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.]
133
ʻAʻohe e nalo, he haupeʻepeʻe na kamaliʻi.
Not well hidden, for it is the hiding of little children.
134
ʻAʻohe e nalo, he noʻa na kamaliʻi.
It will not be hidden, for it is a noʻa hidden by children.
[Said of a secret that cannot remain hidden. Noʻa is the hidden object in the game of pūhenehene.]
191
ʻAʻohe na ia mau mea e uē iā ʻoe, na ke kanaka ʻoe e uē.
Things will not mourn you, but people will.
[Said to one who thinks more of his possessions than of his kinfolk or friends.]
[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.]
56
Aia kēkē nā hulu o ka umauma hoʻi ke kōlea i Kahiki e hānau ai.
When the feathers on the breast darken [because of fatness] the plover goes back to Kahiki to breed.
[A person comes here, grows prosperous, and goes away without a thought to the source of his prosperity.]
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.]
112
A! Loaʻa akula iā ʻoe nā niu o Kaunalewa.
Ah! Now you have the coconuts of Kaunalewa.
[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.]
No idleness or standing about with hands on hips in the presence of chiefs.
Naʻalehu (3)
1466
Ka makani kuehu lepo o Naʻalehu.
The dust-scattering wind of Naʻalehu.
1704
Keiki haehae poko o Naʻalehu.
The lad of Naʻalehu who tears into bits.
[Said in admiration of a strong warrior of Naʻalehu who fearlessly attacks his foes. Later said of a Naʻalehu-born person who shows no fear in any situation.]
2244
Nā kūmau palapaʻa o Naʻalehu, ʻo ia mau nō ka pāpaʻa.
The thick-walled calabashes of Naʻalehu are always crusted [with dried poi].
[A Kaʻū saying — the thick-headed natives of Naʻalehu are strict adherents to principles.]
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.]
872
He ʻōʻū naʻau nui.
Big-gutted ʻōʻū bird.
[Said of a lazy person who shirks hard work and seeks something easy to do.]
1870
Kuʻia ka hele a ka naʻau haʻahaʻa.
Hesitant walks the humble hearted.
[A humble person walks carefully so he will not hurt those about him.]
2294
Nāu ke keiki, kūkae a naʻau.
Yours is the child, excreta, intestines and all.
[In giving a child to adoptive parents, the true parents warned that under no condition would they take the child back. To do so would be disastrous for the child. Recognition, love, and help might continue; but removal while the adoptive parents live — never.]
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.]
762
He liʻiliʻi ka ʻuku lele, naue naʻe kino nui.
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.]
763
He like nō ke koʻele, ʻo ka pili naʻe he like ʻole.
The thumping sounds the same, but the fitting of the parts is not.
[Some do good work, others do not; but the hustle and bustle are the same.]
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.]
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.]
831
He nahā ipu auaneʻi o paʻa i ka hupau humu.
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.]
1011
Hiolo ka pali kū, nahā ka pali paʻa.
The standing precipice falls, the solid clff breaks.
[The resistance is broken down at last.]
2208
Nahā ka huewai a ua kahe ka wai.
The gourd water-bottle is broken and the water has run out.
[The body is dead; life has fled.]
2209
Nahā ka mākāhā, lele ka ʻupena.
When the sluice gate breaks, the fishnets are lowered.
ʻO uakeʻe nei i loko o Haʻaloʻu, ʻo ka pō nahunahu ihu.
The little bend in Haʻaloʻu (Bend-over), on the night that the nose is bitten.
[This was said of Kahalaiʻa when he became angry with Kaʻahumanu. He was only a “little bend” whose wrath was no more important then a nip on the nose.]
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.]
202
ʻAʻohe pala naio.
There isn’t even any excretal residue to feed a pinworm with.
[It is not worth anything.]
834
He naio ka loaʻa.
Pinworms are all one will get.
[One will get nothing worthwhile.]
2106
Make nō ke kalo a ola i ka naio.
The taro dies but lives again in the pinworm.
[The matter may be thought dead, but it is likely to come alive again. Naio (pinworms) were sometimes found in poi and caused itching in the anal passage.]
2222
Naio ʻai kae.
Dung-eating pinworm.
