʻAkahi au a ʻike i ka ʻino o Hilo.
It is the first time I have seen a Hilo storm.
[For the first time I have met with evil people who wish to harm me.]
197
ʻAʻohe o kahi nānā o luna o ka pali; iho mai a lalo nei; ʻike i ke au nui ke au iki, he alo a he alo.
The top of the cliff isnt the place to look at us; come down here and learn of the big and little current, face to face.
[Learn the details. Also, an invitation to discuss something. Said by Pele to Pāʻoa when he came to seek the lava-encased remains of his friend Lohiʻau.]
244
A waho au o ka poe pele, pau kou palena e ka hoa.
After I’ve passed the bell buoy, your limit is reached, my dear.
[A sailor’s saying used in an old hula song. When the ship passes the bell buoy on its way out to sea, the girl on the shore is forgotten.]
I do not find even the fragrance of roasted kukui nuts in you.
[I don’t find the least bit of good in you. First uttered by Pele to her sisters, who refused to go to Kauaʻi for her lover, Lohi’au.]
1711
Ke inu akula paha aʻu ʻĀlapa i ka wai o Wailuku.
My ʻĀlapa warriors must now be drinking the water of Wailuku.
[Said when an expected success has turned into a failure. This was a remark made by Kalaniʻōpuʻu to his wife Kalola and son Kiwalaʻō, in the belief that his selected warriors, the ʻAlapa, were winning in their battle against Kahekili. Instead they were utterly destroyed.]
2120
Malama o kū i ke aʻu, ka iʻa nuku loa o ke kai.
Take heed that you are not jabbed by the swordfish, the long-nosed fish of the sea.
[Do not annoy that fellow, or you will suffer the consequences.]
2501
ʻOloʻolo aku nō i hope, kū i ke aʻu.
Linger behind and he jabbed by the swordfish.
[Better to advance with one’s companions than to stay behind and get into trouble.]
The size that enables one to carry a smaller child on the back.
[Said of a child about ten years old who has grown big enough to carry a younger sibling on his back. In ancient days the age of a child was not reckoned by years but by physical ability to perform a certain task.]
[Hold your silence or trouble will come to us. When the people went to gather pearl oysters at Puʻuloa, they did so in silence, for they believed that if they spoke, a gust of wind would ripple the water and the oysters would vanish.]
281
E hinu auaneʻi nā nuku, he pōmaikaʻi ko laila.
Where the mouths are shiny [with fat food], prosperity is there.
[The prosperous have the richest food to eat.]
347
E mālama i ka mākua, o hoʻomakua auaneʻi i ka haʻi.
Take care of [your] parents lest [the day come when] you will be caring for someone else’s.
[Mākua includes all relatives of the parents’ generation, including their siblings and cousins.]
373
E pili mai auaneʻi ia pupuka iaʻu!
That homeliness will not attach itself to me!
[Ugliness is not contagious. Said by a good-looking person in answer to, “I wonder why a handsome person like you should have such a homely mate.”]
377
E puʻu auaneʻi ka lae i ka ua o Kawaupuʻu, i ka hoʻopaʻa a ka hōʻakamai.
The forehead is likely to be lumped by the rain of Kawaupuu if one insists on being a smarty.
[A warning not to get cocky or smart lest one be hurt. A play on puʻu (lump).]
It isn’t a break in a gourd container that can he easily mended by sewing the parts together.
[A broken relationship is not as easily mended as a broken gourd. Also, the breaking up of the family brought a stop to the support each gave the other.]
[When ʻUmi, ruler of Hawaiʻi, went to Hāna to battle against Lono-a-Piʻilani of Kaʻuiki, thirst weakened the Maui warriors. Often used later to mean “without water or the needed supplies we cannot win.”]
[Said of one under the influence of sorcery or other evils.]
915
He pōpō ʻauhuhu.
A ball of ʻauhuhu.
[Said of a sorcerer who prays others to death, or of anything that would cause serious trouble. The ʻauhuhu is a poisonous plant used for stunning fish.]
Nakaka ka puaʻa, nahā ka waʻa; aukahi ka puaʻa mānalo ka waʻa.
The pig cracks, the canoe breaks; perfect the pig, safe the canoe.
[Whenever a new canoe was launched, a pig was baked as an offering to the gods. If the skin of the roasted pig cracked, misfortune would come to the canoe; but if it cooked to perfection the canoe would last a long time.]
E kipi ana lākou nei. ʻAʻole naʻe ʻo lākou ponoʻī akā ʻo kā lākou mau keiki me nā moʻopuna. ʻO ke aliʻi e ola ana i ia wā e kū ʻōlohelohe ana ia, a ʻo ke aupuni e kūkulu ʻia aku ana, ʻo ia ke aupuni paʻa o Hawaiʻi nei.
These people [the missionaries] are going to rebel; not they themselves, but their children and grandchildren. The ruler at that time will be stripped of power, and the government established then will be the permanent government of Hawaiʻi.
[Prophesied by David Malo.]
552
He aupuni ko Kamehameha.
Kamehameha has a government.
[A warning not to steal. Kamehameha united the islands and made laws that gave everyone peace and safety. Killing and stealing were utterly prohibited.]
