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.]
1516
Ka ō ʻole i ka wehe a ka Hoʻolua.
No stopping when the Hoʻolua wind opens up.
[Said of anything that can’t be stopped.]
1935
Kuʻu manu lawelawe ō o Hoʻolehua.
My bird of Hoʻolehua that cries out about food.
[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.]
2239
Na ke kanaka mahiʻai ka imu ō nui.
The well-filled imu belongs to the man who tills the soil.
2327
Noho nā makani a Kāne, lawe i ke ō.
When the winds of Kāne blow, carry your food along.
[When one doesn’t know what to expect, it is better to be prepared. On windy days, fruits fall and vegetable crops are lashed and beaten.]
[When Kupanea died, Kaona, a false prophet who lived during the reign of Kamehameha III, suggested that the family leave him unburied and that Kaona’s prayers would restore the corpse to life again. Instead Kupanea’s corpse became decomposed and had to be buried. Thus, this humorous saying — meaning never! — came into being.]
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.]
70
"Aia nō i ʻō," wahi ʻo Pahia.
“Yet to come,” says Pahia.
[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.]
95
Akāka wale nō ʻo Kaumaikaʻohu.
Very clearly appears Kaumaikaʻohu.
[One can very well see what the whole matter is about. Kaumaikaʻohu is a hill in Punaluʻu, Kaʻū.]
96
Akāka wale ʻo Haleakalā.
Haleakalā stands in full view.
[Said of anything that is very obvious or clearly understood.]
113
Aloha mai nō, aloha aku; ʻo ka huhiā ka mea e ola ʻole ai.
When love is given, love should he returned; anger is the thing that gives no life.
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.]
[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.]
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.]
434
Hālō aku ma ʻō, he maka helei; kiʻei mai ma ʻaneʻi, he ʻoʻopa.
Peer over there and there is someone with a drawn-down eyelid; peep over here and here is a lame one.
[No matter which way one turns there is a sign of bad luck.]
660
He kai ʻō heʻe ko Kapapa.
A sea for octopus fishing has Kapapa.
[Refers to Kapapa, Oʻahu.]
732
Hele aku ʻoe ma ʻaneʻi, he waʻa kanaka; hoʻi mai ʻoe ma ʻō he waʻa akua.
When you go from here, the canoe will contain men; when you return, it will be a ghostly canoe.
[Warning to Keouakuahuʻula by his kahuna not to go to meet Kamehameha at Kawaihae. He went anyway and was killed.]
838
He nani wale nō o Puna mai ʻō a ʻō.
There is only beauty from one end of Puna to the other.
[There is nothing to complain about. Refers to Puna, Kauaʻi.]
A signal word used by Kukuaokalalau, a celebrated warrior of Kauaʻi who fought under Kalanialiloa, a chief of Kauaʻi. It means, “Here they come!”
Oʻahu (7)
309
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).]
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.]
1763
Ke kū nō a Maui; ke kiʻei nō a Lānaʻi; ka moe nō a Molokaʻi; ka noho nō a Oʻahu.
[Said of people who stand about, look on, go to sleep and sit around, but who do not lend a hand with work.]
2352
Oʻahu a Lua.
Oʻahu, island of Lua.
[According to an old legend, Lua is the father of Oʻahu.]
2353
Oʻahu, ka ʻōnohi o nā kai.
Oʻahu, gem of the seas.
[Oʻahu is the principal island of the group.]
2354
Oʻahu maka ʻewaʻewa.
Oʻahu of the averted eyes.
[This saying began with Hiʻiaka, who asked two of her kinsmen on Oʻahu for a canoe to take her to Kauaʻi. They gave her a broken one, which she and her companion mended with no help from the men. In disgust, she called them Oʻahu maka ʻewaʻewa. After that, Oʻahu was said to have the least friendly people of all the islands.]
2920
Wawā ka menehune i Puʻukapele ma Kauaʻi, puoho ka manu o ka loko o Kawainui ma Oʻahu.
The shouts of the menehune on Puukapele on Kauai startled the birds of Kawainui Pond on Oʻahu.
[The menehune were once so numerous on Kaua’i that their shouting could be heard on O’ahu. Said of too much boisterous talking.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
196
ʻAʻohe ʻoe no koʻu hālau.
You are not of my shed.
[Why do you presume to know who my ancestors are?]
217
ʻAʻohe wāwae o ka iʻa; ʻo ʻoe ka mea wāwae, kiʻi mai.
Fish have no feet; you who have feet must come and get it.
[Said of one who asks for, but doesn’t come to get, what he wants. Any footless creature might be used as an example.]
