Other people’s pigs would not come in if the fence were kept in good repair.
[Be prepared always, and you’ll find yourself free of trouble. Also, evil influence cannot enter when one keeps his own mental realm fortified from within.]
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.]
350
E mālama o pā i ka leo.
Be careful lest you he struck by the voice.
[Be careful not to do something that will lead to a scolding.]
604
He iʻa i pā i ka makau.
A fish that had once taken a hook.
[Said of a person made wary by an unpleasant experience.]
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.]
Ako ʻē ka hale a paʻa, a i ke komo ʻana mai o ka hoʻoilo, ʻaʻole e kulu i ka ua o Hilinehu.
Thatch the house beforehand so when winter comes it will not leak in the shower of Hilinehu.
[Do not procrastinate; make preparations for the future now.]
129
ʻAʻohe ʻauwaʻa paʻa i ka hālau i ka mālie.
No canoes remain in the sheds in calm weather.
[Everybody goes fishing in good weather. Also used when people turn out in great numbers to share in work or play.]
166
ʻAʻohe komo o kā haʻi puaʻa ke paʻa i ka pā.
Other people’s pigs would not come in if the fence were kept in good repair.
[Be prepared always, and you’ll find yourself free of trouble. Also, evil influence cannot enter when one keeps his own mental realm fortified from within.]
276
E hana mua a paʻa ke kahua ma mua o ke aʻo ana aku iā haʻi.
Build yourself a firm foundation before teaching others.
320
E keʻekeʻehi kūlana i paʻa. ʻO ʻoe hoʻokahi, ʻo wau hoʻokahi, kū mai i mua.
Take a firm stand. You, by yourself, and I, by myself, let us step forth.
[A challenge to one to step out of a crowd and fight man to man.]
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.
[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.]
He pāʻā kō kea no Kohala, e kole ai ka waha ke ʻai.
A resistant white sugar cane of Kohala that injures the mouth when eaten.
[A person that one does not tamper with. This was the retort of Pupukea, a Hawaiʻi chief, when the Maui chief Makakuikalani made fun of liis small stature. Later used in praise of the warriors of Kohala, who were known for valor.]
2420
ʻO ka liʻiliʻi pāʻā kōkea ia Kohala, e kole ai ko nuku.
It is the little white sugar stalk of Kohala that makes your mouth raw.
[Said by Pupukea when Makakuikalani made fun of his small size. The fine, hair-like growth on stalks of sugar cane can cause irritation.]
Paʻahao (1)
341
E loaʻa ana iā ʻoe ka mea a Paʻahao.
Youll get what Paʻahao has.
[Paʻahao, a native of Kaʻiā, was often teased by his neighbors because when annoyed he would snap, “Naio!” (“Pinworms!”) This amused his tormentors. When annoyed, one might say, “You’ll get what Paʻahao has.” Paʻahao lived in Waiōhinu, Kaʻū, during the late 1800s and early 1900s.]
Paʻaiea (1)
2515
ʻO nā hōkū o ka lani luna, ʻo Paʻaiea ko lalo.
The stars are above, Paʻaiea helow.
[Refers to Kamehameha’s great fish-pond, Paʻaiea, in Kona, Hawaiʻi. Its great size led to this saying — the small islets that dotted its interior were compared to the stars that dot the sky. The pond was destroyed during a volcanic eruption.]
[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.]
[Oʻahu was once inhabited by supernatural beings who ate people. They would extend their hospitality by day, but at night they would eat their sleeping guests. A canoe came from Kauaʻi one day, and among the passengers was a man who was distrustful of the Oahuans. When the other men went to sleep, he dug a hole under the wall, crept into it, pulled a mat over himself, and waited. Late at night he listened as the hosts came and ate his companions. After the evil beings were gone, he hurried to the canoe and sailed home. He told his friends, and together they made wooden images, hid them in the canoe, and sailed for Oʻahu, where they were welcomed. That night the images were put inside the house, while the men hid outside. When the hosts came around to eat the visitors, they bit into the hard wooden images. The Kauaʻi men burned the house, thus ending the evil on Oʻahu.]
[Said of anything that is exposed or very obvious.]
146
ʻAʻohe i hiki i Hakalauʻai, pae ʻē i Keolewa.
Hakalauʻai was never reached, for he landed at Keolewa instead.
[Before one could receive sufficient food for all his requirements, he found his efforts suspended. A play on Haka-lau-ʻai (Rack-for-much-food) and Ke-olewa (Suspend-in-space).]
315
E kāmau iho i ka hoe a pae aku i ke kula.
Dip in the paddle till you reach the shore.
[Keep dipping your finger into the poi until you’ve had your fill.]
327
E lauhoe mai nā waʻa; i ke kā, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke kā; pae aku i ka ʻāina.
Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore is reached.
[Pitch in with a will, everybody, and the work is quickly done.]
602
He hupo no ka waʻa pae.
A stupid one belonging to the canoe landing.
[Little skill is required to get a canoe out of the water at a landing. Said of one whose knowledge is very shallow and whose skill is practically nil.]
615
He iʻa pae wale no kaʻuwīʻuwī.
The ʻuwīʻuwī is a fish that washes ashore.
[Said of a ne’er-do-well who goes from house to house and depends on others for his livelihood.]
ʻO nā hōkū o ka lani kai ʻike iā Pae. Aia a loaʻa ka pūnana o ke kōlea, loaʻa ʻo ia iā ʻoe.
Only the stars of heaven know where Pae is. When you find a plover’s nest, then you will find him.
[Said of something so well hidden that it will not be found. Pae was a priest in the reign of ʻUmi. He was so lucky in fishing that the chief desired his bones for fishhooks after his death. When Pae died, his sons hid his bones so well that none of the chiefs and priests could find them. The sons would say, “When you find the nest of the plover, then will you find him.” But ʻUmi enlisted the help of a noted priest of Kauaʻi, who saw the ghost of Pae drinking from a spring in Waimanu Valley. Thus were the bones of Pae found and made into fishhooks for the chief. The sons of Pae were reminded that the chief was using their father’s bones for hooks by his constant cry, “O Pae, hold fast to our fish!”]
[This expression, used in chants and songs, refers to the tattooing of Kahekili, ruler of Maui. Because he was named for the god of thunder, who was believed to be black on one side of his body, Kahekili had himself tattooed on one side from head to foot.]
[An expression of humbleness acknowledging the superiority of another.]
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.]
[Gone to the place of thrown-away things. Used when something is thrown away and later wanted. A play on kiola, to throw away. Kiolakaʻa is a place in Kaʻū.]
27
Aia akula paha i Waikīkī i ka ʻimi ʻahuʻawa.
Perhaps gone to Waikīkī to seek the ʻahuʻawa sedge.
[Gone where disappointment is met. A play on ahu (heap) and ʻawa (sour).]
28
Aia aku nei paha i Kaiholena.
Perhaps gone to Kaiholena.
[Perhaps gone to loaf somewhere. A play on lena (lazy).]
74
Aia paha iā Lima-ʻāpā.
Perhaps Touch-hand has taken it.
[Somebody with very quick hands must have taken it.]
200
ʻAʻohe paha he ʻuhane.
Perhaps [he has] no soul.
[Said of one who behaves in a shameful manner.]
256
ʻEā! Ke kau mai nei ke ao panopano i uka. E ua mai ana paha.
Say! A black cloud appears in the upland. Perhaps it is going to rain.
[A favorite joke uttered when a black-skinned person is seen.]
Sea lettuce, easily swayed by the action of the tide.
[A derogatory expression for a person weak of character or physical ability.]
2568
Pahapaha lei o Polihale.
The pahapaha lei of Polihale.
[At Polihale, Kauaʻi, grew pahapaha (sea lettuce). Visitors gathered and wore this pahapaha in lei because its green color could be revived by immersion in sea water after it had partially dried. Although pahapaha is common everywhere, only that which grows at Polihale revives once it is dry. It is famed in songs and chants of Kauaʻi.]
[Said of a person who is too wily and wise to be caught.]
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.]
2433
ʻO ka papa heʻe nalu kēia, paheʻe i ka nalu haʻi o Makaiwa.
This is the surfboard that will glide on the rolling surf of Makaiwa.
[A woman’s boast. Her beautiful body is like the surf board on which her mate “glides over the rolling surf.”]
2569
Paheʻe loa akula i ka welowelo.
Slipped away — off to flutter in the breeze.
[Said of one who missed by a wide margin, whose aim was very poor.]
Pahia (1)
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.]