[An expression of contempt for one who slanders, especially his own kin.]
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.]
2376
ʻO huaʻole ka lā, ʻo nakaka ka lā, ʻo ʻōmilu ka lā, ʻo pōnalo ka lā.
Fruitless is the day, cracked is the day, puny is the day, blighted is the day.
[Said of a day that brings no luck to the worker.]
A bruise inflicted on an innocent person vanishes quickly.
[Mean words uttered against the innocent may hurt, but the hurt will not last.]
2256
Nalowale i ke ʻehu o ke kai.
Lost in the sea sprays.
[Said of one who disappears from sight to avoid coming in contact with others, like a canoe that speeds away and raises sprays so that it can’t be seen.]
2257
Nalowale nā maka, hūnā i ke ao uli.
The face is out of sight, hidden in the sky.
[Said of one who is dead.]
2413
ʻO ka lāʻau o ke kula e noho ana i ka ʻāina, ʻo ka lāʻau o ka ʻāina e nalowale aku ana.
The trees of the plains will dwell on the land; the trees of the native land will vanish.
[A prophecy uttered by Kalaunuiohua. Trees from the plains of other lands will grow here and our native trees will become extinct.]
Only when your face is slapped should you tell who your ancestors are.
[Hawaiians were taught never to boast of illustrious ancestors. But when one is slandered and called an offspring of worthless people, he should mention his ancestors to prove that the statement is wrong.]
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.]
189
ʻAʻohe mea nāna e hoʻopuhili, he moho no ka lā makani.
There is no one to interfere, for he is a messenger of a windy day.
[Said in admiration of a person who lets nothing stop him from carrying out the task entrusted to him.]
190
ʻAʻohe mea nāna e paʻi i ke poʻo.
No one to slap his head.
[He has no equal in his accomplishments.]
212
ʻAʻohe ʻuku lele nāna e ʻaki.
Not even flea to bite one.
[Perfect comfort.]
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.
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.]
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.]
165
ʻAʻohe kolopā nānā e une.
No crowbar can pry him loose.
[Said of a very obstinate person.]
192
ʻAʻohe nānā; he holoholona ia he mea ʻuhane ʻole; o ke kanaka nō ka nānā, he mea ʻuhane.
Never mind; it is an animal, a soulless creature; take heed of man, for he is a creature with a soul.
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.]
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.]
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.]
[Said of one who criticizes others and later does just as they. Also expressed Nahu nō ʻo ia i kona alelo.]
2701
Pua ka wiliwili nanahu ka manō; pua ka wahine uʻi nanahu ke kānāwai.
When the wiliwili tree blooms, the sharks bite; when a pretty woman blossoms, the law bites.
[A beautiful woman attracts young men — sharks — who become fierce rivals over her. The law prevents the rivalry from getting out of hand — it can “bite.” It is said that when the wiliwili trees are in bloom the sharks bite, because it is their mating season.]
Nanailewa (1)
2517
ʻO Nana ke kāne, ʻo Nanailewa ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki ʻaeʻa.
Nana is the hushand, Nana-i-lewa (Active-in-movement) the wife; a child born to them has wanderlust.
[Said of a child born in the month of Nana.]
Nānāwale (4)
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.]
1061
Hoʻohewahewa ke aloha, aia i Puna i Nānāwale.
Love failed to recognize him, for it is gone to Puna, to Nānāwale.
[Said when an acquaintance or friend merely looks at another and offers no greeting. A play on nānā-wale (merely look).]
1770
Ke nānā lā i Nānāwale.
Just looks at Nānāwale.
[Said of one who has nothing or no one to look to for help. A play on nānā-wale (merely look), a Puna place name.]
2842
Ua pae ka waʻa i Nānāwale.
The canoe landed at Nānāwale.
[Said of disappointment. To dream of a canoe is a sign of bad luck. A play on nānā-wale (merely look [around at nothing]).]
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.
[Said of a person who is too smart to be caught.]
706
He kui nao hemo ʻole i ke kala.
A screw that a screwdriver can not remove.
[A fixed idea in a stubbom mind; something that nothing can undo.]
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.]
[Said of one who procrastinates. A play on alia (to wait).]