[A large house brings so many visitors that to feed them all, even immature taro must be used.]
850
He ʻohā pili wale.
A young taro that attaches itself to an older corm.
[Said of a person who attaches himself to another in order to receive care. He is like a young taro that grows beside the parent plant but does not belong to it.]
1232
I maikaʻi ke kalo i ka ʻohā.
The goodness of the taro is judged by the young plant it produces.
[Parents are often judged by the behavior of their children.]
1509
Kanu ke kalo i Welo, ʻaʻole e ulu nui ʻia e ka ʻohā.
Plant taro in Welo and the offshoots will not be many.
[The corm of taro planted in the month of Welo grows very large but the offishoots are few.]
2652
Pili ʻohā, he kamau mai ma waho.
A taro-offishoot relationship added to the outside of the corm.
[One who was not a relative, yet is a member of the household.]
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.]
1714
Ke kaha ʻōhai o Kaiona.
Kaiona s place where the ʻōhai grows.
[Kaiona is a benevolent goddess whose home is Mt. Kaʻala and vicinity. The ʻōhai grew in profusion there. Because of her graciousness, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop was compared to this goddess in songs.]
ʻOhaikea (1)
1709
Keiki uhaʻi koaiʻe o ʻOhaikea.
Lad of ʻOhaikea who breaks koaiʻe logs.
[An expression of admiration for any youth of ʻOhaikea in Kaʻū. A handsome young man of that locality was said to have been so strong that he could break a log in two with his bare hands.]
[An expression of derision. Inter-marriage was encouraged only among high chiefs. When commoners inter-married, they were declared to be like chickens, mating with no regard to relationship.]
1200
ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku kōkua mai; pēlā ihola ka nohona ʻohana.
Recognize and he recognized, help and he helped; such is family life.
[Family life requires an exchange of mutual help and recognition.]
1826
Kōlea aku i ka ʻohana.
Cry “Plover!” in seeking one’s kinfolk.
[Names are family possessions. In seeking one’s unknown kin, repeat the family names until they are found.]
2068
Mai ka uka a ke kai, mai kahi pae a kahi pae o Kaʻū, he hoʻokahi nō ʻohana.
From the upland to the sea, from end to end of Kaʻū, there is only one family.
[The inhabitants of old Kaʻū were of one family.]
2441
ʻO kau aku, ʻo kā ia lā mai, pēlā ka nohona o ka ʻohana.
From you and from him — so lived the family.
[The farmer gave to the fisherman, the fisherman to the farmer.]
[An expression of contempt for the kauā. While waiting to be taken to the heiau to be sacrificed, a kauā was compelled to wear a small gourd suspended from the neck with a cord.]
[Each person to his own place. From the legend of Kamiki, in whieh the hero called to the various taros by name, and each leaped into its own hole and stood there.]
2186
Moku i ka ʻohe a Kahaʻi.
Cut off by the bamboo knife of Kahaʻi.
[Said of any complete severing. Kahaʻi was a chief who traveled afar. He is credited with introducing the first breadfruit plant to the islands.]
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.]
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.]
1071
Hoʻokahi no hana a Palapala ʻo ka ʻohi i ka iʻa.
All that Palapala does is gather fish.
[Although we do all the hard work, another comes along and reaps the harvest. Palapala was a noted warrior of Kāʻanapali, Maui. When the fishermen went deep-sea fishing with hook and line, he accompanied them. Whenever a fish would become unfastened and float to the surface, Palapala would take it, uttering these words.]
2361
ʻOhi aku ka pō a koe kēia.
The night has taken all but this one.
[All are dead; this is the only survivor.]
2363
ʻOhi hāpuku ka iʻa o Kapaʻau.
Any kind of fish was gathered at Kapaʻau.
[At time of famine no one was particular about the kind of fish he received.]
2364
ʻOhi hāpuku ka makapehu o Kaunu.
The hungry of Kaunu greedily gather.
[Said of one who greedily takes anything, good or inferior. Also said of one who talks carelessly without regard for the feelings of others.]
2365
ʻOhi hāpuku ka wahie o Kapaʻau.
Anything was gathered up as fuel at Kapaʻau.
[Said of one who takes anything and everything. At one time Kohala suffered a drought and food became scarce. The women did their best to raise food at ʻAinakea while the men traveled far in search of some means of relieving the famine. In order to cook their meager, inferior crops, the women used whatever they found for fuel — dried sugar-cane leaves, grasses, potatoes, and so forth.]
[Said in praise of one’s industry whereby he has gained prosperity. “The bird of the day” refers to the industrious ʻuwaʻu that flies daily to the sea for its food.]