[A saucy retort when asked, “Where are you going?” It is a play on hiʻu, which is a part of ʻohiʻu (to pry). Hence, a way of reminding the questioner that he is prying.]
A chief is like a drum; there is no sound unless played upon.
[Chiefs seldom stir to action unless incited by others.]
1069
Hoʻokahi kī, ʻelua pahu.
One key, two trunks.
[A reference to children of the same father and different mothers. ʻElua ki, hoʻokāhi pahu (two keys, one trunk) implies that they have the same mother but diflferent fathers.]
1189
I kani nō ka pahu i ka ʻolohaka o loko.
It is the space inside that gives the drum its sound.
[It is the empty-headed one who does the most talking.]
1496
Kani ka pahu, holo ke kao.
The drum is sounded, the goat flees.
[A humorous expression applied to a bald-headed man whose bare head is likened to a drum.]
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.]
2570
Pahu kani.
Sounding drum.
[A humorous epithet for a bald head. The skin-covered dome looks like a drum on which the skin is pulled taut and no hair grows. Also called pahu hinuhinu (shiny drum).]
2571
Paʻi ana nā pahu a hula leʻa; ʻo kaʻu hula nō kēia.
Let the better-enjoyed hula chanters beat their own drums; this is the hula chant that I know.
[A retort: Let those who claim to know a lot produce their knowledge; this is what I know.]
[An expression of contempt referring to an idle vagabond who eats and departs, thinking nothing of those who have helped him. The ʻakekeke, or ruddy turnstone, is a winter visitor to Hawaiʻi.]
982
He weke, he iʻa pahulu.
It is a weke, the fish that produces nightmares.
[The head of the weke fish is said to contain something that produces nightmares. The nearer to Lānaʻi the fish is caught, the worse the effects of the nightmares. Pahulu was the chief of evil beings (akua) who peopled the island of Lānaʻi. When Kaululaʻau, son of Kakaʻalaneo, ruler of Maui, was a boy, he was banished to Lānaʻi because of his mischief. By trickery, he rid the island of evil beings, and the spirit of Pahulu fled to the sea and entered a weke fish. From that time on, nightmares have been called pahulu, and a person who has had a nightmare is said to have been under the influence of Pahulu.]
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.
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.]
190
ʻAʻohe mea nāna e paʻi i ke poʻo.
No one to slap his head.
[He has no equal in his accomplishments.]
416
Hakē ka paʻi ʻai o ka Malulani.
The Malulani is overloaded with bundles of hard poi.
[An impolite reference to a pregnant woman. The Malulani was an inter-island ship.]
772
He lolo nō a he lolo, paʻi wale.
One is from the zenith, the other is from the zenith; therefore equals.
[They are equally high in rank.]
1901
Kū ke paʻi, hana ka hāʻawe.
A big heap that requires carrying on the back.
[A heap of work.]
2571
Paʻi ana nā pahu a hula leʻa; ʻo kaʻu hula nō kēia.
Let the better-enjoyed hula chanters beat their own drums; this is the hula chant that I know.
[A retort: Let those who claim to know a lot produce their knowledge; this is what I know.]
[A tie. Also, when agreement is reached as to the terms of a game, a contestant holds out his hand to be gently slapped by his opponent, then the opponent holds out his hand to be slapped. This clinches the terms, and the game begins.]
[There is nothing to fear. To go to sleep with one’s face to the wall is an indication of confidence in one’s safety.]
2655
Pili pū i ka paia.
Pressed hard against the wall.
[Deep in trouble.]
2749
Puna paia ʻala i ka hala.
Puna, with walls fragrant with pandanus blossoms.
[Puna, Hawaiʻi, is a place of hala and lehua forests. In olden days the people would stick the bracts of hala into the thatching of their houses to bring some of the fragrance indoors.]
Pāʻia (1)
1459
Ka makani hāpala lepo o Pāʻia.
Dust-smearing wind of Paia.
[Pāʻia, Maui, is a dusty place.]
Paiahaʻa (2)
2472
ʻO Kuaʻana ka nalu; ʻo Paiahaʻa ka ʻāina.
Kuaʻana is the surf; Paiahaʻa the land.
[Proud were the people of Kaʻū of the surf of Kuaʻana, where chiefs used to ride the waves to the shore of Paiaha’a.]
2530
ʻO Paiahaʻa ka ʻāina, ʻo Kuaʻana ka nalu.
Paiahaʻa was the land, Kuaʻana the surf.
[Paiahaʻa was a beach near Kaumaea, Kaʻū, Hawai’i. Here the dust that clung to the skin at Kaumaea was washed off by the surf of Kuaʻana. The inner surf, Kaina (Little Brother), was the place for children to surf, and the outer surf, Kuaʻana (Big Brother), was for grown-ups.]
Paʻiakuli (1)
2391
ʻO ʻIkuwā ke kāne, ʻo Paʻiakuli ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he leo nui.
ʻIkuwā is the husband, Paʻia-kuli (Deafening-noise) is the wife; a child born to them is loud of voice.
Paʻihi ʻoe lā, lilo i ka wai, ʻaʻohe ʻike iho i ka hoa mua.
Well adorned are you, borne along by the water, no longer recognizing former friends.
[Said of one who grows proud with prosperity and looks down on his friends of less prosperous days. There is a play on wai (water). When doubled — waiwai — it refers to prosperity.]
[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.]
[Get ready for a period of rest. When a storm came, farming and fishing were suspended and the worker remained at home, either resting or doing little chores.]
1490
Ka mū ʻai paka o Puʻunui.
The tobacco-eating bug of Puʻunui.
[Said of one who is a pest. Puʻunui is now a part of Honoluiu.]
2471
ʻO Kona i ka paka ʻona — ke haʻu iho ʻoe kūnewanewa.
Kona of the potent tohacco — a draw would make one stagger.
[Kona is said to be a land of potent lovemaking.]
Pakaʻalana (2)
627
He iki nīoi no Pakaʻalana.
A small nīoi of Pakaʻalana.
[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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
E ʻau mālie i ke kai pāpaʻu, o pakī ka wai a pula ka maka.
Swim quietly in shallow water lest it splash into the eyes.
[A cautioning to go carefully where one isn’t sure of conditions.]
1413
Kai pakī o Maunalua.
The spraying sea of Maunalua [Oʻahu].
2271
Nānā nō a ka ʻulu i pakī kēpau.
Look for the gummy breadfruit.
[Advice to a young girl — Look for a man who has substance, like gummy breadfruit, which is a sign of maturity.]
2583
Pakī ke kuha!
Saliva spatters!
[Said of a person who scolds.]
2584
Pakī kēpau, oʻo ka ʻulu.
When the gum appears on the skin, the breadfruit is matured.
[An observation. Also said when a young person begins to think seriously of gaining a livelihood — he is maturing.]
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.]
2727
Pūkākā nā lehua o Mānā, ʻauwana wale iho nō i ka ʻauwai pakī.
Scattered are the warriors of Mānā, who go wandering along the ditch that holds little water.
[A saying that cropped up when talk of the annexation of Hawaiʻi began. It was a sign of bad luck to encounter someone with a bunch of bananas while on a business trip. Hence this warning that annexation will bring bad luck to Hawaiʻi.]
The kaunaʻoa that spreads and fattens the kukui foliage of Kamehaʻikana.
[Said of kaunaoa niālolo, which grows so thickly in some places that it covers the leaves of kukui and other trees.]
Palahemo (2)
1610
Kaʻū, i Palahemo.
In Kaʻū, at Palahemo.
[Palahemo is a pool near Kalae in Kaʻū. Salt water is found under the fresh water, and any disturbance, like the dropping of a heavy stone, reverses the water, so that the salt water rises to the top. This place is famed in songs and chants.]
1695
Ke hele maila ko Kaʻū; he iho maila ko Palahemo; he hōkake aʻela i Manukā; haele loa akula i Kaleinapueo.
There come those of Kaʻū; those of Palahemo descend; those of Manukā push this way and that; and away they all go to Kaleinapueo.
[Said when one tries to find out something about another and meets with failure at every turn. A play on place names: ʻū (a grunt of contempt) in Kaʻū; hemo (to get away) in Palahemo; kā (to run along like a vine) in Manukā; and leinapueo (owl’s leaping place) in Kaleinapueo.]
"Mai hea mai ʻoe?" “Mai Kona mai.” “Pehea ka ua o Kona?” “Palahī puaʻa ka ua o Kona.” “A pehea ke aku?” “Hī ka pā, hī ka malau.”
