Mai ka piko o ke poʻo a ka poli o ka wāwae, a laʻa ma nā kihi ʻehā o ke kino.
From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, and the four corners of the body.
[An expression used in prayers of healing. The four corners are the shoulders and hips; between them are the vital organs of the body.]
Laʻa (1)
1707
Keiki kia manu o Laʻa.
Bird-catching lad of Laʻa.
[A person whose charm attracts the opposite sex. ʻŌlaʻa, Hawaiʻi, was once known as Laʻa. Birdcatchers often went into the forest there for feathers. This expression is also used in a chant composed for Kalākaua.]
Laʻakona (1)
386
ʻEwa nui a Laʻakona.
Great ʻEwa of Laʻakona.
[Laʻakona was a chief of ʻEwa, which was prosperous in his day.]
Laʻamaikahiki (1)
2283
Nā pahu kapu a Laʻamaikahiki, ʻŌpuku lāua ʻo Hāwea.
The sacred drums of Laʻamaikahiki — ʻŌpuku and Hāwea.
[These were the drums brought by Laʻamaikahiki from the South Sea.]
[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.]
287
E hōʻike mai ana ka lāʻau a ke kia manu.
The stick of the birdcatcher will tell.
[We will know how successful one is by what he produces. One knew whether a birdcatcher was successful by counting the birds on his gummed stick.]
362
E noho ma lalo o ka lāʻau maka, iho mai ka huihui, māʻona ka ʻōpū.
Sit under a green tree. When the cluster comes down, the stomach is filled.
[Serve a worthy person. When your reward comes you will never be hungry.]
366
E, ʻolohaka! I ke ʻehu nō o ka lāʻau pālau, kulana; hākālia nō a pāpā lāʻau aku o ka make nō ia.
Say! The person is hollow. With just the passing breeze of a brandished club, he falls. As soon as a spear touches him, he dies.
[Said by Pupukea, a chief of Kaʻū, of Makakuikalani, chief of Maui, in an exchange of insults. Later commonly used to refer to weaklings.]
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.]
426
Halakau ka inanu i ka lāʻau.
The bird perches way up high in the tree.
[Said of a man or woman who is not easily ensnared.]
Born was he on a Lāʻau night for his bones are hard and he is fearless.
[Said of a bold, fearless person. Lāʻau nights are a group of nights in the lunar month. The days following each of these nights are believed to be good for planting trees.]
Lāʻau (1)
464
Hānau ʻia i ka pō Lāʻau, lāʻau nā iwi, he koa.
Born was he on a Lāʻau night for his bones are hard and he is fearless.
[Said of a bold, fearless person. Lāʻau nights are a group of nights in the lunar month. The days following each of these nights are believed to be good for planting trees.]
Lāʻauhaele (1)
583
He hoa kuilima no Lāʻauhaele.
A companion to walk hand in hand with at Lāʻauhaele.
[An interesting, friendly companion. A play on haele (go together). Refers to Lāʻauhaele, Kauaʻi.]
After Kalaʻau Point is passed, the virtues taught by Thurston end.
[So sang a girl after leaving Thurston’s missionary school. After sailing past Molokaʻi on her way home to Honolulu, she resolved to forget his teachings and have her fling. Used today to refer to anything that will not work or cannot be used.]
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.]
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).]
529
He ʻalamihi no ka lae ʻiliʻili.
A mud crab on a rocky point.
[Just a noisemaker.]
677
He kau auaneʻi i ka lae ʻaʻā.
Watch out lest the canoe land on a rocky reef.
[Watch out for trouble.]
939
He puʻu pale ia lae na ka hoʻokele.
The cape is just something to be passed by the canoeman.
[A boast — difficulties are mere trifles to an expert.]
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.]
2895
Wae ʻia aʻela ma ka liko, koe no ka lāʻele.
Only the leafbuds are selected and the coarse leaves left behind.
E mālama i ka mākua, he mea laha ʻole; ʻo ke kāne he loaʻa i ka lā hoʻokahi.
Take care of parents for they are choice; a husband can he found in a day.
[Parents should be cared for, for when they are gone, there are none to replace them. One can marry again and again.]
810
He mau maka laha ʻole.
Faces that are rare.
[Said by members of the royal court in speaking of their chiefs with appreciation for the privilege of serving. The faces of the aliʻi were rarely seen.]
815
He mea laha ʻole.
Not spread everywhere.
[A thing rare. A not uncommon expression in songs and chants.]
920
He pua laha ʻole.
A flower not common.
[One who is as choice and highly prized as a very rare blossom. An expression much used in chants and songs.]
Lahaina (3)
430
Hālau Lahaina, malu i ka ʻulu.
Lahaina is like a large house shaded by breadfruit trees.
1703
Keikei Lahaina i ka ua Paʻūpili.
Majestic Lahaina in the Paʻūpili rain.
1936
Lahaina, i ka malu ʻulu o Lele.
Lahaina, in the shade of the breadfruit trees of Lele.
[The old name for Lahaina was Lele.]
Lahainaluna (1)
1428
Ka lā koi hana o Lahainaluna.
The sun of Lahainaluna urges one to work.
[Daytime at the Lahainaluna School is occupied with studying and working.]
[This expression is not meant to be vulgar. When the ule or pōule (breadfruit blossom) appears, it is the sign of the fruiting season. The young breadfruit first appears upright, and as the fruit grows larger its stem bends so that it hangs downward.]
[Said of a person of outstanding achievement. Also used in praise of Hāʻupu, Kauaʻi.]
532
He aliʻi ka laʻi, he haku na ke aloha.
Peace is a chief the lord of love.
[Where peace is, there love abides also.]
917
He pō walea, he ao walea i ka laʻi.
A night enjoyed, a day enjoyed in the calm.
[Peace brings undisturbed nights and days.]
1424
Ka laʻi loa a Kamaluohua.
The long peace of Kamaluohua.
[Said of the long period of peace enjoyed by this chief of Maui after his retum from Kauaʻi. He and others had accompanied the chief of Hawaiʻi there to make war. They were defeated, but their lives were spared by Kūkona, ruler of Kauaʻi, and they were kindly treated. After a while the defeated chiefs plotted to tum against Kūkona, but Kamaluohua refused to hurt their kind benefactor. As a reward for his loyalty, he and the others were permitted to go home to their respective islands. Kamaluohua spent the rest of his days in peace. The saying was later used to refer to permanent peace after a period of trouble.]
1425
Ka laʻi o Hauola.
The calm of Hauola.
[Peace and comfort. There is a stone in the sea at Lahama, Maui, called Pōhaku-o-Hauola, where pregnant women went to sit to ensure an easy birth. The umbilical cords of babies were hidden in crevices in the stone.]
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.]
[This saying originated after Kamehameha conquered the island of Oʻahu. The people of Kailua, Oʻahu, gave a great feast for him, not expecting him to bring such a crowd of people. The first to arrive ate up the meat, so the second group had to be content with licking and nibbling at the bits of meat that adhered to the ti leaves. In derision, the people of Oʻahu called them “ti-leaf lickers.”]
1649
Ka wai hoʻihoʻi lāʻī o ʻEleile.
The water of ʻEleile that carries back the ti-leaf stalk.
[The pool of ʻEleile on Maui is famed in songs and chants. Visitors throw ti stalks into the pool and watch the water carry them all around before washing them downstream.]
Laiana (1)
2553
Paʻa aku i ka lani o kā ke akua ia, a hāʻule mai i lalo o kā Laiana ia.
What is held up in heaven is Godʻs, and what falls below is Lyonsʻs.
[A reply made by the Reverend Lorenzo Lyons (Makua Laiana) when he was charged with being careless in accepting people as members of his church. He loved and accepted them and did not adhere rigidly to certain rules before allowing them to become members.]