[Kealakomo, in Puna, Hawaiʻi, where ʻōhiʻa trees grow thickly together.]
1554
Ka ua hoʻopala ʻōhiʻa.
The rain that ripens mountain apples.
[The rain that comes just as the mountain apple is beginning to ripen.]
1784
Ke uē nei ka ʻōhiʻa o Kealakona.
The ʻōhiʻa wood of Kealakona weeps [for you].
[Uttered as a taunt by Mahihelelima, powerful warrior of Maui, when he sent his slingshots toward the warriors of Hawaiʻi under Piʻimaiwaʻa. ʻŌhiʻa logs from Kealakona were used for the fortress on Kaʻuiki, where the Maui warriors fought the invaders. Later used to mean, “We are prepared to defend ourselves and we are sorry for you if you try to fight us.”]
2362
ʻŌhiʻa noho malu.
Mountain apple in the shade.
[Said of a beautiful or handsome person, who is compared to a mountain apple that ripens to perfection in the shade.]
2369
ʻO Hinaiaʻeleʻele ka malama, ʻāluka ka pala a ka ʻōhiʻa.
Hinaiaʻeleʻele is the month when the mountain apples open everywhere.
2932
Welehu ka malama, liko ka ʻōhiʻa.
Welehu is the month [when] the ʻōhiʻa trees are putting forth leaf buds.
[Said when there is a poor growth of sweet potatoes during an excessively warm summer. The broken pieces of potato sprouting among the weeds produces the few potatoes that feed the farmer and his family until a new crop is started.]
[An epithet for Pele, who devoured even the rocks and trees.]
316
E kanu i ka huli ʻoi hāʻule ka ua.
Plant the taro stalks while there is rain.
[Do your work when opportunity affords.]
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.
371
E paneʻe ka waʻa ʻoi moe ka ʻale.
Set the canoes moving while the billows are at rest.
[Said by Holowae, a kahuna, to suggest that Kalaniʻōpuʻu retum to Hawaiʻi while there was peace. Later used to stir one to action.]
700
He koholua ʻoi ke aliʻi.
A sharp-pointed piercing implement is the chief.
[A warning that one who tampers with a chief will be hurt.]
857
He ʻoi wale aku nō ʻo Huaʻā.
Great indeed was Huaʻā.
[A sarcasm. Huaʻā was a chief of Puna on Hawaiʻi. When the chief of another district threatened to war against him, he hastily sent word to Kamehameha for protection. The latter ordered the war-minded chief to cease his threats.]
I noho ʻoukou a i pae mai he waʻa o Kahiki-makolena, hopu ʻoukou a paʻa; o ke kahuna ia ʻaʻohe e ʻeha ka ʻili ʻoiai no Kahiki aku ana ka ʻāina.
If sometime in the future a canoe from Kahiki-makolena arrives, grasp and hold fast to it. There is the kahuna for you, and your skins will never more he hurt [in war],for the land will someday he owned hy Kahiki.
[A prophecy uttered by Kaleikuahulu to Kaʻahumanu and her sisters as he was dying. Foreign priests (missionaries) will come. Accept their teachings.]
2381
ʻOiai e nānā mai ana nō nā maka.
While the eyes still look around.
[While a person is living, treat him kindly and learn what you can from him.]
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.]
2392
ʻŌʻili pulelo ke ahi o Kāmaile.
The fire of Kāmaile rises in triumph.
[Said of one who is victorious over obstacles, this is the first line of a chant composed for Kamehameha II. In olden days, firebrands hurled from the cliffʻs at Hāʻena, Kauaʻi, made a spectacular sight.]
Wrong was the “fish” of ʻUmiamaka for it had sand inside.
[Said of anything that is bad, or when one has been cheated. ʻUmiamaka was a young trickster who desired the daughter of a certain man who was very fond of lobster. But the father would not let his daughter go with a man who was not a fisherman. To win the father over, ʻUmiamaka filled a lobster shell he found on the beach with white sand. After stuffing the crack carefully with limu so it would appear freshly caught, he presented it to the father. After receiving the lobster, the father allowed his daughter to go out with ʻUmiamaka. But when the man gave his attention to the lobster, he discovered that it was just a sand-filled shell, and cried out these words. When the impudent youth returned, he claimed innocence, saying, “That was your fish, not mine.’]
Wait to cut the land of Kahewahewa, for it is raining.
[Let us not rush. Said by Kaweloleimakua as he wrestled with an opponent at Waikīkī.]
2465
ʻOki kilohana ka pali o Waialoha.
Straight and tall is the cliff of Waialoha.