“Where are you from?” “From Kona.” “How is the rain of Kona?” “The rain of Kona pours like the watery excreta of a hog.” “How are the aku fish?” “They run loose from the hook and the bait carrier.”
[Said in fun of one suffering from loose bowels. Once, a chief was out relieving himself when his bowels were very loose. A runner came by the little-traveled path through the underbrush and seeing the chief there extended his greetings. The chief began to ask questions, which the runner answered. When the chief went home he told those of his household of the abundance of rain and the run of fish in Kona. His servant, whose curiosity was roused, asked, “What were you doing at the time?” “I was excreting, and my bowels were loose,” answered the chief. “He wasn’t talking about the rain and fish,” said the servant, “he was talking about you.” The chief was angry when he heard this, but it was too late to do anything about it.]
[Excrement. Ti eaten in great quantity loosens the bowels. Moemoe was a prophet whose excrement, when questioned, was said to reply of his whereabouts.]
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.]
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.]
2505
ʻO luna, ʻo lalo; ʻo uka, ʻo kai; ʻo ka palaoa pae, no ke aliʻi ia.
Above, helow; the upland, the lowland; the whale that washes ashore — all belong to the chief.
[The chief owned everything in the land he ruled. Ivory obtained from the teeth of whales that washed ashore was very valuable.]
He aupuni palapala koʻu; ʻo ke kanaka pono ʻo ia koʻu kanaka.
Mine is the kingdom of education; the righteous man is my man.
[Uttered by Kamehameha III.]
Palapala (2)
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.]
2372
ʻOhi wale ka iʻa a Palapala.
Palapala merely takes the fish.
[Said when a person who does nothing profits from the labor of others. Palapala was a lazy fellow who did no fishing himself but knew the ancient rule about fish caught in a net: when a net full of fish was drawn ashore, no one — child or adult — was rebuked when he picked out a fish for himself. Nobody minded that Palapala often took fish, but his boast ʻOhi wale ka iʻa a Palapala annoyed them.]
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.]
633
He imu pale ʻole; huikau ka nohona.
An uncovered oven; abiding in confusion.
[Like an imu in which each kind of food is not set apart in its own place, but piled in helter skelter, so is a promiscuous and careless family.]
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.]
2083
Mai pale i ke aʻo a ka makua.
Do not set aside the teachings of a parent.
2594
Pale hāliʻi moena.
A mat cover.
[A low commoner.]
2622
Peʻe kua o Kaʻulahaimalama; o Kekūhaupiʻo ka makua; hilinaʻi aʻe i ka pale kai, kālele moku aʻe ma hope.
Kaʻulahaimalama is secretive; Kekūhaupiʻo (Stands-leaning) is her father; she leans against the canoe side and rests against the back of the canoe.
[Said of one who tries to conceal the true offender by pretending to know nothing.]
[Said of a woman who sits carelessly and exposes herself. Kamilo Beach is in Kaʻū.]
64
ʻAi a manō, ʻaʻohe nānā i kumu pali.
When the shark eats, he never troubles to look toward the foot of the cliff.
[Said of a person who eats voraciously with no thought of those who provided the food, shows no appreciation for what has been done for him, nor has a care for the morrow.]
164
ʻAʻohe kio pōhaku nalo i ke alo pali.
On the slope of a cliff, not one jutting rock is hidden from sight.
[All is distinctly seen or known; there isn’t any use in being secretive or finding a place to hide.]
197
ʻAʻohe o kahi nānā o luna o ka pali; iho mai a lalo nei; ʻike i ke au nui ke au iki, he alo a he alo.
The top of the cliff isnt the place to look at us; come down here and learn of the big and little current, face to face.
[Learn the details. Also, an invitation to discuss something. Said by Pele to Pāʻoa when he came to seek the lava-encased remains of his friend Lohiʻau.]
288
E hoʻi nā keiki oki uaua o nā pali.
Home go the very tough lads of the hills.
[These lads of the hills were the cowboys of Puʻuwaʻawaʻa and Puʻuanahulu, who were well known for their endurance.]
[Nothing worth troubling about. Octopus liver (ʻalaʻala) was not a choice food. It was mashed and used as bait.]
503
Hawaiʻi palu lāʻī.
Ti-leaf lickers of Hawaii.
[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.”]
882
He paluhē wale ka palu.
Mashed fish for bait goes to pieces readily.
[Said of a weakling.]
900
He poʻe ʻuʻu maunu palu ʻalaʻala na kekahi poʻe lawaiʻa.
Those who draw out the liver of the octopus, to prepare bait for fishermen.
[Said of those who do the dirty work by which others reap the benefit.]
1244
ʻIno ka palu ʻaʻohe e mīkokoi ʻia e ka iʻa.
When the bait is not good, fish will not gather to eat it.
[One knows that goodness and graciousness always attract. Palu is bait of dried, mashed octopus liver.]
1933
Kuʻu ʻia ka palu i piʻi ka moano.
To let down the mashed fish lure so that the moano fish rises to the surface.
[To tell tall tales that attract gullible people. Palu (fish lure) here refers to lies. The fish come with the idea of feasting and are caught.]
Kū akula i ka pana a Pikoi-a-ka-ʻalalā, keiki pana ʻiole o ke kula o Keahumoa.
Shot by the arrow of Pikoi-[son] of-the-crow, the expert rat-shooter of the plain of Keahumoa.
[Got his just deserts.]
Panaʻewa (6)
659
He kai lū lehua ko Panaʻewa.
Panaʻewa shakes down the lehua fringes into the sea.
[Once, when the forest of Panaʻewa extended to the sea, fringes of lehua blossoms were seen floating about in the water.]
1570
Ka ua kinai lehua o Panaʻewa.
The rain that bruises the lehua blossoms of Panaʻewa.
[Both lehua and rain are commonly found in Panaʻewa.]
1585
Ka ua lū lehua o Panaʻewa.
The lehua-shedding rain of Panaʻewa.
[The heavy rain of the lehua forests of Panaʻewa in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Famed in chants of old.]
1725
Ke kai kuaʻau lehua o Panaʻewa.
The sea where lehua fringes float about in the shallows.
[Long ago, when lehua trees grew down to the shore at Puna and Hilo, the fringes of the flowers often fell into the sea, reddening the surface.]
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.]
2264
Nā manu leo nui o Panaʻewa.
Loud-voiced birds of Panaʻewa.
[Loud talkers. Panaʻewa, Hilo, was famous for its lehua forests that sheltered the honey-sucking birds. Here people went to gather lehua and maile.]
[All food is good; there is none that hinders evacuation. A rude remark to a very finicky person.]
1314
Ka hilu pani wai o Hauʻula.
The water-damming hilu fish of Hauula.
[Refers to Hauʻula, Oʻahu. In ancient days, two brothers came from Kahiki in the form of hilu fish. Near Oʻahu they separated, one going to the east side of the island and the other to the west. The younger brother was caught in a net at Hauʻula and divided among the families of the fishermen. When the older brother arrived he was grieved to find pieces of his brother’s body throughout the village. He went to the upland and dammed the water of the stream with his own body. After a while he rose, and the backed-up water rushed down, sweeping everyone into the sea. The pieces of his brother’s body were joined again into a hilu fish.]
1377
Ka iʻa pani i ka waha o ke kānaka.
The fish that closes the mouth of men.
[The pearl oyster, which was gathered in silence.]
1781
Ke pani wai o ʻĪao.
The dam of ʻĪao.
[In a battle between Kamehameha and Kalanikūpule at ʻĪao, Maui, the latter escaped and fled to Oʻahu. The stream of ʻĪao was dammed by the bodies of the dead. This battle was called Kaʻuwaʻupali (Precipice-clawing) because the defeated warriors clawed the hillside in an attempt to escape.]
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.]
597
He huakaʻi paoa, he pili i ka iwi.
An unlucky journey in which the body was wagered.
[Suffering.]
727
He lawaiʻa paoa.
A luckless fisherman.
[Said of one who is unlucky in fishing or in gaining the attention of a desired member of the opposite sex.]
1005
Hilo, nahele paoa i ke ʻala.
Hilo, where the forest is imbued with fragrance.
[Hilo’s forest is fragrant with hala and lehua blossoms.]
1108
Hoʻopau kaʻā, he lawaiʻa paoa; hoʻānuānu ʻili o ka hele maunu.
An unlucky fisherman wastes time in wetting his line; he merely gets his skin cold in seeking bait.
[Said of an unlucky person who, in spite of every effort, gets nothing.]
1177
I kahi ʻē nō ke kumu mokihana, paoa ʻē nō ʻoneʻi i ke ʻala.