Napoʻopoʻo (2)
839
He Napoʻopoʻo i ʻikea ke poʻo, he Napoʻopoʻo nō i ʻikea ka pepeiao.
A [person of] Napoʻopoʻo whose head is seen; a Napoʻopoʻo whose ears are seen.
[A play on napoʻo (to sink), as the sun sinks in the west. No matter what your claim to rank may be, we can see that your head is low and that your mindfulness of etiquette is equally low.]
ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou kanaka uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i wahine nāu?
Why is it that you do not show how handsome you are by seeking your own woman ?
[A woman might say, under the same circumstances, “ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou wahine uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i kāne nau?’]
1864
Kuha! Nāu nō ʻoe e hele aʻe.
Spit! You come to seek me of your own accord.
[It was called Kuhakalani (Heaven’s expectoration). After the kahuna had prayed that the victim fall in love with the person who consulted him, the consultant was sent to stand with his back against the wind, holding a flower and facing a spot where the victim was likely to appear. Here he spat upon the flower with the words, “Kuha! Nāu nō ʻoe e hele aʻe,” and dropped the blossom. When the victim of the sorcery came near the flower, an intense love would possess him and he would go in search of the person who dropped it there.]
2080
Mai nānā i ka ʻulu o waho, ʻaʻohe ia nāu; e nānā nō i ka ʻulu i ke alo, nāu ia.
Never mind looking for the breadfruit away out, that is not for you; look at the breadfruit in front of you, that is yours.
[Be satisfied with what you have.]
2137
Manaʻo pahaʻoe i kaʻeleʻele o kuʻu kuʻemaka he kauā au nāu?
Do you think that because my eyebrows are black I am your servant?
[Said in annoyance by one who is asked to do distasteful work. Kauā were sometimes identifiable by the black tattoos on their foreheads.]
2294
Nāu ke keiki, kūkae a naʻau.
Yours is the child, excreta, intestines and all.
[In giving a child to adoptive parents, the true parents warned that under no condition would they take the child back. To do so would be disastrous for the child. Recognition, love, and help might continue; but removal while the adoptive parents live — never.]
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.]
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.]
1218
I kua naʻu.
A burden for me.
[A request to a dying person for last instruction: “Let me carry out your last wishes.” This saying also implies simply, “Let me bear the responsibilities,” or “Let me help.”]
2296
Naʻu ke poʻo o ka iʻa.
Keep the head of the fish for me.
[Used to annoy a man on his way to fishing. It was believed that such a request would give him no catch at all.]
2341
Nona ka malo, naʻu e hume; noʻu ka malo, nāna e hume.
His loincloth I could wear; my loincloth he could wear.
[The water of Kahā is in Waiōhinu, Kaʻū. The chief Keouakuahuʻula once discovered that he had lice on his head. Not wanting others to know, he went to Kahā where he washed his head and had the pests removed.]
[A beautiful maiden or handsome youth who rouses jealous envy in others.]
1588
Ka ua nāulu o Kawaihae.
The cloudless rain of Kawaihae.
[The rain of Kawaihae often surprises visitors because it seems to come out of a cloudless sky. A native knows by observing the winds and other signs of nature just what to expect.]
Gone to haul in the nehu, the well-known fish of the land.
[Gone to get nehu for bait. Gone to get her man; that is, gone to get the bait that will get him.]
661
He kai puhi nehu, puhi lala ke kai o ʻEwa.
A sea that blows up nehu fish, blows up a quantity of them, is the sea of ʻEwa.
942
He ua heʻe nehu no ka lawaiʻa.
It is rain that brings nehu for the fishermen.
[Refers to the rain that precedes the run of nehu fish.]
996
Hilinehu ka malama, kū ka nehu.
Hilinehu is the month when the nehu fish appears.
1551
Ka ua heʻe nehu o Hilo.
The nehu-producing rain of Hilo.
[The people knew the season when the schools of nehu fish followed the rain.]
1721
Ke kai heʻe nehu o ʻEwa.
The sea where the nehu come in schools to ʻEwa.
[Nehu (anchovy) come by the millions into Pearl Harbor. They are used as bait for fishing, or eaten dried or fresh.]
2578
Pākahi ka nehu a Kapiʻioho.