[Said in admiration of a tall, well-formed person.]
2466
ʻOki loa ka ihu kau ʻia e ka nalo.
It is worse to have a fly sit on the nose
[A young woman from Kaʻū was teased about being carried ashore by a sailor who found it hard to resist kissing her. This was her laughing reply — there are worse things than being kissed.]
2468
ʻOki pau ka hana i ke one kani o Nohili.
Strange indeed are the activities at the sounding sands of Nohili.
[Barking Sands beach of Nohili, Kauaʻi, was believed to be the haunt of ghosts. Said of a person whose behavior is peculiar.]
ʻOkiʻokiaho (2)
1628
Kaʻū, mai ʻOkiʻokiaho a Mawae.
Kaʻū, from ʻOkiʻokiaho to Mawae.
[The district of Kaʻū, from ʻOkiʻokiaho at the boundary of Puna, to Mawae at the boundary of Kona.]
2747
Puna, mai ʻOkiʻokiaho a Mawae.
Puna, from ʻOkiʻokiaho to Mawae.
[The extent of Puna is from ʻOkiʻokiaho on the Kaʻū side to Mawae on the Hilo side.]
One can think of life after the fish is in the canoe.
[Before one feels elated and makes plans he should first secure his “fish.”]
30
Aia a ola hou ʻo Kupanea.
When Kupanea comes to life again.
[When Kupanea died, Kaona, a false prophet who lived during the reign of Kamehameha III, suggested that the family leave him unburied and that Kaona’s prayers would restore the corpse to life again. Instead Kupanea’s corpse became decomposed and had to be buried. Thus, this humorous saying — meaning never! — came into being.]
42
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.]
57
Aia ke ola i ka hana.
Life is in labor.
[Labor produces what is needed.]
58
Aia ke ola i Kahiki.
Life is in Kahiki.
[Life and prosperity are in the care of the gods, and the gods are said to reside in Kahiki.]
[Said when there is a poor growth of sweet potatoes during an excessively warm summer. The broken pieces of potato sprouting among the weeds produces the few potatoes that feed the farmer and his family until a new crop is started.]
2482
ʻOla i ka wai a ka ʻōpua.
There is life in the water from the clouds.
[Rain gives life.]
2483
ʻOla i ke ahe lau makani.
There is life in a gentle breath of wind.
[Said when a warm day is relieved by a breeze.]
2490
ʻOla nō ka lawaiʻa i kahi poʻo maunu.
A fisherman can subsist on his left-over bait.
[Bait made from octopus heart was carefully prepared and kept in a clean container. When a fisherman had no luck in fishing, the bait was eaten with poi.]
2491
ʻOla nō ka mahiʻai i kahi kūʻōʻō.
A farmer can subsist on small, broken potatoes.
[As long as there are potatoes, even small or broken ones, a farmer gets along.]
2492
ʻOla nō ka mea akua, make nō ka mea akua ʻole.
He who has a god lives; he who has none, dies.
[A god was regarded as a helper and protector of his devotee.]
2495
ʻOla Waiʻanae i ka makani Kaiaulu.
Waiʻanae is made comfortahle by the Kaiaulu breeze.
[Chanted by Hiʻiaka at Kaʻena, Oʻahu, after her return from Kauaʻi.]
ʻŌlaʻa (2)
673
He kāpili manu no ka uka o ʻŌlaʻa he pipili mamau i ka ua nui.
A birdcatching gum of the upland of ʻŌlaʻa that sticks and holds fast in the pouring rain.
[Said of one who holds the interest and love of a sweetheart at all times.]
943
He uahi ʻai pū nō ko ʻŌlaʻa kini.
Smoke that is also eaten by those of ʻŌlaʻa.
[In ancient times, birdcatchers went to the forest of ʻŌlaʻa (then known as Laʻa) to ply their trade. Crude shelters were built for sleeping and cooking, and meals were often eaten beside a smoky fire. So anyone who shares a meal by a smoky fire is said to eat smoke like the people of ʻŌlaʻa.]
[A person not very well informed talks more than one who is.]
2374
ʻO Honoliʻi, huewai ʻolāʻolā i ka nuku.
Honoliʻi, where the water bottle gurgles at the mouth.
[Said of those of Honoliʻi, Hilo, by Hiʻiaka. In ancient days, expert sorcerers there who prayed others to death muttered prayers that sounded like the gurgling of a water bottle.]
A hewa no he hale kanaka, ʻaʻohe hewa o ka hale kanaka ʻole.
Fault can he found in an inhabited house and none in an uninhabited one.