Lāʻie (1)
1938
Lāʻie i ka ʻēheu o nā manu.
Lāʻie, borne on the wings of birds.
[Lāʻie is a gathering place for people. Twin girls were born at a place now bearing the name of Lāʻie, Oʻahu. The older twin, Lāʻiekawai, was reared by her grandmother, Waka, and was said to rest on the wings of birds. The younger, Lāʻielohelohe, was taken by a kahuna to rear.]
Lāʻielohelohe (1)
2008
Lilo loa me Lāʻielohelohe.
Gone entirely with Lāʻielohelohe.
[A play on lohelohe (droopy). Said of one who droops with intoxication.]
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.]
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.
The runner, Wawaia, who ran out of his course, caused hindrance and delay.
[Said of one who does not concentrate and wastes considerable time. Wawaia was a runner who, instead of running on the errand assigned to him by his chief, went on a visit before completing the errand, thus causing delay and rousing the ire of his chief.]
He lele pā iki kau ka manaʻo; ke aloha kamaliʻi he lālau nō.
[An adult] lets his fancy take fight and touches lightly while a child lover reaches out directly.
[An adult lover dreams, plans, and gently woos; a child is clumsy in his lovemaking.]
1861
Kū a māloʻeloʻe, lālau nā lima i ka hoe nui me ka hoe iki.
Stand up straight; reach for the big and little paddle.
[Said to young people — be prepared to weather whatever comes your way.]
1942
Lālau aku ʻoe i ka ʻulu i ka wēkiu, i ke alo nō ka ʻulu, a hala.
You reach for the breadfruit away at the top and miss the one in front of you.
[Sometimes one who reaches afar misses an opportunity that is right before him. Once Kalākaua promised to give a better position to Kamaʻiopili of Maui, but then forgot his promise. One day, while playing billiards with the king, Kamaʻiopili purposely played very badly and exclaimed, “I ke alo nō ka ʻulu, a hala,” whenever he missed the cue ball (ʻulu). This puzzled the king, and when the game was over, he asked a man who knew all the old sayings what Kamaʻiopili had meant. The king was told that Kamaʻiopili was reminding him that others had been rewarded with good positions, but that the man right in front of him, Kamaʻiopili, had been forgotten.]
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.]
118
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.]
193
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.]
195
ʻAʻohe nō hoʻi ou ʻī mai ʻaʻohe wai o lalo.
You didn’t tell me that there wasn’t any water below.
[Why didn’t you warn me? Two men, one totally and one partially blind, wanted to cross Punaluʻu Stream in Kaʻū. The blind one didn’t know his companion was unable to see well. When they reached the bank he asked his companion, “Is there water down there?” The partly blind one replied, “Yes, there is.” So they jumped in with the intention of swimming across. But the stream was dry, and both men suffered broken bones and bruises.]
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.]
[Said of people who stand about, look on, go to sleep and sit around, but who do not lend a hand with work.]
1943
Lānaʻi a Kaululāʻau.
Lānai of Kaululāʻau.
[Said in admiration of Lānaʻi. Kaululāʻau was a Maui chief banished to Lānaʻi by his father for destroying his breadfruit grove. By trickery Kaululāʻau destroyed the island’s evil spirits and became its ruler.]
1944
Lānaʻi a ke aea.
Lānai raises its face.
[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.]
Ke pau ka moa, kākā i ka nuku; ke pau ka ʻiole, ahu kūkae; ke pau ka manō, lanaō i ke kai.
When a chicken finishes [eating] he cleans his beak; when a rat finishes, he leaves a heap of excreta; when a shark finishes, he rises to the surface of the sea.
[A description of the table manners of people. Some are clean like the chicken; others are unclean and careless, like the rat; and still others, like the shark, loll around without offering to help.]
[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.]
282
E hiolo ana nā kapu kahiko; e hina ana nā heiau me nā lele; e hui ana nā moku; he iho mai ana ka lani a e piʻi ana ka honua.
The ancient kapu will be abolished; the heiau and altars willfall; the islands will be united; the heavens will descend and the earth ascend.
[A prophecy uttered by Kapihe, a kahuna in Kamehameha’s time. The last part of the saying means that chiefs will come down to humble positions and commoners rise to positions of honor.]
308
Eia ua lani a Hāloa i pili ai ka hanu i ke kapu.
Here is a chief descended from Hāloa, whose kapu makes one hold his breath in dread.
[A compliment to a chief. To be able to trace descent from Hāloa, an ancient chief, was to be of very high rank from remote antiquity.]
343
ʻElo ke kuāua o Ualoa; puaʻi i ka lani, kū kele ke one.
Drenching is the shower of Ualoa; the heavens overflow to soak the sands.
[Very wet weather. A play on ua (rain) and loa (very much). Ualoa is a place name.]
359
E niʻaupiʻo ka lani.
May the chief remain of highest rank.
[A blessing on a high chief: may he and his descendants live on in purity of rank.]
639
He ʻio au, he manu i ka lewa lani.
I am an ʻio, the bird that soars in the heavenly space.
[A boast. The highest chiefs were often called ʻio (hawk), king of the Hawaiian birds.]
[Said of a person who owns his own property, or of one who is sure of his security. The sky above him and the earth beneath his feet are his.]
Lanihaʻahaʻa (1)
1578
Ka ua Lanihaʻahaʻa o Hāna.
The Rain-of-the-low-sky of Hāna
[Refers to Hāna, Maui. once, the young warrior chief Kaʻeokulani ran to a banana grove to escape a sudden squall. As he stood safe and dry in the shelter of the banana leaves he lifted his spear. It accidentally pierced through the leaves and a trickle of water came through. He remarked that the sky where he stood was so low he had pierced it.]
Lanihua (2)
2444
ʻO Kaulua ke kāne, ʻo Lanihua ka wahine, hānau ke keiki he kua leho.
Kaulua is the husband, Lani-hua (Productive-heaven) the wife; born to them is a child with calloused shoulders.
[Said of a person born in the month of Kaulua. He was likely to be a hard worker who carried large bundles on his back.]
2506
ʻO Mahoehope ke kāne, ʻo Lanihua ka wahine, hānau ke keiki he kōkua nui a waiū nunui.
Mahoehope is the husband, Lanihua (Productive-heavenly-one) is the wife; a child born to them is either thick-shouldered or large-busted.
[Said of a child born in the month of Mahoehope. If a boy, he would be strong-shouldered and able to do much work; if a girl, she would be large of breast.]
Lanihuli (1)
1665
Kāwelu holu o Lanihuli.
The swaying grass of Lanihuli.
[Visitors to Nuʻuanu Pali know the kāwelu grass on the slope of the hill, dipping, rippling, and swaying in the breeze. It is mentioned in many chants and poems.]
Lanihūpō (1)
2367
ʻO Hikapoloa ka makuakāne, o Lanihūpō ka makuahine.
Hikapoloa was the father and Lanihūpō the mother.
[Said of an utterly stupid person. A play on the names of the father (Stagger-in-the-dark) and the mother (Stupid chief).]
Lanikāula (1)
1624
Ka ulu kukui o Lanikāula.
The kukui grove of Lanikāula.
[Lanikāula was the kāula (prophet) of Molokaʻi. His fame was so great that it incurred the jealousy of Kawelo, prophet of Lānaʻi, who sought every means of destroying Lanikāula. His efforts were rewarded when he discovered where Lanikāula went to relieve himself. Kawelo made a hole in a sweet potato and filled it with his rival’s excrement. This he took back to Lānaʻi and with it prayed his victim to death. When Lanikāula saw that his end was near, he asked his sons to suggest a burial place. He found each suggestion unsatisfactory except that of his youngest son. So Lanikāula was buried in a kukui grove near his home. In the grave were placed his personal belongings, which, by the power invested in them by a kahuna, would bring harm to anyone who disturbed the remains. So Lanikāula rests in his kukui grove, famed in songs of Molokaʻi.]