Although the mokihana tree is at a distance, its fragrance reaches here.
[Although a person is far away, the tales of his good deeds come to us.]
ʻO ka hana ia a ka lawaiʻa iwi paoa, iho nō ka makau, piʻi nō ka iʻa.
That is the way of a fisherman with lucky bones — down goes his hook, up comes a fish.
[Said of a lucky person. It was believed that certain people’s bones brought them luck in fishing. When they died their bones were sought for the making of fishhooks.]
[A remark made about one who snuffles and does not blow his nose. The mucus of a runny nose darts in and out of the nostril like a pāoʻo fish in its sea pool.]
1653
Ka wai hūnā a ka pāoʻo.
The hidden water of the pāoʻo fish.
[A little pool of water on Lehua often mentioned in chants of Niʻihau. It is said to be guarded by a supernatural pāoʻo fish. When this fish rises to the surface, its back resembles the surrounding rocks, which makes the pool difficult to see. When the pāoʻo sinks to the bottom, the water can again be seen. Also, a pool not far from the crater of Kīlauea. The priests of Pele who knew of its location obtained water from it to mix with the ʻawa drinks they offered to her. Like the pool on Lehua, a supernatural pāoʻo fish guarded it. This pool was destroyed during the making of a road.]
[Said of an unstable person or situation. First used by Hiʻiaka in a chant while playing kilu at the residence of Peleʻula.]
403
Hāʻawi papa heʻe nalu.
A surfboard giving.
[To give a thing and later ask for its return. A surfboard is usually lent, not given outright.]
504
Hāwāwā ka heʻe nalu haki ka papa.
When the surf rider is unskilled, the board is broken.
[An unskilled worker bungles instead of being a help. There is also a sexual connotation: When the man is unskilled, the woman is dissatisfied.]
1052
Holo iʻa ka papa, kau ʻia e ka manu.
When the shoals are full of fish, birds gather over them.
[Where there is food, people gather.]
1534
Ka papa kāhulihuli o Wailuku.
The unstable plank of Wailuku.
[Said of an unstable person or situation. First uttered by Hiʻiaka when she compared the physical condition of the chief ʻOlepau to the weak plank that spanned Wailuku Stream in Hilo.]
2157
Mimiki ke kai, ahuwale ka papa leho.
When the sea draws out in the tidal wave, the rocks where the cowries hide are exposed.
[All noise but no action. Said of one who makes threats but doesn’t carry them out.]
407
Hāhā pōʻele ka pāpaʻi o Kou.
The crabs of Kou are groped for in the dark.
[Applied to one who goes groping in the dark. The chiefs held kōnane and other games at the shore of Kou (now central Honolulu), and people came from everywhere to watch. Very often they remained until it was too dark to see and had to grope for their companions.]
811
He maunu ʻekaʻeka; pāpaʻi ka iʻa e hoʻi ai.
With foul bait one can only catch crabs.
[Poor output makes poor income.]
840
He niho haʻi wale ko ka pāpaʻi.
A crab has claws that break off easily.
[Said of one who offers to fight but backs down when the challenge is accepted.]
888
He pāpaʻi niho mole.
A crab minus a claw.
[Said of a person with a missing tooth.]
1746
Kekē ka niho o ka pāpaʻi.
The crab exposes its teeth.
[Sometimes when a crab sees a person it opens its claws as if to bite and then, at the first opportunity, seeks escape. Said of a threat that is uttered but will never be carried out.]
[A rude reference to in-laws, used only in anger.]
Papakōlea (1)
2800
Ua ka ua i Papakōlea, ihea ʻoe?
When it rained in Papakōlea, where were you ?
[The reply of a sweet-potato grower on Papakōlea to one who asks for some of his crop. If one answered that he had been there when the rain fell to soak the earth for planting, and had not planted, then he was lazy and would be given no potatoes.]
Papalaua (1)
2756
Pupuhi kukui o Papalaua, he ʻino.
Light the candle of Papalaua, the weather is had.
[Said of Papalaua, Molokaʻi, where the sun shines for only part of the day. When the weather was bad the valley became dark before the day was gone, and candles had to be lighted. Sometimes said facetiously when a day is gloomy and a light is required to see.]
Papalauahi (1)
424
Hala ka Puʻulena aia i Hilo ua ʻimi akula iā Papalauahi.
The Puʻulena breeze is gone to Hilo in search of Papalauahi.
[Said of one who has gone away or of one who finds himself too late to do anything.]
[Said of one who is gifted with extra-sensory perception or second sight.]
694
He kino pāpālua.
A dual-formed person.
[Said of a supernatural being having two or more forms, or of one who is “possessed” by intoxicants.]
1804
Kino pāpālua.
Dual bodied.
[Said of one who had the nature of a god and that of a human being, and who mingled with humans as a human and with gods as a god. Later applied humorously to one who is drunk, meaning that when drunk he is possessed by the “god” of rum but when sober he is an ordinary mortal.]
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.]
[Off she went! The Papio was a boat; rising smoke indicated that she was departing.]
Papiohuli (1)
2358
ʻOhai o Papiohuli.
The ʻōhai of Papiohuli.
[At Papiohuli, Mānā, Kauaʻi, grew the ʻōhai trees that bore red or whitish blossoms. These trees grew in profusion in olden days but are now rare. The blossoms made beautiful lei.]
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.]
180
ʻAʻohe mālama pau i ka ʻiole.
No one who takes care of his possessions has ever found them eaten by rats.
[When one takes care of his goods he will not suffer losses.]
186
ʻAʻohe mea koe aku iā Makaliʻi; pau nō ka liko me ka lāʻele.
Makaliʻi left nothing, taking [everything] from buds to old leaves.
[Said of one who selfishly takes all, or of a lecherous person who takes those of the opposite sex of all ages. From a legend surrounding a chief, Makaliʻi, who took from his people until they faced starvation.]
203
ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi.
All knowledge is not taught in the same school.
[One can learn from many sources.]
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.”]
244
A waho au o ka poe pele, pau kou palena e ka hoa.
After I’ve passed the bell buoy, your limit is reached, my dear.
[A sailor’s saying used in an old hula song. When the ship passes the bell buoy on its way out to sea, the girl on the shore is forgotten.]
Be careful lest you go head and tail into the shark.
[A warning to be on one’s guard. Nanaue, of Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, had two forms — that of a man and that of a shark. As people passed his farm to go to the beach, he would utter this warning. After they had passed, he would run to the river, change into a shark, and swim under the water to the sea where he would catch and eat those he had warned. No one knew that it was Nanaue who was eating the people until someone pulled off the shoulder covering he always wore and discovered a shark’s mouth between his shoulder blades. After he was put to death the people were safe again.]
Now you are eating poi made from the paua taro of Keaiwa.
[A boast from the district of Kaʻū: “Now you are seeing the very best that we have.” Also used to say, “Now you will find out how fine a girl (or boy) can be in making love.” The paua was the best taro in Kaʻū and the only variety that grew on the plains.]
Ke hiʻi lā ʻoe i ka paukū waena, he neo ke poʻo me ka hiʻu.
You hold the center piece without its head and tail.
[You know only the middle part of the genealogy or legend. What about the origin and the latter part?]
Paukū-nui (1)
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.]
Pāʻula (1)
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.]
[The swaying palms that once grew at Kaipalaoa, Hilo, seemed to wave an invitation.]
Peʻapeʻa (2)
2616
Pau o Peʻapeʻa i ke ahi.
Peʻapeʻa is destroyed by fire.
[Said of anything that is consumed by fire or is utterly destroyed. Peʻapeʻa was a chief and a relative of Kamehameha. He was killed by the explosion of a keg of gun powder on Kaʻuiki, Maui.]
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.]
889
He peʻe makaloa.
A hider among makaloa sedge.
[A stingy person who keeps his eyes downcast while eating lest he see a passerby and be obliged to call him to come and share the meal.]
1420
Kālaʻe peʻe kākonakona.
Kālaʻe hides and avoids contacts.
[Applied to the kauwā in Kālaʻe, Molokaʻi. The chiefs there were proud and arrogant and the kauwā were full of humility and fear for their lives.]
1547
Ka pūnua peʻe poli.
The fledgling that hides in the bosom.
[A young sweetheart.]
1595
Ka ua peʻe pōhaku o Kaupō.
The rain of Kaupō that makes one hide behind a rock.
[It falls so suddenly that one flees behind rocks for shelter.]
1596
Ka ua peʻe pū hala o Huelo.
The rain of Huelo that makes one hide in a hala grove.