[Mistakes and weakness are always found in humanity.]
24
Aia akula i kula panoa wai ʻole.
Gone to the dry, waterless plain.
[Gone where one may find himself stranded or deserted.]
29
Aia anei ka maka i ke kua o ʻike ʻole iho?
Are the eyes on the back that one cannot see what is being done?
[Said of one who declares that he doesn’t know how to do a certain thing and perhaps will not be able to learn.]
113
Aloha mai nō, aloha aku; ʻo ka huhiā ka mea e ola ʻole ai.
When love is given, love should he returned; anger is the thing that gives no life.
120
Anu hewa i ka pō, he kuʻuna iʻa ʻole.
Feeling the cold air of the night was all in vain; no fish was caught in the net.
[A wasted effort.]
151
ʻAʻohe ʻīnaʻi komo ʻole o ka ʻai.
There is no meat that doesnt taste good with poi.
[Let it go at that. Used especially with regard to genealogy to mean: Even if one claims kinship with me, it doesn’t matter whether the connection is genuine. My life will continue; I can still eat poi.]
[Similar to the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.”]
ʻOle (4)
989
Hiki akula i nā ʻOle.
It has reached the ʻOle nights.
[The ʻOle nights refer to certain moon phases that were not good for fishing, planting, or starting any business. To reach the ʻOle nights is to face a bad time.]
2282
Nā ʻOle ka pō, ʻo nā ʻOle ke ao, he ʻole ka loaʻa.
The nights are ʻOle, the days are ʻOle — nothing to be gotten.
[The tide is high in the ʻOle period and no fish are caught.]
2431
ʻO ka ʻOle ia, mai ʻOlekukāhi a ʻOlekupau.
It is the ʻOle nights from ʻOlekukāhi to ʻOlekupau.
[No. Absolutely not. A play on ʻole (nothing). ʻOlekukāhi, ʻOlekulua, ʻOlekukolu and ʻOlekupau are moon phases in the lunar month.]
ʻOlekukāhi (1)
2431
ʻO ka ʻOle ia, mai ʻOlekukāhi a ʻOlekupau.
It is the ʻOle nights from ʻOlekukāhi to ʻOlekupau.
[No. Absolutely not. A play on ʻole (nothing). ʻOlekukāhi, ʻOlekulua, ʻOlekukolu and ʻOlekupau are moon phases in the lunar month.]
ʻOlekupau (1)
2431
ʻO ka ʻOle ia, mai ʻOlekukāhi a ʻOlekupau.
It is the ʻOle nights from ʻOlekukāhi to ʻOlekupau.
[No. Absolutely not. A play on ʻole (nothing). ʻOlekukāhi, ʻOlekulua, ʻOlekukolu and ʻOlekupau are moon phases in the lunar month.]
Hoʻokahi no makani ʻino o ke Kalakalaʻihi Kalaloa, he hoʻonuinui ʻōlelo.
There is only one bad wind, the Kalakalaʻihi Kalaloa, which creates too much talk.
[Said of nasty words that start dissension and argument. A play on kalakala (rough) and kala loa (very rough). First uttered by the lizard-goddess Kilioe, who was trying to stir Pele to wrath by her insults.]
He ʻolena wale aʻe no ka Kiʻilau; he neʻeneʻe wale aʻe no ka Kāʻiliahu.
Kiʻilau merely gazes under his brow; Kāʻiliahu simply moves up close.
[Said of a lazy person who watches others work and then moves up to get a large share. A play on kiʻi-lau (fetch-much) and kaili-ahu (snatch-a-heap).]
ʻOlepau (3)
1741
Ke kau mai nei ʻo ʻOlepau.
The moon is in the phase of ʻOlepau.
[There is nothing more to consider. A play on ʻole (no) and pau (finished).]
1958
Lawe ka hanu i ʻOlepau.
The breath was taken to ʻOlepau.
[A play on ʻole (no) and pau (finished) Said of one who dies by accident, in a war, etc., and not from natural causes. ʻOlepau is a moon phase in the lunar month.]
2527
ʻO ʻOlepau ka mahina; ʻo palaweka ka mahina; ʻo hina wale ka mahina; ʻo hāhā pōʻele ka mahina.
ʻOlepau is the moon phase; hazy is the light of the moon; quickly goes the light of the moon; one gropes in the dark.
[Said of one who is vague or hazy in explaining his thoughts, or of one whose knowledge is vague.]
[When an eel of the deep sea grows large, the upper part of its neck sags with fat. Said of one who is prosperous — his pockets sag with money. Also said of a person with a double chin. Also, the scrotum.]
1970
Lei i ke ʻolo.