Eia ʻo Kuʻiʻaki me Huanu ke hana nei i ka lāua hana o ka ʻohi ʻiʻo pūpū.
Here are Kuʻiʻaki and Huanu doing their work gathering shellfish.
[An intense cold. A play on Kuʻi-ʻaki (Gritting-the-molars) and Hu-anu (Overflowing-cold). Huanu is Hawaiian for Juan.]
992
Hiki maila nā hoaloha, ʻo Keʻolohaka lāua ʻo Hanalē.
The friends Keʻolohaka and Hanalē have come.
[The friends Vacancy and Hunger are here. Said in fun when one is very hungry.]
2001
Like no lāua me Limunui.
He is like Limunui.
[Women fall in love with him as easily as gathering limu (seaweed). This was said of Kahalaiʻa, a chief who was very handsome and kind.]
2225
Nā kai haele lua o Kalae, o Kāwili lāua o Halaʻea.
The two sea currents of Kalae — Kāwili and Halaʻea.
[The Halaʻea current, named for an evil chief who was swept away, comes from the east to Kalae and sweeps out to sea. The Kāwili (Hit-and-twist) comes from the west and flows out alongside the Halaʻea. Woe betide anyone caught between.]
2283
Nā pahu kapu a Laʻamaikahiki, ʻŌpuku lāua ʻo Hāwea.
The sacred drums of Laʻamaikahiki — ʻŌpuku and Hāwea.
[These were the drums brought by Laʻamaikahiki from the South Sea.]
[Makana and Kalalau, on Kauaʻi, were noted for the growth and fragrance of lauaʻe fems.]
1542
Ka poli lauaʻe o Makana.
Makana, whose bosom is adorned with lauaʻe ferns.
[Famed in songs and chants are the fragrant lauaʻe fems of Makana, Kauaʻi.]
1949
Lauaʻe o Makana.
The lauaʻe fern of Makana.
[Famed in songs and chants is the lauaʻe that grows everywhere at Makana on Kauaʻi. When crushed it has a scent similar to that of the maile and is often used with the pandanus fruit in making lei.]
[Puna, Hawaiʻi, was said to have been a beautiful, fertile land loved by the god Kāne. Pele came from Kahiki and changed it into a land of lava beds, cinder, and rock.]
[Uttered by some chiefs of the court of Alapaʻi, ruler of Hawaiʻi, who wanted Kamehameha destroyed at birth.]
1072
Hoʻokahi no Hāwaʻe, lauhue Kona.
Only one Hāwaʻe, and poisonous gourds grow all over Kona.
[In Kona, Hawaiʻi, a priest named Hāwaʻe lived during the reign of Ehukaipo. In every important heiau in that district, an image named for this priest was kept. Many people were sacrificed to these evil namesakes of Hāwaʻe.]
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.]
1952
Lauʻī pekepeke.
Short-leaved ti plant.
[An insult applied to the kauā. Like small-leaved ti, they weren’t of much use. Longer leaves were better liked because they were useful as food wrappers.]
Lau-kapalala (1)
1953
Lau-kapalili. Lau-kapalala.
Tremble-leaf. Broad-leaf.
[These were the names applied to the leaves of the very first taro plant, whieh according to legend was named Hāloa. Taro leaves are sometimes referred to poetically by these terms.]
Lau-kapalili (1)
1953
Lau-kapalili. Lau-kapalala.
Tremble-leaf. Broad-leaf.
[These were the names applied to the leaves of the very first taro plant, whieh according to legend was named Hāloa. Taro leaves are sometimes referred to poetically by these terms.]
Laukī (1)
1985
Lele Laukī i ka pali.
Laukī leaped off the cliff.
[Said when one in desperation does harm to himself. Laukl was a native of Puna who was ashamed after being derided about his small penis, so he committed suicide by leaping off a cliff. Sometimes applied humorously to one who has lost his sexual potency.]
[Laukona sugar cane was often used to force the victim of hana aloha sorcery. Instead of falling madly in love, the victim grew to dislike the subject.]
The sand on which there was a linking of arms on the hreadth ofʻEwa.
[ʻEwa, Oʻahu. The chiefs of Waikīkl and Waikele were brothers. The former wished to destroy the latter and laid his plot. He went fishing and caught a large niuhi, whose skin he stretched over a framework. Then he sent a messenger to ask his brother if he would keep a fish for him. Having gained his consent, the chief left Waikīkī, hidden with his best warriors in the “fish.” Other warriors joined them along the way until there was a large army. They surrounded the residence of the chief of Waikele and linked arms to form a wall, while the Waikīkī warriors poured out of the “fish” and destroyed those of Waikele.]
That is the warrior who will dry the streams of Hilo.
[A powerful warrior.]
Laumeki (1)
1990
Lewa ka waha o ka puhi o Laumeki.
The mouth of the eel of Laumeki gapes.
[Said of one who talks so much that his mouth is hardly ever closed. Laumeki was an eel-man who lived at Wailau, Molokaʻi. When he saw that Kuʻula’s fishpond at Hāna, Maui, was always full of fish, he decided to assume his eel form and go there to steal some. On one of his thieving expeditions, he was caught by a magic hook and drawn ashore, where his jaw was smashed and left gaping.]
Launiupoko (1)
1136
Huleilua i nā nalu o Launiupoko.
The waves of Launiupoko toss this way and that.
[Said of one who is unsure of himself. From Maui.]
[Any vegetable eaten with poi, such as taro greens, hoʻiʻo or kikawaiō ferns, or sweet potato greens. Poetically, leaves are the oho or lauoho, hair, of plants.]
1362
Ka iʻa lauoho loloa o ke kai.
The long-haired fish of the sea.
[Limu, or seaweed.]
Laupāhoehoe (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.]
I mānai kau, i pua hoʻi kaʻu, kui ʻia ka makemake a lawa pono.
Yours the lei-making needle, mine the flowers; so let us do as we wish [— make a complete lei].
[You, the man and I, the woman; let us satisfy the demands of love. Said by Hiʻiaka in a chant as she embraced Lohiʻau at the rim of Kīlauea to rouse the jealous wrath of her sister Pele.]
2813
Ua lawa pono nā poʻohiwi.
The shoulders are well supplied.
[Said of a strong person who can do any kind of hard work.]
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.]
2768
Ua ahu ka imu, e lāwalu ka iʻa.
The oven is ready, let the fish wrapped in ti leaves be cooked.
[All preparations have been made; now let us proceed with the work.]
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.]
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.
329
E lawe i ke ō, he hinana ka iʻa kuhi lima.
Take vegetable food; the hinana is a fish that can be caught in the hand.
[A suggestion to take taro, poi, potato, or breadfruit along on the journey and not worry about meats, which can be found along the way. First uttered by Pele in a chant about the winds of Kauaʻi.]
357
E nānā mai a uhi kapa ʻeleʻele ia Maui, a kau ka puaʻa i ka nuku, kiʻi mai i ka ʻāina a lawe aku.
Watch until the black tapa cloth covers Maui and the sacrificial hog is offered, then come and take the land.
[Said by Kahekili, ruler of Maui, to a messenger sent by Kamehameha I with a question whether to have war or peace. Kahekili sent back this answer — “Wait until I am dead and all the rites performed, then invade and take the island of Maui.”]
447
Hana a mikioi, lawe a ʻauliʻi.