"Mai hea mai ʻoe?" “Mai Kona mai.” “Pehea ka ua o Kona?” “Palahī puaʻa ka ua o Kona.” “A pehea ke aku?” “Hī ka pā, hī ka malau.”
“Where are you from?” “From Kona.” “How is the rain of Kona?” “The rain of Kona pours like the watery excreta of a hog.” “How are the aku fish?” “They run loose from the hook and the bait carrier.”
[Said in fun of one suffering from loose bowels. Once, a chief was out relieving himself when his bowels were very loose. A runner came by the little-traveled path through the underbrush and seeing the chief there extended his greetings. The chief began to ask questions, which the runner answered. When the chief went home he told those of his household of the abundance of rain and the run of fish in Kona. His servant, whose curiosity was roused, asked, “What were you doing at the time?” “I was excreting, and my bowels were loose,” answered the chief. “He wasn’t talking about the rain and fish,” said the servant, “he was talking about you.” The chief was angry when he heard this, but it was too late to do anything about it.]
2133
"Māmaki" aku au, “hamaki” mai ʻoe. Pehea ka like?
I say “māmaki” and you say “hamaki.” How are they alike?
[Once a Hawaiian had some tapa made of māmaki bark which he wished to trade with some white sailors. He did not speak English and they did not speak Hawaiian. He said, “He kapa māmaki kēia.” (“This is kapa made of māmaki.”) Although they did not know exactly what he said, they understood that his goods were for sale. They asked, “How much?” He thought they were asking what kind of tapa he had, so he answered, “Māmaki.” Again the sailors asked, “How much?” which sounded like “hamaki” to the Hawaiian. In exasperation he cried, “I say ʻmāmaki’ and you say ʻhamaki.’How are they alike?” This utterance came to apply to two people who absolutely cannot agree.]
[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.]
[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.]
After I’ve passed the bell buoy, your limit is reached, my dear.
[A sailor’s saying used in an old hula song. When the ship passes the bell buoy on its way out to sea, the girl on the shore is forgotten.]
1883
Kuʻikuʻi, hana pele; holo i uka, holo i kai, holo i kahi e peʻe ai a nalo.
Pound, pound, pulverize; run mountainward, run seaward, run till you find a hiding place and hide.
[The chant used in hide-and-go-seek. One child gently pounds the back of the “master” and repeats this chant while the other children run and hide.]
Pele (3)
521
He akua ʻai ʻopihi ʻo Pele.
Pele is a goddess who eats limpets.
[Pele was said to be fond of swimming and surfing. While doing so she would pause to eat seafood.]
1950
Lauahi Pele i kai o Puna, one ʻā kai o Malama.
Pele spreads her fire down in Puna and leaves cinder down in Malama.
[There are two places in Puna called Malama, one inland and one on the shore where black sand (one ʻā) is found.]
2617
Pau Pele, pau manō.
[May I be] devoured by Pele, [May I be] devoured by a shark.
[An oath, meaning “If I fail.. ..” It was believed that if such an oath were not kept, the one who uttered it would indeed die by fire or be eaten by a shark.]
[Said of one who has received a sizeable sum or is financially secure. A play on pōkeokeo, which refers to the turkeyʻs gobble as well as to a substantial amount of money.]
2900
Wāhine hulu pelehū.
Turkey-feathered women.
[Prostitutes who carry on with sailors in order to obtain finery to adorn themselves.]
Pelekunu (1)
2344
No Pelekunu mai paha?
From Pelekunu, perhaps?
[Said of one who is not clean. A play on pelekunu (musty odor). Refers to Pelekunu, Molokaʻi.]
Even the base of the ear isn’t tickled by your song.
[A rude remark to one whose song or story is not appealing.]
156
ʻAʻohe kā he lohe o ko pepeiao huluhulu?
Don’t your hairy ears hear?
[Said in annoyance or disgust for disobedience or heedlessness. The ears are too full of fuzz to let sounds enter.]
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.]
2138
Manene ka pepeiao.
The ears have an unpleasant sensation.
[Said when someone uses vulgar and obscene language — the ears are offended.]
2189
Moku ka pepeiao, na ke aliʻi ia puaʻa.
When the ear is cut, it is a sign that the pig belongs to the chief.
[The ears of certain pigs were cut to show that they were the property of the chief.]
2268
Nānā ka maka; hoʻolohe ka pepeiao; paʻa ka waha.
Observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth.
[An unpopular person, who is like green wood that will not burn.]
2632
Pī ʻia ko wahi pilau iki, ʻaʻole ʻoe i ʻike i ko pilau nui.
Refuse to give your little stink a place and youʻll never know when a greater stink will come to you.
[A curse uttered by a sorcerer to a woman who refuses his advances. In refusing a sexual union with him she may meet a greater “stink”- — death and decomposition.]
2642
Pī ka ʻamo.
The anus breaks wind with small sounds.
[Said of one who lives the life of a drudge. Such a person is said to be too busy to eat a proper meal and as a result has a gassy stomach.]
[An expression of derision for one who has the “sand” of sleep in his eyes. Kaululāʻau, son of Kakaʻe of Maui, was banished to Lānaʻi by his father and killed the evil beings that overran the island. The largest group was destroyed very early in the moming. Kaululāʻau applied a gum to their eyes while they slept, thus rendering them blind and helpless.]
2099
Maka piapia.
Dirty, sticky eyes.
[A rude expression applied to one who looks at a thing but doesn’t seem to see it. Also said of the sticky eyes of one who has just gotten up from sleep.]
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.]
1247
I ʻolāʻolā nō ka huewai i ka piha ʻole.
The water gourd gurgles when not filled full.
[A person not very well informed talks more than one who is.]
1828
Kōlea kai piha.
Plover, bird of high tides.
[The plover feeds along the edge of the sea.]
2006
Lilo i Puna i ke au a ka hewahewa, hoʻi mai ua piha ka hale i ke akua.
Gone to Puna on a vagrant current and returning, fnds the house full of imps.
[From a chant by Hiʻiaka when she faced the lizard god Panaʻewa and his forest full of imps in a battle. It was later used to refer to one who goes on his way and comes home to find things not to his liking.]
2631
Piha ʻōpala ke one o Haʻakua.
The sand of Haʻakua is flled with rubbish.
[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.]
2847
Ua piha a hū ke kīʻaha.
The glass was filled to overflowing.
[One’s wrongdoings exceeded the the limit. Also, one was fed up.]
2874
ʻUmeke piha wai o Mānā.
A calabash full of water is Mānā.
[Refers to Mānā, Kauaʻi, whieh is flooded during the rainy season.]
[No problem is too great when one tries hard to solve it.]
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.]
297
Ehuehu kai piʻi ka ʻaʻama.
When the sea is rough, the ʻaʻama crabs climb up [on the rocks].
[People gather out of curiosity when trouble arises.]
372
E piʻi ana kahi poʻe, e iho ana kahi poʻe.
Some folks go up, some go down.
[While the fingers of some are in the poi bowl, the fingers of others are at the mouth.]
619
He ikaika nō nā ʻehu kakahiaka no nā ʻōpio, a piʻi aʻe ka lā heha mai a holo.
The morning is full of strength for youth, but when the sun is high they become tired and run.
[Said of the young who do not work as persistently as their parents — they start well but soon quit.]
785
He maʻi piʻi aliʻi ke aloha.
Love is a disease that does not even spare the chiefs.
It is a good mother-of-pearl hook, for the aku fish are coming up.
[Said of an attractive person who has no trouble attracting the opposite sex, or of a lucky person who never fails to get what he wants.]
Piʻiholo (2)
623
He iki ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani o Piʻiholo.
A small, wind-resisting ʻaʻaliʻi bush of Piʻiholo.
[A small but powerful person.]
1603
Ka ua ʻulalena o Piʻiholo.
The reddish-yellow rain of Piʻiholo.
Piʻihonua (1)
1552
Ka ua hehi ʻulu o Piʻihonua.
The rain that treads on the breadfruit leaves of Piʻihonua.
[Refers to Piʻihonua.]
Piʻilani (2)
417
Haki kākala o Piʻilani, ʻike pono ʻo luna iā lalo.
Roughness breaks in Piʻilani, those above recognize those below.
[A storm breaks loose and those above — rain, lightning, thunder, wind — show their effects to the people below.]
2218
Nā hono a Piʻilani.
The bays of Piʻilani.
[The realm of Piʻilani, a powerful ruling chief of Maui, included the islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, as well as all the bays of Maui whose names begin with hono.]
ʻO ke kū hoe akamai nō ia, he piʻipiʻi kai ʻole ma ka ʻaoʻao.