Wearers of gourds around the neck.
[The kauā, who were a despised people. One who was marked for sacrifice was made to wear a small gourd suspended from the neck by a cord.]
2443
ʻO Kaulua ka malama, ʻolo ka ʻōpū mālolo a ka lawaiʻa.
Kaulua is the month when the bag nets of the fishermen sag with flying fish.
The bare one of Kamaʻomaʻo that appears at noonday.
[The plain of Kamaomao, Maui, is said to be the haunt of ghosts (ʻōlohe) who appear at night or at noon. Also a play on ʻōlohe (nude), applied to one who appears unclothed.]
[Going home empty-handed. A play on hamo (rub), as in the act of rubbing the hands together to indicate that one is empty-handed. Hamohamo is a place in Waikīkī.]
[Said of a state of destitution; to have nothing. A play on ʻau (swim) and ʻōlohelohe (naked).]
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.
[Prophesied by David Malo.]
549
He au holo a ka ʻōlohelohe.
A running place for the naked one.
[Used when one is disappointed in an undertaking. To dream of nakedness is an omen of bad luck.]
Haʻu ka makani, hāʻule ke onaona, pili i ka mauʻu.
When the wind puffs, the fragrant blossoms fall upon the grass.
[When there is an explosion of wrath, people quail before it.]
516
He aikāne, he pūnana na ke onaona.
A friend, a nest of fragrance.
[Sweet indeed is a good friend.]
753
Hele nō ka lima; hele nō ka ʻāwihi; ʻaʻohe loaʻa i ke onaona maka.
The hand goes; the wink goes; nothing is gained by just looking sweet.
[Keep the hands occupied with work, then one can afford to make eyes at the opposite sex. Just looking attractive isn’t enough.]
1867
Kuhi nō ka lima, ʻāwihi nō ka maka, ʻo ka loaʻa nō ia a ka maka onaona.
With a hand gesture and a wink, an attractive person can get whatever he desires.
1969
Lei Hanakahi i ke ʻala me ke onaona o Panaʻewa.
Hanakahi is adorned with the fragrance and perfume of Panaʻewa.
[The forest of Panaʻewa was famous for its maile vines and hala and lehua blossoms, well liked for making lei, so Hilo (Hanakahi) was said to be wreathed with fragrance.]
2184
Mokihana onaona o Maunahina, lei hoʻohihi a ka malihini.
The fragrant mokihana berries of Maunahina, lei in which visitors delight.
[Maunahina is a mountain on Kauaʻi, where the mokihana berries grow best.]
2863
ʻUkuliʻi ka pua, onaona i ka mauʻu.
Tiny is the flower, yet it scents the grasses around it.
[Said of a small person who gives happiness to others.]
[Said of eels that can travel on the sand and rocks. Tales are told of eels climbing pandanus trees and dropping on persons resting or sleeping under them. Also said of a dangerous person.]
Barren is Kaupō; the eating in the cavern has begun.
[Fatal shark attacks were common at Kaupō at one time. As a result, the people moved elsewhere, after which a man-eating shark peered at Kaupō and said these words. The spot from which he watched was named Kiʻei (Peer). Later used to mean destitution.]
The prayer of a kahuna is like a worm; it may lie dormant but it will wriggle along.
[Though the prayer of a kahuna may not take effect at once, it will in time.]
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.]
926
He puhi ka iʻa ʻoni i ka lani.
The eel is a fish that moves skyward.
[Niuloahiki, god of coconut trees, had three forms — eel, man, and coconut tree, which reaches skyward. This expression can refer to Niuloahiki or to any influence that rises and becomes overwhelming. When used in hana aloha sorcery, it means that the squirming of love is like the movement of an eel. Also used as a warning — “Beware of that ambitious person who will let nothing stand in his way.”]
1305
Kahe ka hou, ʻoni ka puʻu.
Perspiration flows, the Adam’s apple moves.
[Said in fun of a person who intensely desires the unobtainable, such as a young man longing for a maiden who will not reciprocate.]
2520
ʻOni kalalea ke kū a ka lāʻau loa.
A tall tree stands above the others.
[Said of a person of outstanding achievements.]
2855
Ua wela ka lā, ke ʻoni nei kukuna o ka hāʻukeʻuke.
The sun is too warm, for the spikes of the hāʻukeʻuke are moving.
[Anger is growing, and those near the angry one are moving out of the way. The hauke’uke is a sea urchin.]
[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.]
ʻAkahi hoʻi kuʻu ʻono i ka uhu kāʻalo i kuʻu maka.
Now I long for the uhu fish that passes before my eyes.