The nehu of Kapiioho are divided, one to a person.
[Kapiʻioho, ruler of Molokaʻi, had two ponds, Mauʻoni and Kanahā, built on his land at Kahului, Maui. The men who were brought from Molokaʻi and Oʻahu to build the ponds were fed on food brought over from Molokaʻi. The drain on that island was often so great that the men were reduced to eating nehu fish, freshwater ʻōpae and poi. The saying is used when poi is plentiful but fish is scarce and has to be carefully rationed.]
[Perhaps gone to loaf somewhere. A play on lena (lazy).]
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.]
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.]
147
ʻAʻohe ʻike o ka puaʻa nona ka imu e hōʻā ʻia nei.
The pig does not know that the imu is being lighted for it.
[Said of a person who is unaware that he is being victimized.]
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.]
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.]
[A petite person, as pretty as a small, flower-laden tree.]
1437
Ka lehua neneʻe o Kāʻana.
The low-growing lehua of Kāʻana.
[Refers to Kāʻana, Molokaʻi. Often mentioned in chants of Molokaʻi, the lehua of Kāʻana were loved by the goddess Kapo. This lehua grove was destroyed by introduced animals. The first or one of the first hula schools in the islands is said to have been located at Kāʻana.]
E nihi ka helena i ka uka o Puna; mai pūlale i ka ʻike a ka maka.
Go quietly in the upland of Puna; do not let anything you see excite you.
[Watch your step and don’t let the things you see lead you into trouble. There is an abundance of flowers and berries in the uplands of Puna and it is thought that picking any on the trip up to the volcano will result in being caught in heavy rains; the picking is left until the return trip. Also said to loved ones to imply, “Go carefully and be mindful.”]
[This saying compares people to the scallops on lace. When all are in harmony, they are attractive and interesting. But when they are not, they are like lace with scallops of all sizes and shapes.]
Niʻihau (4)
2176
Moena pāwehe o Niʻihau.
Patterned mat of Niʻihau.
[Poetic expression often used in reference to Niʻihau. Fine makaloa mats of Niʻihau, beautifully patterned, were famed throughout the islands.]
2312
Niʻihau a Kahelelani.
Niʻihau, land of Kahelelani.
[Kahelelani was the name of an ancient ruler of the island of Niʻihau. The tiny seashell that is made into the finest lei on the island now bears the name of Kahelelani.]
2313
Niʻihau i ka uhi paheʻe.
Niʻihau of the slippery yam.
[The island of Niʻihau was noted for its fine yams. When grated raw for medicine, yams are very slippery and tenacious.]
[A small but very powerful person. The nīoi, the ʻohe, and the kauila were the kinds of trees entered by the poison gods Kāneikaulanaʻula and Kahuilaokalani, and Kapo, a goddess, at Maunaloa, Molokaʻi. The trees were later cut down and made into images.]
1500
Ka nīoi aku ia e welawela ai ko nuku.
That is the chili pepper that will burn your lips.
[Said of one whose lovemaking is like the fiery taste of peppers. It’s long remembered.]
1501
Ka nīoi wela o Pakaʻalana.
The burning nīoi of Pakaʻalana.
[Refers to the heiau of Pakaʻalana in Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi. The timber used about the doorway was of nioi wood. According to ancient legend, the nīoi, ʻohe, and kauila trees on Molokaʻi are said to be possessed by poison gods and are regarded as having mana. To tamper with the trees or the wood, especially in places of worship, is to invite serious trouble.]
[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.]
560
He hālau a hālau ko ka niu, hoʻokahi nō hālau o ka niuniu.
The coconut tree has many shelters to go to; but the person who merely aspires has but one.
[Said in scom to or of a person of low rank who assumes the air of a chief. A true chief (niu) is welcome every-where he goes; a pretender is only welcome in his own circle.]
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.]
1469
Ka makani wehe lau niu o Laupāhoehoe.
The coconut-leaf-lifting wind of Laupāhoehoe.
[Laupāhoehoe, Hawai’i.]
1475
Ka malu niu o Huʻehuʻewai.
The coconut grove of Huʻehuʻewai.
[This grove was in Kaimū, Puna.]
1476
Ka malu niu o Pōkāʻī.