Be deft and dainty.
[Said to young people: Be neat, sweet and clever — not crude and blundering.]
640
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.]
ʻAʻohe ʻike wale iho iā Maliʻo, i ka huhuki laweau a Uwēkahuna.
Malio is not recognized because Uwēkahuna is drawing her away.
[Said of one who refuses to recognize old friends and associates or is snubbed by friends because they have interests elsewhere. Maliʻo was a mythical woman of Puna whom Pele once snubbed. Uwēkahuna is the bluff overlooking the crater of Kīlauea.]
[Said of the kioea, whose cry sounds like “Lawelawe ke ō! Lawelawe ke ō!" (“Take the food! Take the food!”). The kioea is the bird that calls to the fishermen to set out to sea.]
1959
Lawelawe mālie ka Waiʻopua.
The Waiōpua breeze handles gently.
[Said of one whose ways are gentle and easygoing or of one who is very careful in handling anything.]
I kani koʻaka i ka leʻaleʻa; i puʻu ko nuku i ka huhū; i leʻa ka nohona i ka māʻona.
One laughs when joyous; sulks when angry; [is] at peace with all when the stomach is satisfed with food.
1225
I leʻa ka hula i ka hoʻopaʻa.
The hula is pleasing because of the drummer.
[The lesser details that one pays little attention to are just as important as the major ones. Although the attention is given to the dancer, the drummer and chanter play an important role in the dance.]
1717
Ke kāhuli leo leʻa o ka nahele.
The sweet-voiced kāhuli landshell of the forest.
[A compliment to a sweet-voiced person.]
1734
Ke kai wawalo leo leʻa o Kālia.
The pleasing, echoing sea of Kālia.
[Refers to the sea of Kālia, Honolulu, now known as Ala Moana.]
1963
Leʻa ka ʻai a ka ʻiole, ua nui ka ʻili.
The rats joyously eat their fill, there are many skins [remaining].
[There were two Hilo brothers who lived at Kukuau and Puʻueo. The latter was very prosperous but neglectful of his needy brother. One day the Kukuau man decided to visit his wealthy brother and found many friends eating. After watching them for a while he made this remark. It was overheard by someone who reported it to their host. When he came to see who it was he found that it was his own brother. Sadly he realized then how he had neglected his own kin while outsiders enjoyed his weakh. This saying is sometimes used for one who does for outsiders but neglects his own.]
1964
Leʻa kaena a ka lawaiʻa, ua mālie.
The fisherman enjoys bragging when the weather is calm.
[A person who enjoys peace and comfort can very well boast of his luck.]
I kani koʻaka i ka leʻaleʻa; i puʻu ko nuku i ka huhū; i leʻa ka nohona i ka māʻona.
One laughs when joyous; sulks when angry; [is] at peace with all when the stomach is satisfed with food.
1967
Leʻaleʻa ka ʻōlelo i ka pohu aku o loko.
Conversation is pleasant when the inside is calm.
[Talk is pleasant when hunger is satisfied.]
2451
ʻO ke aliʻi lilo i ka leʻaleʻa a mālama ʻole i ke kanaka me ke kapu akua, ʻaʻole ia he aliʻi e kū ai i ka moku.
The chief who is taken with pleasure-seeking and cares not for the welfare of the people or the observation of the kapu of the gods, is not the chief who will become a ruler.
[Said by Kekūhaupiʻo to Kamehameha. Advice to young people that success comes not by seeking idle pleasure but by living up to one’s beliefs and caring for the welfare of others.]
You will get Kekuaokalani s club called Lehelehekiʻi.
[You will find nothing but disappointment. Kekuaokalani was a nephew of Kamehameha I, to whom the latter entrusted the care of his war god after his death. Kekuaokalani had a club called Lehelehe-kiʻi (Lips-of-an-image). One meaning of Lehelehekiʻi is “to get around doing nothing but ʻlip’,” that is, talking.]
[After a blaze of temper, the ashes of remorse are left.]
1968
Lehu ke poʻo i ka uahi o ka hoʻoilo.
The head turns ash gray in the smoke of winter.
[Said of one who remains indoors constantly during the windy, rainy month of Welehu, huddled by a fireplace for warmth. Later applied to one who prefers being indoors.]
1986
Lele liʻiliʻi ka lehu o kapuahi.
The ashes of the fireplace are scattered.
[Said of one whose wrath sends everybody going in all directions to get out of his way, or of a scattering of things helter-skelter. This saying came from the scattering of ashes at sea by the kahuna ʻanāʻanā on the night of Kāne or Lono, after he had prayed over and burnt the “bait” taken from the victim.]
2549
ʻO Welehu ka malama, lehu nui ke poʻo i ka uahi o ka hoʻoilo.
Welehu is the month; sooty is the head in the smoke of winter.
[Said of Welehu, the most rainy of all the wet months, when the fireplace is kept going to give warmth to the house.]
2712
Puehu ka lehu i nā maka o ka mea luhi.
Ashes fly into the eyes of the toiler.
[One must endure the unpleasant in order to gain the pleasant, just as the cook at a fireplace gets ashes into his eyes when he blows on the fire.]
2713
Puehu liʻiliʻi ka lehu o kapuahi.
The ashes of the fireplace are scattered in every direction.
[Said of an angry person whose temper makes everybody scatter.]
An attractive lehua blossom on the topmost branch.
[An attractive person.]
Lehua (7)
41
Aia i ka mole o Lehua.
At the taproot of Lehua.
[Said of one who is out of sight for a long time, neither seen nor heard of. Lehua is an island beyond Niʻihau.]
1961
Lawe ʻo Lehua i ka lā; lilo!
Lehua takes away the sun; [it is] gone!
[The sun is said to vanish beyond Lehua at sunset. In love chants, this saying means that one’s sweetheart has been taken away.]
2005
Lilo i ke kake o Lehua.
Absorbed in the kake chant of Lehua.
[The kake is a chant composed with words so broken up that it requires considerable attention to understand. Said of one who is so absorbed that he is hardly conscious of anything else.]
2058
Mai ka hikina a ka lā i Kumukahi a ka welona a ka lā i Lehua.
From the sunrise at Kumukahi to the fading sunlight at Lehua.
[From sunrise to sunset. Kumukahi, in Puna, Hawaiʻi, was called the land of the sunrise and Lehua, the land of the sunset. This saying also refers to a life span — from birth to death.]
2063
Mai ka lā ʻōʻili i Haʻehaʻe a hāliʻi i ka mole o Lehua.
From the appearance of the sun at Haʻehaʻe till it spreads its light to the foundation of Lehua.
[Haʻehaʻe is a place at Kumukahi, Puna, Hawaiʻi, often referred to in poetry as the gateway of the sun.]
2064
Mai ka ʻōʻili ʻana a ka lā i Kumukahi a ka lā iho aku i ka mole ʻolu o Lehua.
From the appearance of the sun at Kumukahi till its descent beyond the pleasant base of Lehua.
[From the sunrise at Kumukahi, in Puna, Hawaiʻi, to the sunset beyond the islet of Lehua.]
2729
Puka maila ʻoe, ua kala kahiko i Lehua.
Now that you have come, [what we had] has long departed to Lehua.
[Said to one who comes too late to share what his friends have had.]
Lēʻī ʻo Kohala i ka nuku nā kānaka. [Lēʻī Kohala, eia i ka nuku nā kānaka. (PE)]
Covered is Kohala with men to the very point of land.
[A great populahon has Kohala. Kauhiakama onee traveled to Kohala to spy for his father, the ruling chief of Maui. While there, he did not see many people for they were all tending their farms in the upland. He returned home to report that there were hardly any men in Kohala. But when the invaders from Maui came they found a great number of men, all ready to defend their homeland.]