That is the way of a skilled paddler — the sea does not wash in on the sides.
[Said of a deft lover.]
2641
Piʻipiʻi hahai moa.
Curly head followed by chickens.
[Kahahana was a handsome, curly-haired man who was compared to a fine cock who attracts the attention of the hens. Said of any curly-haired man who has a way with women.]
Piʻipiʻi (1)
19
Ahulau ka Piʻipiʻi i Kakanilua.
A slaughter of the Piʻipiʻi at Kakanilua.
[In the battle between Kahekili of Maui and Kalaniʻōpuʻu of Hawaiʻi, on the sand dunes of Wailuku, Maui, there was a great slaughter of Hawaiʻi warriors who were called the Piʻipiʻi. Any great slaughter might be compared to the slaughter of the Piʻipiʻi.]
Kula people, scalers of the suckers on the tentacles of the octopus.
[Said in fun of the people of Kula, Maui. A Kula chiefess who lived inland did not know what the suckers on an octopus were and tried to scale them as one scales fish.]
[A chronic thief. The umhilical cords of infants were taken to special places where the cords of other family members were kept for many generations. If a rat took a cord before it was hidden away safely, the child became a thief.]
1194
I ka piko nō ʻoe lihaliha.
Eat of the belly and you will he satiated.
[The best part of the fish is the belly, especially when it’s fat. There is a play on piko (genitals) whereby this saying acquires sexual import.]
1756
Ke kōpiko i ka piko o Waiʻaleʻale.
A kōpiko tree on the summit of Waiʻaleʻale.
[A boast about an outstanding person.]
1932
Kuʻu ēwe, kuʻu piko, kuʻu iwi, kuʻu koko.
My umbilical cord, my navel, my bones, my blood.
[Said of a very close relative.]
2066
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.]
2182
Mō ka piko.
Cut is the umbilical cord.
[A friendly relation between closely related persons has been severed. To dream of an injury to one’s piko is an omen of the death of a close relative.]
2924
Wehe ka piko lā, e ka hoahānau.
Undone is the navel string, O kinsman.
[A family relation is severed. Said by Keopuolani to Kekuaokalani when she attempted to quell a rebellion, meaning that the tie of kinship between the two cousins, Liholiho and Kekuaokalani, was being severed by the latter’s refusal to be reconciled.]
Ka iʻa pīkoi kānaka o Kālia; he kānaka ka pīkoi, he kānaka ka pōhaku.
The fish caught by the men of Kālia; men are the floaters, men are the sinkers. [Kālia is a fishing net with human floats, human sinkers. (PE)]
[In ancient days, when a school of mullet appeared at Kālia, Oʻahu, a bag net was set and the men swam out in a row and surrounded the fish. Then the men would slap the water together and kick their feet, driving the frightened fish into the opening of their bag net. Thus the fishermen of Kālia became known as human fishnets.]
Pikoi-a-ka-ʻalalā (1)
1858
Kū akula i ka pana a Pikoi-a-ka-ʻalalā, keiki pana ʻiole o ke kula o Keahumoa.
Shot by the arrow of Pikoi-[son] of-the-crow, the expert rat-shooter of the plain of Keahumoa.
[Said of one who practiced the sorcery that destroyed others. His god was referred to as akua ʻai pilau (filth-eating god).]
522
He akua ʻai pilau.
A filth-eating god.
[Said of a god who heeds the voice of a sorcerer and goes on errands of destruction.]
754
Hele nō ka pilau a ke ālia, i kahi nui o ka paʻakai.
Decomposition can also he found where there is so much salt that the earth is encrusted.
[Scandal is found even in the best of families.]
2632
Pī ʻia ko wahi pilau iki, ʻaʻole ʻoe i ʻike i ko pilau nui.
Refuse to give your little stink a place and youʻll never know when a greater stink will come to you.
[A curse uttered by a sorcerer to a woman who refuses his advances. In refusing a sexual union with him she may meet a greater “stink”- — death and decomposition.]
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.]
373
E pili mai auaneʻi ia pupuka iaʻu!
That homeliness will not attach itself to me!
[Ugliness is not contagious. Said by a good-looking person in answer to, “I wonder why a handsome person like you should have such a homely mate.”]
487
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.]
559
He hāʻawe pili.
Carriers of bundles of pili grass.
[A derogatory saying by the followers of Kamehameha for the people of Kaʻū, who covered the road of Kapaukua with pili grass for their chief Keouakuahuʻula.]
[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.]
2308
Nele i ka mea poepoe, nele ka pilina mai.
Lacking the round object, no one stays around.
[When one lacks round dollars to spend, companions disappear.]
[Said of one who attaches himself to another. Piliwale was a fishpond at Molokaʻi. When fresh sea water came in at the sluice gate the fish pressed together there. Once, a chief on Kauaʻi fled from the battlefield, followed by his pursuers. He found refuge in Maniniholo cave, but his pursuers discovered his place of concealment and entered. He fled, and, seeing a large rock, pressed himself against it with the hope that he would escape detection. But he was seen and killed. The rock against which he pressed himself was called Piliwale.]
Piliwale (1)
2656
Piliwale ka iʻa o Piliwale.
The fish of Piliwale press together.
[Said of one who attaches himself to another. Piliwale was a fishpond at Molokaʻi. When fresh sea water came in at the sluice gate the fish pressed together there. Once, a chief on Kauaʻi fled from the battlefield, followed by his pursuers. He found refuge in Maniniholo cave, but his pursuers discovered his place of concealment and entered. He fled, and, seeing a large rock, pressed himself against it with the hope that he would escape detection. But he was seen and killed. The rock against which he pressed himself was called Piliwale.]
The light that will not go out in spite of the blowing of the Kauaʻula wind.
[Said of the Lahainaluna School, where many leaders of old Hawaiʻi were educated.]
2606
Pau kā ʻoe hana, pio kā ʻoe ahi, pala kā ʻoe ʻāhui.
Your work is done, your fire is extinguished, your [banana] bunch has ripened.
[Said by Kahekili, chief of Maui, after he defeated Peleioholani of Oʻahu. Used with relief and gladness that a person has died. Common in old newspapers.]
2657
Pio ke kukui, pōʻele ka hale.
When the light goes out, the house is dark.
[Said of one whose sight is gone — he dwells in darkness. Also said when life goes and the darkness of death possesses.]
2850
Ua pio ke kukui.
The light is extinguished.
[Said of a person who has fallen asleep and is no longer aware of anything.]
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.]
O Kaululāʻau, it is the first night that the eyelids have stuck so.
[Used in derision of one who doesn’t use his eyes. Kaululāʻau was a Maui chief who, because of his mischief, was banished to the island of Lānaʻi by his father. There he destroyed the evil inhabitants of that island by applying gum to their eyelids after they had fallen asleep.]
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.]
1379
Ka iʻa pipili i ka lima.
The fish that sticks to the hand.
[The octopus, whose tentacles have suction cups.]
2660
Pipili i ka hana makamaka ʻole, hoʻokahi nō makamaka o ke kaunu a ka manaʻo.
Sticks to the work in which friends are ignored; only one friend is considered, the desire of the heart.
[Said of one who is in love and pays no attention to anyone except the object of his affection.]
2661
Pipili mau ʻia e ka pīʻoeʻoe.
Always clung to by barnacles.
[Said of one who is a constant attraction to the opposite sex.]
2662
Pipili no ka pīlali i ke kumu kukui.
The pīlali gum sticks to the kukui tree.
[Said of one who remains close to a loved one all the time, as a child may cling to the grandparent he loves.]
Pipili (1)
2104
Make iā Pipili.
Killed by Pipili.
[Killed by Stick-around. So boasted Kamehameha I when he slew Kapakahili, a Maui chief, in the battle of Kawaʻanui. He stuck around and succeeded in eliminating a foe.]
Kokolo no o pipipi, o kalamoe me ālealea a ke alo o Kuhaimoana.
Pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea crept to the presence of Kuhaimoana.
[Kuhaimoana is an important shark god, and pipipi, kalamoe and ālealea are shellfish. Said of hangers-on who gather around an important person for favors.]
Feeling the cold air of the night was all in vain; no fish was caught in the net.
[A wasted effort.]
137
ʻAʻohe hala ʻula i ka pō.
No hala fruit shows its color in the darkness of night.
[Beauty must be seen to be enjoyed.]
318
E Kaululāʻau, ʻakahi nō pō i pipili ai nā maka.
O Kaululāʻau, it is the first night that the eyelids have stuck so.