The coco-palm shade of Pōkaī.
[Refers to Waiʻanae, on Oʻahu. At Pōkāʻī was the largest and best-known coconut grove on Oʻahu, famed in chants and songs.]
[The swaying palms that once grew at Kaipalaoa, Hilo, seemed to wave an invitation.]
Niua (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.]
Niu-a-Kāne (1)
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.]
[A powerful warrior. The niuhi shark was dreaded because of its ferociousness. It was believed that a chief or warrior who captured this vicious denizen of the deep would acquire something of its nature.]
1014
Hoʻahewa nā niuhi iā Kaʻahupāhau.
The man-eating sharks blamed Kaʻahupāhau.
[Evil-doers blame the person who safeguards the rights of others. Kaʻahupāhau was the guardian shark goddess of Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor) who drove out or destroyed all the man-eating sharks.]
He hālau a hālau ko ka niu, hoʻokahi nō hālau o ka niuniu.
The coconut tree has many shelters to go to; but the person who merely aspires has but one.
[Said in scom to or of a person of low rank who assumes the air of a chief. A true chief (niu) is welcome every-where he goes; a pretender is only welcome in his own circle.]
[You’ll have nothing for all your trouble! A rude remark warning one that double disappointment (niu-niu) is to be expected. A dream of coconuts is a sign that any project planned for the following day will meet with failure.]
A aloha wale ʻia kā hoʻi o Kaunuohua, he puʻu wale nō.
Even Kaunuohua, a hill, is loved.
[If a hill can be loved, how much more so a human?]
8
Ahē nō ka manu o Kaʻula, he lā ʻino.
When the birds of Kaʻula appear wild, it denotes a stormy day.
[Signs of trouble keep people away.]
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.]
67
Aia nō i ka mea e mele ana.
Let the singer select the song.
[Let him think for himself.]
68
Aia nō i ke au a ka wāwae.
Whichever current the feet go in.
[It was felt that discussing any business such as fishing or birdcatching before-hand results in failure.]
[To be returned in kind later. Pahia, an honest, kindly native of Hilo, always noticed what was given him and always said in gratitude, “Yet to come, says Pahia,” meaning that he would respond in kind. People noticed that when he was given pork, he gave pork in return, and he served fish to those from whom he received fish. His friends and their friends learned to say, “ʻYet to come,’ says Pahia,” when they intended to return a kind favor.]
[Said by one about to leave a religious feast, when he must depart before it is over.]
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.]
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.]
[An expression of admiration for a person. Paliuli is a mythical place in the mountain region back of the Panaʻewa forest, Hawaiʻi.]
733
Hele a luhiehu i ka ua noe.
Is made bright by the misty rain.
[Said of a person dressed gaily.]
1010
Hiʻolani i ka noe.
Sleeping in the fog.
[Sleeping off a drunken stupor.]
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.]
2044
Mai hahaki ʻoe i ka ʻōhelo o punia i ka ua noe.
Do not pluck the ʻōhelo berries lest we be surrounded by rain and fog.
[A warning not to do anything that would result in trouble. It is kapu to pluck ʻōhelo berries on the way to the crater of Kīlauea. To do so would cause the rain and fog to come and one would lose his way. It is permissible to pick them at the crater if the first ʻōhelo is tossed into the fire of Pele. Then, on the homeward way, one may pick as he pleases.]
2250
Nā lehua o Līhau i pehia e ka noe.
The lehua blossoms oj Līhau, weighted by the mist.
[Līhau, a mountain of Maui, was noted for its beautiful lehua blossoms.]
2689
Pō nā maka i ka noe, i ka pahulu i ke ala loa.
The eyes are blinded by the mist that haunts the long trail.
[Asked a favor of a hard person who refused to grant it. First uttered by Hi’iaka, who asked two surly lizard gods to permit her and her friends to cross Wailuku River in Hilo. The request was refused and battle was offered instead.]
[Said of the freshwater goby (ʻoʻopu) of the nōpili variety, known to climb waterfalls by clinging fast to the wet stones. It was used by kāhuna in hana aloha sorcery.]
Nona ka malo, naʻu e hume; noʻu ka malo, nāna e hume.
His loincloth I could wear; my loincloth he could wear.