553
He aupuni palapala koʻu; ʻo ke kanaka pono ʻo ia koʻu kanaka.
Mine is the kingdom of education; the righteous man is my man.
[Uttered by Kamehameha III.]
2555
Paʻa i ke aupuni a Limaloa.
Held fast by the kingdom of Limaloa.
[A play on Lima-loa (Long-hand). The Big-grabber has it all now.]
Going with them to look over the best in their land.
[Hawaiians didn’t like to be questioned as to where they were going and would sometimes give this answer. Paʻe was a moʻo woman who often assumed the form of a dog and went wherever she willed. One day, while disguised as a dog, she was caught by some men who didn’t know of her supernatural powers, and they roasted her. This roasted dog was to be a gift to their chief’s wife and was put in a calabash, covered with a carrying net, and carried up the pali. Just below the Nuʻuanu Pali, the men saw a pretty woman sitting at the edge of a pool. She called, “Oh Paʻe, where are you going?” From out of the calabash leaped the dog, well and whole, who answered, “I am going with them to look over the best in their land.” The men fled in terror, leaving Paʻe behind with the other woman, who was a moʻo relative.]
[Tree-grown ʻawa of Puna was famous for its potency. It was believed that birds carried pieces of ʻawa up into the trees where it would grow.]
275
E hānai ʻawa a ikaika ka makani.
Feed with ʻawa that the spirit may gain strength.
[One offers ʻawa and prayers to the dead so that their spirits may grow strong and be a source of help to the family.]
775
He lupe lele a pulu i ka ua ʻawa.
A kite that flies till it is dampened by icy cold raindrops.
[Said of a person whose station has risen very high.]
968
He waha ʻawa.
Sour-mouthed.
[Said when a person wishes trouble on another, and the trouble comes.]
1281
Ka ʻawa lena o Kaliʻu.
The yellowed ʻawa of Kaliʻu.
[Refers to Kaliʻu, Kilohana, Kauaʻi. People noticed drunken rats in the forest and discovered some very potent ʻawa there. There is a Kaliʻu in Puna, Hawaiʻi, where good ʻawa is also grown.]
[Applied to a person with a sour disposition. The ʻamakihi is a Hawaiian honeycreeper.]
243
ʻAwaʻawa Ahuna.
Sour Ahuna.
[Said of a sour situation. Ahuna was a Chinese who lived on Hawaiʻi in the 1880s. His favorite expression for anything he did not like was ʻawaʻawa (sour).]
1237
I mua e nā pōkiʻi a inu i ka wai ʻawaʻawa.
Forward, my younger hrothers, until you drink the bitter water [of battle].
[Uttered by Kamehameha as he rallied his forces in the battle of ʻĪao Valley.]
1326
Ka iʻa ʻawaʻawa a ka haole.
The foreigners’ sour fish.
[Salted salmon, a fish commonly eaten by Hawaiians after its introduction here.]
[The sleep of death. When Kawelo fought Kauahoa, the latter uttered this, meaning that he would fight back until his opponent was dead.]
1514
Ka ʻōlohe puka awakea o Kamaʻomaʻo.
The bare one of Kamaʻomaʻo that appears at noonday.
[The plain of Kamaomao, Maui, is said to be the haunt of ghosts (ʻōlohe) who appear at night or at noon. Also a play on ʻōlohe (nude), applied to one who appears unclothed.]
1904
Kukui ʻā mau i ka awakea.
Torch that continues to burn in daylight.
[A symbol of the family of Iwikauikaua. After his daughter was put to death by one of his wives, this chief made a tour of the island of Hawaiʻi with torches burning day and night. This became a symbol of his descendants, who included Kalākaua and Liliʻuokalani.]
2717
Pūhā ka honu, ua awakea.
When the turtle comes up to breathe, it is daylight.
[Said when a person yawns. Sleeping time is over; work begins.]
[Said of Kilohana above Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi. An old trail went by here, leading from Kona to Koʻolau. Robbers hid there and waylaid lone travelers or those in small companies and robbed them of their bundles.]
Hele nō ka lima; hele nō ka ʻāwihi; ʻaʻohe loaʻa i ke onaona maka.
The hand goes; the wink goes; nothing is gained by just looking sweet.
[Keep the hands occupied with work, then one can afford to make eyes at the opposite sex. Just looking attractive isn’t enough.]
1867
Kuhi nō ka lima, ʻāwihi nō ka maka, ʻo ka loaʻa nō ia a ka maka onaona.
With a hand gesture and a wink, an attractive person can get whatever he desires.
Āwihikalani (1)
2254
Nā lihilihi o Āwihikalani.
The eyelashes of Blinking-lord.
[Sleep.]
ʻAwili (1)
2356
ʻO ʻAwili ka nalu, he nalu kapu kai na ke akua.
ʻAwili is the surf, a surf reserved for the ceremonial bath of the goddess.
[Refers to Pele. There were three noted surfs at Kalapana, Puna: Kalehua, for children and those just learning to surf; Hoʻeu, for experienced surfers; and ʻAwili, which none dared to ride. When the surf of ʻAwili was rolling dangerously high, all surfing and canoeing ceased, for that was a sign that the gods were riding.]