[Used in derision of one who doesn’t use his eyes. Kaululāʻau was a Maui chief who, because of his mischief, was banished to the island of Lānaʻi by his father. There he destroyed the evil inhabitants of that island by applying gum to their eyelids after they had fallen asleep.]
442
Hāmama ka waha he pō iʻa ʻole.
When the mouth yawns, it is a night on which no fish are caught.
[A sleepy, yawning person isn’t likely to be out catching fish.]
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.]
587
He hōʻike na ka pō.
A revelation of the night.
[A revelation from the gods in dreams, visions, and omens.]
[Said of a person who goes in circles and gets nowhere. Waimea, Hawaiʻi, is a cold place and when foggy, it is easy for one unfamiliar with the place to lose his way.]
Ke aliʻi nāna e kālua i ke poʻo i ka imu a poʻalo aʻe i nā maka.
The chief who can roast the head in the imu and scoop out the eyes.
[Said of a chief who had the power and authority to have the head of one who offended him cut off and roasted in an imu, or to order his eyes dug out. The heads were roasted and then discarded, a warning to lesser chiefs and commoners to respect their superiors.]
[Applied to one who goes groping in the dark. The chiefs held kōnane and other games at the shore of Kou (now central Honolulu), and people came from everywhere to watch. Very often they remained until it was too dark to see and had to grope for their companions.]
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.]
2657
Pio ke kukui, pōʻele ka hale.
When the light goes out, the house is dark.
[Said of one whose sight is gone — he dwells in darkness. Also said when life goes and the darkness of death possesses.]
[An expression of annoyance toward one who disturbs the night with noise.]
1432
Kalaoaʻai pōʻeleʻele.
Kalaoa eats in the dark.
[The people of Kalaoa in east Hilo were noted for their lack of hospitality. To avoid having to ask visitors or passers-by to partake of food with them, they ate in the dark where they could not be seen.]
Pōʻeleʻi (1)
2371
ʻO Hinaiaʻeleʻele ke kāne, ʻo Pōʻeleʻi ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki ʻakena a haʻanui.
Hinaiaʻeleʻele is the husband, Pōʻeleʻi (Supreme-dark-one) the wife; a child born to them is a boaster and an exaggerator.
[Said of a child born in the month of Hinaiaʻeleʻele.]
Ka iʻa kaʻa poepoe o Kalapana, ʻīnaʻi ʻuala o Kaimū.
The round, rolling fish of Kalapana, to be eaten with the sweet potato of Kaimū.
[The kukui nut, cooked and eaten as a relish. This is from a hoʻopāpā riddling chant in the story of Kaipalaoa, a boy of Puna, Hawaiʻi, who went to Kauaʻi to riddle with the experts there and won.]
2308
Nele i ka mea poepoe, nele ka pilina mai.
Lacking the round object, no one stays around.
[When one lacks round dollars to spend, companions disappear.]
This is what the Hawaiians thought the first white men to visit the islands said.
[It is untranslatable gibberish repeated with laughter when one is told something utterly incomprehensible.]
32
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.]
1008
Hinuhinu ka ihu, pohā ka ʻauwae.
When the nose shines, the chin gets a blow.
[Said of a drunken person who gets into a fight.]
2390
ʻO ʻIkuwā i pohā kōʻeleʻele, ʻikuwā ke kai, ʻikuwā ka hekili, ʻikuwā ka manu.
ʻIkuwā is the month when the dark storms arise, the sea roars, the thunder roars, the birds make a din.
2669
Pohā i ke alo o Kaʻuiki.
A loud, explosive sound before the presence of Kaʻuiki.
[Said of the drawing up of an aku fish from the water to the chest of the fisherman.]
[Kaʻakēkē was a maika-rolling field at Ualapuʻe, Molokaʻi, where champions often met in ancient days. Said in admiration of any Molokaʻi lad outstanding in sports.]
2678
Pohāpohā ka ihu o ka waʻa i ka ʻale o ka Mumuku.
The prow of the canoe is slapped by the billows in the Mumuku gale.
[Said of a person buffeted by circumstances or of one who has received many blows by the fist.]
[Said of a victim of sorcery. One who bore ill against another would smite the sea with a pōhuehue vine while the intended victim was at sea. It was believed that with the proper incantations this would cause the surf to rise. The sea would become rough and dangerous and the intended victim would be killed.]
Now you are eating poi made from the paua taro of Keaiwa.
[A boast from the district of Kaʻū: “Now you are seeing the very best that we have.” Also used to say, “Now you will find out how fine a girl (or boy) can be in making love.” The paua was the best taro in Kaʻū and the only variety that grew on the plains.]
1541
Ka poi ʻuoʻuo o kāohi puʻu.
The tenacious poi that presses down in the throat.
[Refers to the constant showers typical of Hilo district on Hawaiʻi. This is the first line of a chant.]
641
He ʻio poʻi moa.
Chicken-catching hawk.
[Said of a clever thief or of one who steals the sweetheart of another.]
854
He ʻohu poʻi wale iho nō.
Only a covering of mist.
[Said of a person who is a mere figurehead in a high position and has no authority to act. Like the mist, he merely nestles on the peak.]
905
He poʻi na kai uli, kai koʻo, ʻaʻohe hina pūkoʻa.
Though the sea he deep and rough, the coral rock remains standing.
[Said of one who remains calm in the face of difficulty.]
906
He poʻi ʻumeke o Keawe.
A calabash lid is Keawe.
[Said by Kekuʻiapoiwa Liliha, mother of Keopuolani, to mean that the island of Hawaiʻi had no chief of pure blood; at some point the blood of commoners had come in.]
[Said of those who are important to the community — when misfortune befalls one, it is a misfortune for all. The fall of an able war leader is a disaster to his followers just as the fall of a good warrior is a disaster to the leader. Every member of the group is important.]
2683
Pōʻino nā lāʻau aʻa liʻiliʻi i ka ulu pū me ka puakala aʻa loloa.
Plants with fine roots are harmed when left to grow with the rough, long-rooted thorny ones.
[Weak-willed persons are often overcome and influenced by the wicked.]
Poka (1)
2846
Ua pau koʻu lihi hoihoi i ka nani o Poka ʻAilana.
I havent the slightest interest in the beauty of Ford Island.
[Said when one has lost interest. This is a line from a chant.]
Pōkāʻī (1)
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.]
[Said of one who has received a sizeable sum or is financially secure. A play on pōkeokeo, which refers to the turkeyʻs gobble as well as to a substantial amount of money.]
[Said in admiration of a speedy athlete. Makoa was a speedy runner in Kamehameha’s day whose swiftness gained him fame.]
1237
I mua e nā pōkiʻi a inu i ka wai ʻawaʻawa.
Forward, my younger hrothers, until you drink the bitter water [of battle].
[Uttered by Kamehameha as he rallied his forces in the battle of ʻĪao Valley.]
1250
I paʻa i ka hānau mua, ʻaʻole e puka nā pōkiʻi.
Had the mother died in bearing the oldest, all the others would not have been born.
[Said in reminding brothers and sisters to respect the hiapo (eldest).]
2265
Nāna i waele mua i ke ala, ma hope aku mākou, nā pōkiʻi.
He [or she] first cleared the path and then we younger ones followed.
[Said with affection and respect for the oldest sibling (hiapo).]
2461
ʻO ke keiki he loaʻa i ka moe, ʻo ka pōkiʻi ʻaʻole.
One can produce a child by sleeping with a mate, but he cannot produce a younger brother or sister.
[Great affection between brothers and sisters, and especially for younger siblings, was not rare in olden days. This saying is a reminder to treat younger ones with love and respect.]
2685
Pōkiʻi ka ua, ua i ka lehua.
The rain, like a younger brother, remains with the lehua.
[Said of the rain that clings to the forest where ʻōhiʻa trees grow.]
[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.]
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.]
Poliʻahu (1)
2687
Poliʻahu, ka wahine kapa hau anu o Mauna Kea.
Poliʻahu, the woman who wears the snow mantle of Mauna Kea.
[Poliʻahu is the goddess of snows; her home is on Mauna Kea.]
Polihale (1)
2568
Pahapaha lei o Polihale.
The pahapaha lei of Polihale.
[At Polihale, Kauaʻi, grew pahapaha (sea lettuce). Visitors gathered and wore this pahapaha in lei because its green color could be revived by immersion in sea water after it had partially dried. Although pahapaha is common everywhere, only that which grows at Polihale revives once it is dry. It is famed in songs and chants of Kauaʻi.]
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.]
97
A ka lae o Kalaʻau, pau ka pono o Kakina.