[In 1893 carrier pigeons arrived at Kahului, Maui. One was brought to Honolulu and released with a letter tied to its neck. It flew back to Kahului. This was of such great interest to the people that a song was written and a quilt design made to commemorate the event.]
[Make a move to give yourself a secure holel. Lēkia and Pōhaku-o-Hanalei are stones in Puna. When the demigod Kaleikini came to the district, he dug around Lēkia with the intention of toppling it off the hill. Before he could uproot it, he got hungry and departed. It was then that the other stone, Pōhaku-o-Hanalei, cried out, “E Lēkia e, ʻonia i paʻa.” Lēkia moved downward and held fast. Kaleikini tried in vain after that and was unable to remove Lēkia.]
[Said in derision of a person who has no more sense than a child.]
212
ʻAʻohe ʻuku lele nāna e ʻaki.
Not even flea to bite one.
[Perfect comfort.]
282
E hiolo ana nā kapu kahiko; e hina ana nā heiau me nā lele; e hui ana nā moku; he iho mai ana ka lani a e piʻi ana ka honua.
The ancient kapu will be abolished; the heiau and altars willfall; the islands will be united; the heavens will descend and the earth ascend.
[A prophecy uttered by Kapihe, a kahuna in Kamehameha’s time. The last part of the saying means that chiefs will come down to humble positions and commoners rise to positions of honor.]
679
He kawa ia naʻu i lele a ʻopu.
That is a diving place in which I dived without making a splash.
[Said of something that is easy to do because one is accustomed to doing it.]
749
He lele pā iki kau ka manaʻo; ke aloha kamaliʻi he lālau nō.
[An adult] lets his fancy take fight and touches lightly while a child lover reaches out directly.
[An adult lover dreams, plans, and gently woos; a child is clumsy in his lovemaking.]
750
He lele pā iki — ke aloha kamaliʻi.
A light touch — so is love among children.
[Children may imagine themselves in love, but it is only a passing fancy — puppy love. Not so is the love of a mature person.]
A flea may be small but it can make a big body squirm.
[Never belittle anyone because of his small body; he may be able to do big things.]
Lele (5)
1117
Huaʻi ka ʻulu o Lele i ka makani Kona.
The breadfruit of Lele is exposed by the Kona wind.
[Hidden matters are exposed in time of anger. When the Kona wind blows, the leaves of the trees are blown off to expose the fruit.]
1451
Ka Maʻaʻa wehe lau niu o Lele.
The Maʻaʻa wind that lifts the coco leaves of Lele.
[Lele is the old name for Lahaina, Maui.]
1594
Ka ua Paʻūpili o Lele.
The Pili-soaking rain of Lele.
[The plains of Lahaina, Maui, were covered with pili grass in ancient days. When the rain poured the grass was well soaked.]
1865
Kūhela kāhela i ka laʻi o Lele.
Stretched out full-length in the calm of Lele.
[Said of a sleeper stretched out in a careless manner.]
1936
Lahaina, i ka malu ʻulu o Lele.
Lahaina, in the shade of the breadfruit trees of Lele.
[The old name for Lahaina was Lele.]
Leleʻapiki (1)
233
ʻĀpiki Puna i Leleʻapiki, ke nānā lā i Nānāwale.
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.]
Leleipele (1)
2507
ʻO Mahoemua ke kāne, Leleipele ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he ʻōpulepule.
Mahoemua is the husband, Lele-i-pele (Leap-into-voIcano) the wife; a child born to them is reckless and irresponsible.
[Said of a child born in the month of Mahoemua.]
Leleiwi (2)
654
He kai ʻalamihi ko Leleiwi.
A sea for black crabs has Leleiwi.
[Leleiwi Point in Hilo was said to be a good place to find ʻalamihi.]
1456
Ka makani ʻawa o Leleiwi.
The cold wind of Leleiwi.
[Refers to Leleiwi Point in Hilo district.]
Lelepā (1)
2418
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.]
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.]
2615
Pau ʻole nō ka ʻumeke i kekahi, pau ʻole nō ka lemu i ka hāleu.
When one does not clean the sides of the poi bowl properly he is not likely to wipe his backside clean after excreting.
[A term of contempt applied to the kauā of Kaupō, Maui.]
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.]
1906
Kukū ka pihapiha a piʻi ka lena.
The gills stand out and the yellow color arises.
[Filled with anger.]
2672
Pohā ke au ke piʻi nei ka lena.
The gall bladder has burst, the yellow color is spreading.
[It is obvious now that ill will has been harbored.]
[Said of an old man whose teeth are gone and whose chin wags toothlessly.]
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.]
2015
Loaʻa i ka piwa lenalena.
He has caught the yellow fever.
[Said of one who is extremely lazy. A play on lena (lazy).]
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.]
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.]
175
ʻAʻohe loa i ka leo.
A command [of a chief] disregards distance.
[Distance means nothing when the chief gives his command. First said by Hiʻiaka to her sister Kapo in a chant.]
206
ʻAʻohe puaʻi leo.
Not a sound gushed forth.
[Not a single word was spoken.]
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.]
305
Eia ke kānaenae a ka mea hele: he leo, he leo wale nō.
Here is an offering from a traveler: a voice in greeting, simply a voice.
[Said in affection by a passerby who, seeing a friend, greets him but doesn’t stop to visit.]
ʻAʻohe i nalo ka ʻulaʻula o ka lepo, loaʻa hou nō ka wahine.
The redness of the earth hasnt even vanished when a new wife is obtained.
[Said in scorn of a person who takes a new mate shortly after the death of the old one.]
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.]
625
He iki huna lepo mai kēia e pula ai ka maka.
This is a small speck of dust that causes a roughness in the eye.
[One may be small but he can still cause distress. This was the retort of Kaʻehuiki, a shark-god of Puna, when he was taunted for his small size by Kaiʻanuilalawalu, shark-god of Kīpahulu, Maui.]
701
He kohu puahiohio i ka hoʻolele i ka lepo i luna.
Like a whirlwind, whirling the dust upward.
[Said of a commoner who makes an attempt to elevate himself so he will be regarded as a chief.]
758
He lepo ka ʻai a Oʻahu, a māʻona nō i ka lepo.
Earth is the food of Oʻahu, and it is satisfied with its earth.
[Said in derision of Oʻahu, which was said to be an earth-eating land. In olden times, an edible mud like gelatine was said to fill Kawainui Pond. The mud, which was brought hither from Kahiki in ancient days, was once served to the warriors and servants of Kamehameha as a replacement for poi.]
I am an ʻio, the bird that soars in the heavenly space.
[A boast. The highest chiefs were often called ʻio (hawk), king of the Hawaiian birds.]
913
He poʻo hūnā i ka lewa.
A head hidden in the sky.
[Said of a god, who is invisible. Also expressed He poʻo hūnā i ke aoūli.]
1113
Hōpoe, ka wahine lewa i ke kai.
Hōpoe, the woman who dances in the sea.
[Hōpoe was a dancer of Keaʻau, Puna, in that long ago day when gods mingled with men. Because of her dancing and her kindly nature, Hōpoe was taken by the goddess Hiʻiaka as a favorite friend. When Pele sent Hiʻiaka to Kauaʻi to fetch Lohiʻau, the first request Hiʻiaka made to Pele was to be kind to her friend, Hōpoe. After a time, when Hiʻiaka did not return as expected, Pele in a fit of rage destroyed Hiʻiaka’s grove and the beloved Hōpoe. The latter was changed into a balancing stone that seemed to dance in the sea.]
1271
Ka ʻai lewa i ka ʻāʻī.