[How I would like that handsome fellow for a sweetheart. The uhu is a bright-colored fish, beautiful to look at, and tasty.]
248
E aha ʻia ana o Hakipuʻu i ka palaoa lāwalu ʻono a Kaʻehu?
What is happening to Hakipuu, with dough cooked in ti leaves, of which Kaehu is so fond?
[This is a line of a chant composed by Kaʻehu, a poet and hula instructor from Kauaʻi. It refers to a part-white woman with whom he flirted. Used in humor when referring to Hakipuʻu, a place on the windward side of Oʻahu.]
2426
ʻO ka maoli maiʻa ʻono ia o ka ʻeʻa.
The tastiest banana of the patch.
[The finest, most attractive lad of the community.]
2523
ʻOno kahi ʻao luʻau me ke aloha pū.
A little taro green is delicious when love is present.
[Even the plainest fare is delicious when there is love.]
[A term of derision for a very dark-skinned person.]
866
He ʻoʻopu kuʻia, ka iʻa hilahila o Kawainui.
A bashful ʻoʻopu, the shy fish of Kawainui.
[Said of a bashful person. Kawainui at Kailua was one of the largest ponds on Oʻahu.]
1034
Hoʻi ka ʻoʻopu ʻai lehua i ka māpunapuna.
The lehua-eating ʻoʻopu has gone back to the spring.
[Said of one who has gone back to the source.]
1517
Ka ʻoʻopu peke o Hanakāpīʻai.
The short ʻoʻopu of Hanakāpīʻai.
[The ʻoʻopu at Hanakāpīʻai on Kauaʻi were said to be shorter and plumper than those anywhere else. Mentioned in chants.]
2529
ʻOʻopu peke o Hanakāpīʻai.
The stunted ʻoʻopu fish of Hanakāpīʻai.
[Famed in the legends of Kauaʻi are the ʻoʻopu of Hanakāpīʻai, which are said to be plump and shorter in length than those elsewhere. Sometimes applied humorously to a short, plump person.]
[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.]
178
ʻAʻohe lolena i ka wai ʻōpae.
There must he no slackness when one gathers shrimp in time of a freshet.
[Let there be no slackers when there is work to be done. Lazy people don’t get anywhere.]
867
He ʻōpae, he panau.
A shrimp that moves with a flip of its tail.
[Said of one who gads about. He is compared to a shrimp who with one flip of its tail is over here, and with another flip is over there.]
965
He waʻa auaneʻi ka ipu e pau ai nā pipi me nā ʻōpae.
A gourd container is not a canoe to take all of the oysters and shrimps.
[The container is not too large and cannot deplete the supply. A reply to one who views with suspicion another’s food container, or who balks at sharing what he has.]
984
Hihia ka ʻōpae ma ka ʻumiʻumi.
The shrimp is entangled by the feelers.
[Like a shrimp whose feelers are entangled by some weeds trailing in the water, so is a person who is caught in an affair he cannot get out of.]
[Said of a poor fare of food due to a bad crop. A single shrimp and some salt will do for the time being, as long as the shrimp flavors and colors the salt.]
[Said of one who is untidy, or who talks nonsense. Haʻakua is under the Puʻueo end of the railroad bridge that spans the Wailuku River in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.]
One-eyed person who does not see the bundle of fish.
[Dried fish were rolled in ti leaves and hung up. When the leaves dried, they matched the color of the thatch of the house and often were not noticed at a glance.]
A person who has not raised a child may go along with his bundles on the road.
[Said of an aged person who has no one to care for him. Had he troubled to rear children they could take care of him when he was old.]
987
Hiʻikua waha ka ʻopeʻope, hiʻi ke keiki ma ke alo, uē ʻalalā i ka nahele.
A bundle borne on the back, a baby in the arms, wailing in the forest.
[Said of mothers fleeing in terror.]
1193
I ka pali nō ka hoa a hele, kalakala ke kua i ka ʻopeʻope.
The companion stays up on the hill and then goes, the back roughened by the load.
[Said of one who keeps at a distance and departs. Also said of luck that stays away like a disinterested friend, carrying its load of fortune away with it. This was first uttered by Lohiʻau in a chant when he failed to make a score in kilu.]
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.]
1708
Keiki ʻopeʻope nui o Kaluakoʻi.
The lad of Kaluakoʻi with the big hundle.
[A person heavily laden with bundles. Kuapakaʻa, a boy of Kaluakoʻi, made ready to go with Keawe-nui-a-ʻUmi, chief of Hawaiʻi, to Kaʻula in search of Pakaʻa. The lad knew all the time that Pakaʻa was on Molokaʻi, for Pakaʻa was his father. Before going he asked permission to bring his bundles on board. To everyone’s surprise they consisted of a large log filled with necessities, and a large rock which was later used as an anchor.]