[Said of very close kin.]
2345
Noʻu o luna, noʻu o lalo, noʻu o uka, noʻu o kai, noʻu nā wahi a pau.
Above, below, the upland, the lowland are mine; everywhere is mine.
[Said by Kamehameha III to encourage his lover Kalama to come to him. She need not fear the wrath of Kaʻahumanu for he, Kamehameha, was the master everywhere.]
E mālama i ka iki kanaka, i ka nuʻa kanaka. O kākou nō kēia hoʻākua.
Take care of the insignificant and the great man. That is the duty of us gods.
[Said by Hiʻiaka to Pele in a chant before she departed for Kauaʻi to seek Lohiʻau.]
Nuʻalolo (3)
746
Hele kapalulu ke ahi me ka momoku a kukupaʻu i ke kai o Nuʻalolo.
The crackling firebrands make a great display over the sea of Nualolo.
[Said of a person who makes himself very conspicuous.]
1672
Ke alahaka o Nuʻalolo.
The ladder of Nuʻalolo.
[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.]
Aia i ka ʻōpua ke ola: he ola nui, he ola laulā, he ola hohonu, he ola kiʻekiʻe.
Life is in the clouds: great life, broad life, deep life, elevated Iife.
[The reader of omens knows by their shape and color whether clouds promise rain and prosperity, or warn of disaster.]
54
Aia ka puʻu nui i ke alo.
A big hill stands right before him.
[He has a problem.]
121
A nui mai ke kai o Waialua, moe pupuʻu o Kalena i Haleʻauʻau.
When the sea is rough at Waialua, Kalena curls up to sleep in Haleʻauʻau.
[Applied to a person who prefers to sleep instead of doing chores. A play on lena (lazy), in Kalena, who was a fisherman, and hale (house) in Haleʻauʻau.]
136
ʻAʻohe e pulu, he waʻa nui.
One will not be wet on a large canoe.
[One is safe in the protection of an important person.]
142
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia.
No task is too big when done together by all.
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.]
[He who indulges in something harmful will surely reap the result.]
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.]
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.”]
847
He nuku uila.
Lightning snout.
[An incessant talker.]
848
He nuku uli ʻūmiʻi.
Dark lips hold fast.
[A vulgar expression. One with very dark lips is said to be sexually potent.]
[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.]
Hoʻopau maunu i ka iʻa liʻiliʻi; e kiʻi nō ma ka iʻa nunui.
A waste of bait to go for the small fish; go for the big ones.
1794
Kiʻi maka nunui.
Big-eyed images.
[Important people.]
1994
Liʻiliʻi kamaliʻi, nunui ka ʻomoʻomo palaoa; liʻiliʻi pua mauʻu kihe ka puka ihu.
Small child, but a big loaf of bread; small blade of grass, but it tickles the nostril enough to cause sneezing.
[Once said by a chiefess in praise of a teenage boy with whom she had an affair, this became a humorous saying throughout the islands.]
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.]
[The foamy sea that follows after a tumbling wave.]
1913
Kūlia i ka nuʻu.
Strive to reach the highest.
[Motto of Queen Kapiʻolani.]
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.]
2633
Piʻi aku a kau i ka nuʻu.
Ascend and stand on the nuʻu.
[Ascend to a place of honor. The nuʻu is a very kapu place reserved for certain chiefs.]
Nuʻuanu (10)
101
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.
768
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.]
1016
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.]
1309
Kāhiko i Nuʻuanu ka ua Waʻahila.
Adorned is Nuuanu by the Waʻahila rain.
[The Wa’ahila rain makes Nuʻuanu grow green and beautiful.]
1464
Ka makani kāʻili kapa o Nuʻuanu.
The garment-snatching wind of Nuuanu.
[The gale that blows at Nuʻuanu Pali, Oʻahu, could whisk away the tapa garment of a traveler there.]
1468
Ka makani kulaʻi kanaka o Nuʻuanu.
The wind of Nuʻuanu that pushes people over.
[The strong gales at Nuʻuanu were known to make travelers fall down.]
[The Pōpōkapa rain is so called because anyone who came up Nuʻuanu Pali from the windward side had to bundle his garments and hold his arms against his chest to keep from getting wet.]