The food that swings from the neck.
[Refers to food containers that were carried suspended from poles.]
1319
Kahuku ʻāina lewa.
Kahuku, an unstable land.
[Oʻahu, according to legend, was once two islands that grew together. Kahuku is the part that bridges the gap.]
1656
Ka wai lewa i ka makani.
The water that sways in the breeze.
[The coconut, which contains water and is found in clusters high up in the tree.]
E ʻike ana ʻoe i ke liʻi nui o Oʻahu, o Kakuhihewa.
You will meet with the great chief of Oʻahu, Kakuhihewa.
[You shall find out how wrong you are. A play on kuhihewa (erroneous).]
1453
Ka maile lau liʻi o Koʻiahi.
The fine-leaved maile of Koʻiahi.
[Koʻiahi, Oʻahu, was famed in old chants for the finest and most fragrant small-leaved maile in the islands. It was destroyed by introduced animals.]
2075
Maile lau liʻi o Koʻiahi.
Fine-leaved maile of Koʻiahi.
[Often used in chants. The fine-leaved maile of Koʻiahi, in Waiʻanae, was considered the best on Oʻahu for beauty and fragrance. After the introduction of goats this beautiful and much-liked vine vanished.]
[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.]
172
ʻAʻohe like o ka ʻili.
The skin is not alike.
[Some Hawaiians have an aversion to wearing someone else’s clothing, not knowing whether they are equals in bloodline, rank, or background. This saying does not express that they are of a different race, only of different family backgrounds.]
301
Eia iho ko hoa like o Malelewaʻa.
Here is a suitable companion for you, Malelewaʻa.
[Remark about an untidy person. A play on malele (strewn about) in Malelewaʻa, a place on Kauaʻi.]
323
E kuahui like i ka hana.
Let everybody pitch in and work together.
591
He hoʻokahi no wai o ka like.
All dyed with the same color.
[Identical.]
705
He kuapuʻu no a he kuapuʻu, like ka ʻōlelo ana.
A hunchback and a hunchback have the same things to talk ahout.
[Equals speak the same language and understand each other.]
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.]
764
He liko aliʻi.
A royal leaf bud.
[An offspring of a chief.]
1118
Hua kanawao ka liko o ke kapu.
Kanawao seeds produce sacred leaf buds.
[The seeds of the kanawao, a small tree, were believed to help in making a woman fertile. In royal chants, large families of chiefs were sometimes compared to kanawao trees and their seeds.]
2895
Wae ʻia aʻela ma ka liko, koe no ka lāʻele.
Only the leafbuds are selected and the coarse leaves left behind.
[Only the select few were invited.]
2932
Welehu ka malama, liko ka ʻōhiʻa.
Welehu is the month [when] the ʻōhiʻa trees are putting forth leaf buds.
[This kukui grove, in Makawao, Maui, was much visited by travelers, for it was a favorite spot of the chiefs. The nuts gathered from the trees produced a fragrant, tasty relish.]
E hakoko ana ʻo Heneli me Keoni Pulu; ua lilo ke eo iā Keoni Pulu.
Henry and John Bull wrestle; John Bull wins.
[Hunger is routed by filling the stomach. Henry (Hunger) and John Bull (Fullness) wrestle until John Bull wins the match.]
682
He Keʻei ʻoe no lalo lilo.
You are a person of Keʻei, from far below.
[You are of no consequence. Two chiefesses peered into a pool together at Keʻei, in Kona, Hawaiʻi. The reflection of the one from Hanauma appeared above that of the one from Keʻei, so she made this remark.]
1012
Hiu a wela, lawe a lilo!
Strike while hot, and take it away!
[Make passionate love and take possession. Win the game and take the prize.]
1228
ʻIliki ke kai i ka ʻopeʻope lā, lilo; i lilo no he hāwāwā.
The sea snatches the bundle and it is gone; it goes when one isn’t watchful.
[A person who fails to watch out often loses.]
1802
Kinikini kauhale liʻiliʻi o lalo lilo e. “He Ahu au no Kaʻū”; “He ʻIo au no Hilo.”
A multitude are the small houses way down helow. [The inhabitants claim,] “I am an Ahu of Kaʻu’ and “I am an ʻIo of Hilo.”
[This saying is used in anger or to make fun of those who are low in rank yet claim relationship with the high chiefs. A play on ahu (a heap of nothing), ʻū (a grunt of contempt) in Kaʻū, and ʻio, the mighty hawk that sits on any branch it chooses.]
[The sun is said to vanish beyond Lehua at sunset. In love chants, this saying means that one’s sweetheart has been taken away.]
Līloa (3)
1750
Ke koaʻe lele kaha i ka pali o Līloa.
The tropic bird that soars to the cliff of Līloa.
[Said of a chief of high rank.]
1914
Kūlia i ka nuʻu, i ka paepae kapu o Līloa.
Strive to reach the summit, to the sacred platform of Līloa.
[Strive to do your best.]
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.]
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.]
269
E ʻEwa e — e kuʻi nā lima!
O ʻEwa — join hands!
[This cry was a call of the men of Kona, Oʻahu, when they went with their chief to destroy his brother, the ʻEwa chief.]
272
ʻEha i ka ʻeha lima ʻole a ke aloha.
He is smitten by love, with a pain administered without hands.
[He is deeply in love.]
329
E lawe i ke ō, he hinana ka iʻa kuhi lima.
Take vegetable food; the hinana is a fish that can be caught in the hand.
[A suggestion to take taro, poi, potato, or breadfruit along on the journey and not worry about meats, which can be found along the way. First uttered by Pele in a chant about the winds of Kauaʻi.]
450
Hānai ʻia i ka poli o ka lima.
Fed in the palm of the hand.
[Said of a child reared with constant attention.]
458
Hana kāpulu ka lima, ʻai ʻino ka waha.
Careless work with the hands puts dirty food in the mouth.
[From a children’s game in which one made a number of sand piles and buried filth in one of them. When a child dug into the sand and drew out a hand smeared with filth, the others shouted this. Also used to imply that one is taking part in a shady deal.]
Lima-ʻāpā (1)
74
Aia paha iā Lima-ʻāpā.
Perhaps Touch-hand has taken it.
[Somebody with very quick hands must have taken it.]
Limahuli (1)
2347
Nui ka hanu o Limahuli i nā lehua o Luluʻupali.
Heavily-sighed Limahuli falls over the lehua blossoms of Luluupali.
[Said of a person in love who sighs over a sweetheart.]
Limaloa (4)
1104
Hoʻonohonoho i Waineki kauhale o Limaloa.
Set in order at Waineki are the houses of Limaloa.
[Limaloa, the god of mirages, made houses appear and disappear on the plains of Mānā. This saying applies to the development of ideas, the setting of plans, or the arranging of things in order.]
1834
Komo akula i ke anapuni a Limaloa.
Entered the circle of Limaloa.
[A play on Lima-loa (Long-hand). He has entered the domain of one who has the upper hand.]
1909
Kūkulu kauhale a Limaloa.
Limaloa builds his house.
[Limaloa was the god of mirages who at certain times of the year would build a village in the moonlight at Mānā, Kauaʻi. The village would vanish as quickly as it had appeared.]
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.]
Love is like the slippery moss on the sand of Mahamoku.
[One can fall in love before he realizes it.]
971
He wahi limu pae.
Seaweed washed ashore.
[An insignificant person who, like the seaweed, merely drifts.]
1442
Ka limu kā kanaka o Manuʻakepa.
The man-throwing algae of Manuakepa.
[Hanalei, Kauaʻi, was known for its pouring rain. A slippery algae grows among the grasses on the beach, and when carelessly stepped on, it can cause one to slip and fall. This algae is famed in songs and chants of that locality.]