2181
Mohio lū ʻopeʻope.
Gale that scatters bundles.
[Said of an untidy person who scatters his possessions around.]
Not even a clump of weeds in which to be sheltered.
[There is nothing to relieve this unpleasant situation.]
284
E hoʻi e peʻe i ke ōpū weuweu me he moho lā. E ao o haʻi ka pua o ka mauʻu iā ʻoe.
Go back and hide among the clumps of grass like the wingless rail. Be careful not to break even a blade of grass.
[Retum to the country to live a humble life and leave no trace to be noticed and followed. So said the chief Keliʻiwahamana to his daughter when he was dying. Later used as advice to a young person not to be aggressive or show off.]
361
E noho iho i ke ōpū weuweu, mai hoʻokiʻekiʻe.
Remain among the clumps of grasses and do not elevate yourself.
[Do not put on airs, show off, or assume an attitude of superiority.]
2476
ʻO kuʻu wahi ōpū weuweu lā, nou ia.
Let my little clump of grass be yours.
[A humble way of offering the use of one’s grass house to a friend.]
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.]
1742
Ke kawa lele ʻopu o Kaumaea.
The diving place of Kaumaea [where skill is shown].
[Kaumaea, Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, is famed in old chants because it was there that a unique game was played. Instead of leaping off into water, the players leaped off into a heap of dirt in a pit. Then they tried to slide down the mound with the least raising of dust. This game was usually followed by riding the surf of Kuaʻana at Paiahaʻa, thus washing off the dirt that clung to the perspiring skins of the players.]
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.]
369
E ʻōpū aliʻi.
Have the heart of a chief.
[Have the kindness, generosity, and even temper of a chief.]
865
He ʻoʻopu-hue, ka iʻa ʻōpū kēkē.
An ʻoʻopu-hue, the fish with a distended belly.
[A term of derision for a pot-bellied person.]
869
He ʻōpū hālau.
A house-like stomach.
[A heart as big as a house. Said of a person who is kind, gracious, and hospitable.]
870
He ʻōpū lepo ko ka mahiʻai.
A farmer has a dirty stomach.
[A farmer is not always able to keep his hands and fingemails perfectly clean, even if he washes them. Because he eats with his fingers he is said to have a dirty stomach.]
1246
I ola nō ke kino i ka māʻona o ka ʻōpū.
The body enjoys health when the stomach is well filled.
[You are a cock whose spurs are just budding; he is a cock with spurs that are already strong. Said as a warning to a youngster not to challenge one stronger than he.]
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.]
2084
Mai piʻi aʻe ʻoe i ka lālā kau halalī o ʻike ʻia kou wahi hilahila e ou mau hoa.
Do not climb to the topmost branches lest your private parts be seen by your companions.
[Do not put on an air of superiority lest people remember only your faults.]
I do not find even the fragrance of roasted kukui nuts in you.
[I don’t find the least bit of good in you. First uttered by Pele to her sisters, who refused to go to Kauaʻi for her lover, Lohi’au.]
355
E naʻi wale nō ʻoukou i koʻu pono, ʻaʻole e pau.
You can seek out all the benefits I have produced and find them without number.
[Said by Kamehameha I when he was dying.]
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.]
1242
I noho ʻoukou a i pae mai he waʻa o Kahiki-makolena, hopu ʻoukou a paʻa; o ke kahuna ia ʻaʻohe e ʻeha ka ʻili ʻoiai no Kahiki aku ana ka ʻāina.
If sometime in the future a canoe from Kahiki-makolena arrives, grasp and hold fast to it. There is the kahuna for you, and your skins will never more he hurt [in war],for the land will someday he owned hy Kahiki.
[A prophecy uttered by Kaleikuahulu to Kaʻahumanu and her sisters as he was dying. Foreign priests (missionaries) will come. Accept their teachings.]
2448
ʻO ke aka kā ʻoukou ʻo ka ʻiʻo kā mākou.
Yours the shadow; ours the flesh.
[A phrase used in prayers dedicating a feast to the gods. The essence of the food was the gods’, and the meat was eaten by those present.]
2545
ʻO wai ka ʻoukou aliʻi i hānai ai?
What chief did you rear?
[Those who had a part in the rearing of a young chief were proud of their position. Only kinsmen were given such places, but convention forbade discussing the relationship. When this is said in scorn it is the equivalent of “Who are you?”]