1443
Ka limu lana o Kawahine.
The fioating seaweed of Kawahine.
[A term applied to the kauwā who were drowned at Kualoa, Oʻahu, before serving as sacrifices.]
2011
Limu pahapaha nolu i ke kai.
Sea lettuce, easily swayed by the action of the tide.
[A derogatory expression for a person weak of character or physical ability.]
ʻAʻohe kana mai o ka holo o ka lio ia Hanalē; pākahi a ka lio, pālua a ka lio.
How Henry made the horses run; one on a horse or two on a horse.
[How hunger (Henry) made the fingers work in conveying poi to the mouth — with one fmger and with two.]
1254
I pīʻena ka lio i ka pūnuku; e komo kaula waha ʻia ka maikaʻi.
The horse shies at the halter; better use the bridle.
[Advice not to suppress the activities of a wild-behaving person all at once, but to tame him gradually.]
2026
Luhi ʻuʻa i ka ʻai a ka lio.
Wasted time and labor getting food for the horse.
[Applied to one who worked hard, like a Hawaiian sailor on a whaling ship. Retuming home with a well-filled pocket, he would find many friends and girlfriends to help him spend his earnings. In a very short time his cash would be gone and his friends would find another prosperous person. Sadly he would retum to work.]
[The most fragrant līpoa seaweed in Puna, Hawaiʻi, is found at Kalauonaona (also known as Kalauonaone) in Kaimū.]
2255
Nā līpoa ʻala o Kawehewehe.
The fragrant līpoa of Kawehewehe.
[The līpoa seaweed of Waikikī, especially at Kawehewehe, was so fragrant that one could smell it while standing on the shore. Often mentioned in songs about Waikīkī.]
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.]
1644
Ka wahine o ka liʻulā.
The woman of the twilight.
[Lāʻiekawai, a legendary chiefess who became a goddess after her marriage to Ka-ʻōnohi-o-ka-lā (Eyeball-of-the-sun), a supernatural chief.]
1657
Ka wai liʻulā o Mānā.
Mirage of Mānā.
[Mirages were seen at Mānā on the nights of Kū and Kāne.]
1680
Ke ʻanapa nei ka wai liʻulā o Mānā.
The water in the mirage of Mānā sparkles.
[Said of one who is overdressed.]
2708
Puanaiea ke kanaka ke hele i ka liʻulā.
A person who goes after a mirage will only wear himself out.
ʻĀko Nuʻuanu i ka hālau loa a ka makani; ʻāko Mānoa i ka hale a ke ʻehu.
Gathered in Nuuanu is the longhouse of the wind; gathered in Mānoa is the house of rainy sprays.
174
ʻAʻohe loa i ka hana a ke aloha.
Distance is ignored by love.
175
ʻAʻohe loa i ka leo.
A command [of a chief] disregards distance.
[Distance means nothing when the chief gives his command. First said by Hiʻiaka to her sister Kapo in a chant.]
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.”]
[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.]
131
ʻAʻohe e loaʻa, he uhu pakelo.
He will not be caught, for he is a parrotfish, slippery with slime.
[Said of a person too wily and wise to be caught.]
132
ʻAʻohe e loaʻa Niu-a-Kāne iā ʻoe.
Youll never be able to reach Kāne’s coconuts.
[Said of something unattainable. Niu-a-Kāne is a rock islet in the sea at Hāna, Maui.]
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.]
152
ʻAʻohe i nalo ka ʻulaʻula o ka lepo, loaʻa hou nō ka wahine.
The redness of the earth hasnt even vanished when a new wife is obtained.
[Said in scorn of a person who takes a new mate shortly after the death of the old one.]
[You don’t need experience to do that job. Shrimps were often taken in great numbers by means of wicker platforms placed across mountain streams. In time of freshets they would be swept onto these platforms and gathered.]
1208
ʻIke ʻia nō ka loea i ke kuahu.
An expert is recognized by the altar he builds.
[It is what one does and how well he does it that shows whether he is an expert.]
[Said poetically of an aged person. The ridges on both sides of Hā’upu hill on Kaua’i go down gradually, with a rise here and there, but none is as high as Hā’upu itself.]
He lōʻihi ʻo ʻEwa; he pali ʻo Nuʻuanu; he kula ʻo Kulaokahuʻa; he hiki mai koe.
ʻEwa is a long way off; Nuuanu is a cliff; Kulaokahu a is a dry plain; but all will be here before long.
[Said of an unkept promise of food, fish, etc. Oʻahu was once peopled by evil beings who invited canoe travelers ashore with promises of food and other things. When the travelers asked when these things were coming, this was the reply. When the visitors were fast asleep at night, the evil ones would creep in and kill them.]
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.]
238
ʻAukuʻu hāpapa i ka haʻi loko.
Heron groping in somebody else’s fishpond.
[A man groping for somebody else’s woman.]
240
ʻAukuʻu kiaʻi loko.
Heron who watches the [fish in the] pond.
[A person who spies on others.]
277
E hea i ke kanaka e komo ma loko e hānai ai a hewa ka waha.
Call to the person to enter; feed him until he can take no more.
[Originally a reply to a password into a hula school. Used later in songs and in speech to extend hospitality.]
456
Hānai puaʻa wahine, ma loko ka uku.
Raise a sow, for her reward is inside of her.
[A sow will bear young.]
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.]
[Said of one who helps a lost person find his way home. The goddess Kaiona, who lived in the Waiʻanae Mountains of Oʻahu, was said to have pet birds who could guide anyone lost in the forest back to his companions.]
[A reply to one who asks his neighbor for some of his crop. If he answered that he had been away during the rains, he would be given some food; but if he said that he had been there, he would be refused. It was due to his own laziness that he did not have a crop as fine as his industrious neighbor’s.]
The loli kaʻe is easy enough to gather, for it is found in sea pools.
[Said of a cross, dissatisfied person who becomes grumpy. A play on kaʻe (grumpy) in loli kaʻe (sea cucumber).]
771
He loli ka iʻa, ʻīloli ke aloha.
Loli is the sea creature, passionate is the love.
[An expression used in hana aloha sorcery when loli was secured as an offering.]
883
He palupalu nā hewa liʻiliʻi i ka wā kolo, lolelua i ka wā kamaliʻi, loli ʻole i ka wā oʻo, ʻoni paʻa i ka wā ʻelemakule.
Small sins are weak in the creeping stage, changeable in childhood, unchanging when an adult, and firmly fixed in age.
[Bad habits can be changed in the early stages but eventually become firmly implanted.]
1115
Hopu hewa i ka loli, i ka iʻa maka ʻole.
Grasped the eyeless fish by mistake.
[Met with disappointment. The loli (sea cucumber) is known as the fish without eyes.]
1635
Kaupō ʻai loli.
Kaupō, land of the loli eaters.
[Kauakahiakua, a chief of Kaupō, Maui, is said to have been fond of loli and to have once built a large imu for roasting them. Since that time the people of Kaupō have had a reputation for being especially fond of this sea creature.]
2544
ʻO wahie ka ʻai, ʻo loli ka iʻa, ʻo muku ka imu.
Wood is the vegetable food, sea cucumber is the meat, and a small imu is the only imu.
[The boast of a strong man who likens his back to the waves of the sea.]
692
He kīhei loloa.
A long shoulder covering.
[A person who gads about with no thought of going home. The speaker envisions a person constantly running with his cape fluttering high in the breeze.]
1361
Ka iʻa lauoho loloa o ka ʻāina.
The long-haired fish of the land.
[Any vegetable eaten with poi, such as taro greens, hoʻiʻo or kikawaiō ferns, or sweet potato greens. Poetically, leaves are the oho or lauoho, hair, of plants.]
He lono ma mua, he kulina ma hope; kulikuli wale ka makani o Kaʻū!
Report went first, heedlessness followed; what a din the wind of Kaʻū raised!
[From a chant for Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi.]
Lono (2)
1129
Huihui pāipu a Lono.
Lono’s cluster of gourd vessels.
[Lono was a woman who had a large family of children and an indolent, pleasure-seeking husband. Hers was a life of drudgery. Tired of it, she sought a home on the sun. But when she tried to go up to it, she grew so uncomfortably warm that she came down again. Then she tried to go to a star, but the twinkling of the stars made her feel that they were laughing at her plight. Then, when the full moon rose, she changed her children into gourds and traveled up a rainbow toward the moon. Her husband saw her and ran to grasp her ankle as she went up. Her foot slipped off like a lizard’s tail. So Lono entered the moon and remained there. On full-moon nights, the people would point out the shadows in the moon and say, “There is Lono and her gourds.” Today a mother who goes about with her flock of children is compared to Lono and her gourds.]
2249
Nā lālā kapu a Lono.
The sacred branches of Lono.
[Refers to the various branches of the chiefly families directly descended from the god Lonoikamakahiki.]
[A vulgar expression. A woman may be petite but she can be sexually “deep.”]
293
E hoʻopiha i ka lua o ka inaina.
Fill the pit of wrath.
[Fill the stomach.]
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.]
312
E ʻimi wale nō i ka lua o ka ʻuwaʻu ʻaʻole e loaʻa.
Seek as you will the burrow of the ʻuwaʻu, it cannot be found.
[A boast of one’s skill in lua fighting, of the depth of one’s knowledge, or of a skill that isn’t easily acquired. A play on lua, a burrow, a pit, or an art of fighting. The burrow of the ʻuwaʻu bird is often deep. Birdcatchers inserted a piece of aerial root of the ʻieʻie, gummed at one end, to catch the fledglings.]
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.
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.
[Said by Kamehameha I.]
Luahine (2)
2023
Luahine, ke kāʻawe o Kaʻahumanu.
Luahine, shoulder covering of Kaʻ ahumanu.
[Kaʻahumanu was hurt when Kamehameha took her sister Kaheiheimalie as one of his wives. She swam out to sea with the intention of going until her strength gave out. While in the water she saw a boy following her. She cried out to him to go back, but he kept following. Noticing that he was getting tired, she allowed him to lean on her shoulder to rest. Pity for the boy, Luahine, made her swim back to shore. So it was said that the boy was Kaʻahumanu’s shoulder cover.]
[Had an enjoyable time. Hiku was a hero who lived in the mountains of Hawaiʻi and was thought of as a man who lived happily.]
Lūaliʻi (2)
490
Hāʻulelau i Kalalau, ʻo Lūaliʻi lā i Kauliʻiliʻi.
Hāʻulelau is at Kalalau, and Lūalii is at Kauliʻiliʻi.
[Such a scattering all over the place, like fallen leaves, with bits and pieces all strewn about. A play on haule-lau (fallen leaves), kalalau (wander around), lū-aliʻi (scatter in pieces), and kau-liʻiliʻi (a little here and a little there).]
1426
Kālai o Lūaliʻi i ke kiʻi a ʻike i ka ʻino haʻalele.
Lūaliʻi carved an image and, finding it bad, deserted it.
[Said of one who abandons a thing he used to indulge in. Lūaliʻi was a chief of Hawaiʻi who wanted to carve an image. He went to the mountains, found a log and bore it to the lowland to work on. It was almost finished when he discovered a rotted spot. He deserted it and went to find another log to carve. As he worked on the second log he heard the first one say, “Lūaliʻi carved an image and, finding it bad, deserted it.” He went back to it, cleaned out the rotted spot and finished it. He knew that a god possessed it. This god later helped him rid Oʻahu of evil beings.]
[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.]
997
Hilo ʻai lūʻau.
Hilo, eater of taro greens.
[The people of Hilo were said to be fond of cooked taro greens. When storms came to Hilo it was impossible to obtain fish from the streams or the sea. The people had to be content with taro greens.]
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.]
1934
Kuʻu ka luhi, ua maha.
He has let down his weariness and is at rest.
[He is dead. He has left all his labors, all that wearied his mind and body, and now he is at peace.]
2026
Luhi ʻuʻa i ka ʻai a ka lio.
Wasted time and labor getting food for the horse.
[Applied to one who worked hard, like a Hawaiian sailor on a whaling ship. Retuming home with a well-filled pocket, he would find many friends and girlfriends to help him spend his earnings. In a very short time his cash would be gone and his friends would find another prosperous person. Sadly he would retum to work.]
2027
Luhi wahine ʻia.
Labored over by a woman.
[Spoken in respect and admiration of a family reared by a woman who alone fed and clothed them.]
2712
Puehu ka lehu i nā maka o ka mea luhi.
Ashes fly into the eyes of the toiler.
[One must endure the unpleasant in order to gain the pleasant, just as the cook at a fireplace gets ashes into his eyes when he blows on the fire.]
[Thc chief Moikeha enjoyed the peace of Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi, the place he chose as his permanent home.]
1685
Ke awa laʻi lulu o Kou.
The peaceful harbor of Kou.
[Honolulu Harbor.]
2032
Lulu kohekohe.
The kohekohe grass is stilled.
[Trouble is over. The kohekohe grass, whieh grows in wet patches, is taken up, washed, and allowed to wilt. Then it is spread on the ground with a mat over it. The owner of the mat then sits down in comfort.]
2682
Pohu ka nohona, ua lulu kohekohe.
All is calm, even the kohekohe grass is not moved by a breeze.
[Two men went fishing for octopus. One was half-witted and often the object of the other’s pranks. They came to a spot where the crabs had made holes in the sand, and the wise one said to the fool, “Lūlū ka heʻe!" The fool dropped his cowry lure and gave his line the customary jerk, while his companion continued on to a place where octopus were to be found. In later years this saying was applied in derision to one who rode jerkily on horseback with his legs swaying in time to the animal’s movements.]
[An attractive person is compared to a flower-laden tree that attracts birds.]
5
Aʻeaʻe mōhala i luna o ke kukui.
Whiteness unfolds on the kukui trees.
[Used in reference to a person who grays, comparing him to a blooming kukui tree laden with white flowers.]
50
Aia i luna o ʻUalakaʻa.
He is up on ʻUalakaʻa.
[A play on ʻUala-kaʻa (Rolling-potato-hill). Said of one who, like a rolling potato, has nothing to hold fast to. The hill was said to have been named for a sweet potato that broke loose from its vine on a field above and rolled down to a field below in Mānoa.]
71
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.]
72
Aia nō ka pua i luna.
The flower is still on the tree.
[A compliment to an elderly woman. Her beauty still remains.]
193
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.]
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.]
Hananeʻe ke kīkala o ko Hilo kini; hoʻi luʻuluʻu i ke one o Hanakahi.
The hips of Hilo’s multitude were sagging as they returned, laden, to Hanakahi.
[Used to express the weight of grief, or to mean that a person has a heavy load to carry. Lines from a chant entitled, “Hoe Puna i ka Waʻa.”]
2033
Luʻuluʻu Hanakahi i ka ua nui.
Weighted down is Hanakahi hy the heavy rain.
[Hanakahi, Hilo, was named for a chief of ancient times. This expression was much used in dirges to express heaviness of the heart, as tears pour like rain.]
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.]
2607
Pau ka pali, hala ka luʻuluʻu kaumaha.
The cliff is now passed and with it the burden of difficulty.