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.]
325
E kuhikuhi pono i nā au iki a me nā au nui o ka ʻike.
Instruct well in the little and the large currents of knowledge.
[In teaching, do it well; the small details are as important as the large ones.]
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.]
384
E waikahi ka pono i mānalo.
It is well to be united in thought that all may have peace.
417
Haki kākala o Piʻilani, ʻike pono ʻo luna iā lalo.
Roughness breaks in Piʻilani, those above recognize those below.
[A storm breaks loose and those above — rain, lightning, thunder, wind — show their effects to the people below.]
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.]
2108
Make nō ʻo Pāmano i ka ʻiʻo ponoʻī.
It was a near relative who destroyed Pāmano.
[Troubles often come from one’s nearest relatives. From the legend of Pāmano, a hero who met his death through his uncle, Waipū.]
[When he is old enough to toddle or creep by himself into the sunlight.]
140
ʻAʻohe hana a Kauhikoa, ua kau ke poʻo i ka uluna.
Kauhikoa has nothing more to do but rest his head on the pillow.
[Everything is done and one can take his ease. Kauhikoa, a native of Kohala, was a clever person who could quickly accomplish what others would take months to do.]
190
ʻAʻohe mea nāna e paʻi i ke poʻo.
No one to slap his head.
[He has no equal in his accomplishments.]
266
E ao o pau poʻo, pau hiʻu ia manō.
Be careful lest you go head and tail into the shark.
[A warning to be on one’s guard. Nanaue, of Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, had two forms — that of a man and that of a shark. As people passed his farm to go to the beach, he would utter this warning. After they had passed, he would run to the river, change into a shark, and swim under the water to the sea where he would catch and eat those he had warned. No one knew that it was Nanaue who was eating the people until someone pulled off the shoulder covering he always wore and discovered a shark’s mouth between his shoulder blades. After he was put to death the people were safe again.]
741
Hele ke poʻo a pōnaʻanaʻa.
The head moves in a confused manner.
[In a state of having so much to do one doesn’t know where to start.]
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.]
The forehead is swollen by the smooth waterworn stone.
[The price is so high that it feels like a lump on the forehead. ʻAlā is often used to refer to money.]
2691
Poʻohū ka lae kahi i ka pōhue.
When the forehead lumps, rub it with a gourd.
[Find the remedy for the problem.]
Poʻokea (1)
505
Hāwele kīlau i ka lemu, ʻāhaʻi ka puaʻa i ka waha; ke hele nei ʻo Poʻokea.
Draw the fine loincloth under the buttocks; the pork finds its way into the mouth; Poʻokea now departs.
[Poʻokea was a very clever thief during the reign of Kahekili of Maui. Whenever he eluded his pursuers, this was his favorite boast. Any reference to one as being a descendant or relative of Poʻokea implies that he is a thief who steals and runs.]
[Said of a sorcerer who prays others to death, or of anything that would cause serious trouble. The ʻauhuhu is a poisonous plant used for stunning fish.]
Kaikoʻo ke awa, popoʻi ka nalu, ʻaʻohe ʻike ʻia ka poʻe nāna i heʻe ka nalu.
The harbor is rough, the surf rolls, and the rider of the surf cannot be seen.
[A stormy circumstance with uncertain results.]
Pōpōkapa (1)
1601
Ka ua Pōpōkapa o Nuʻuanu.
The Tapa-bundling rain of Nuuanu.
[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.]
[Said by one whose fare is humble, consisting mostly of poi with salt or kukui relish. “Eat till you are satisfied of this humble fare.”]
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.]
759
Hele pū nō me ka lima.
Take the hands along in going traveling.
[Be willing to help others when going traveling and not make a burden of yourself.]
923
He pū hala aʻa kiolea.
A hala tree with thin, hanging roots.
[Said of one who is not strong, like a tree with aerial roots that are not yet imbedded in the earth.]
924
He pū hala uoʻo.
A tough [old] pandanus tree.
[Said of a stingy person. A play on pū hala in Puhala-hua, the name of a man in the 1800s who was known for his thrift and diligence in saving for old age.]
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.]
[Said of those who are important to the community — when misfortune befalls one, it is a misfortune for all. The fall of an able war leader is a disaster to his followers just as the fall of a good warrior is a disaster to the leader. Every member of the group is important.]
[A compliment to an elderly woman. Her beauty still remains.]
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.]
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.]
408
Haiamū ka manu i ka pua o ka māmane.
The birds gather ahout the māmane blossom.
[Said of one who is very popular with the opposite sex.]
409
Haʻi ʻē nā pua i ke kula.
The flowers of the field look coy and coquettish.
[Said of a young person who wears a coquettish look when in the presence of one who rouses interest.]
695
He kiu ka pua kukui na ka makani.
The kukui blossoms are a sign of wind.
[When the kukui trees shed their blossoms, a strong wind is blowing.]
[Said of a person who is not satisfied with the number of his own pigs and so robs his neighbors of theirs. Kukeawe was a friend of Kahekili who was allowed to help himself to any of Kahekili’s pigs in Kula, Maui. But Kukeawe also took the pigs belonging to the people of Kula, Honuaʻula, and Kahikinui and plundered their possessions. These people rose in rebellion, led by ʻOpū, and surprised the followers of Kukeawe while they were ascending Haleakalā on the way to Kula. Kukeawe’s party retreated but found their way blocked by other parties led by Kawehena, Kahoʻoluhina, and Kuheana. Kukeawe was killed and his body set up at Palauea for all to see.]
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.]
166
ʻAʻohe komo o kā haʻi puaʻa ke paʻa i ka pā.
Other people’s pigs would not come in if the fence were kept in good repair.
[Be prepared always, and you’ll find yourself free of trouble. Also, evil influence cannot enter when one keeps his own mental realm fortified from within.]
351
E mānalo ka hala o ke kanaka i ka imu o ka puaʻa.
The wrongs done by man are atoned for by a pig in the imu.
[When a person has committed a wrong against others or against the gods, he makes an offering of a hog with prayers of forgiveness.]
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.”]
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.]
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.]
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.]
When one plants in [the month of] Mahoemua, he will have irregularly shaped taro.
1894
Kū ka pūʻali.
His forces are ready.
[He is ready to get to work.]
2705
Pūʻali kalo i ka wai ʻole.
Taro, for lack of water, grows misshapen.
[For lack of care one may become ill.]
2706
Pūʻali o Ka-hau-nui ia Ka-hau-iki.
Big-hau-tree has a groove worn into it by Little-hau-tree.
[Said when a child nearly wears out the patience of the adult in charge of him, or of a large company of warriors discomfited by a small one. Kahaunui and Kahauiki are places just east of Moanalua, Oʻahu.]
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.]
381
ʻEu kōlea i kona puapua; ʻeu ke kanaka i kona hanu.
A plover stirs its tail; a man stirs because of the breath within.
[Said by Kaʻiana, who led an army in battle under Kamehameha I. When the Puna fighters refused to battle against Keouakuahuʻula because of the close kinship between their own district and Kaʻū, Kaʻiana said this to urge them to think of themselves and their own lives. Encouraged, the warriors resumed fīghting and won the victory for Kamehameha.]
761
He lihi nō paha i laila, ke ʻeuʻeu nei ka puapua.
Perhaps [he] has some rights there, to wag his tail feathers [the way he does].
[He wouldn’t be acting with such confidence if he weren’t related to or a friend of the person higher up.]
When the piglets follow one after the other in the calm, it is a sign of bad weather.
[When the clouds called ao puapuaʻa or puaʻa, “pig” clouds, follow one after the other on the mountaintops in calm weather, bad weather is to be expected.]
Kālina ka pono, ʻaʻohe hua o ka puʻe, aia ka hua i ka lālā.
The potato hill is bare of tubers for the plant no longer bears; it is the vines that are now bearing.
[The mother is no longer bearing, but her children are.]
2135
Mānā, i ka puʻe kalo hoʻoneʻeneʻe a ka wai.
Mānā, where the mounded taro moves in the water.
[Refers to Mānā, Kauaʻi. In ancient days there were five patches at Kolo, Mānā, in which deep water mound-planting was done for taro. As the plants grew, the rootlets were allowed to spread undisturbed because they helped to hold the soil together. When the rainy season came, the whole area was flooded as far as Kalamaihiki, and it took weeks for the water to subside. The farmers built rafts of sticks and rushes, then dived into the water. They worked the bases of the taro mounds free and lifted them carefully, so as not to disturb the soil, to the rafts where they were secured. The weight of the mounds submerged the rafts but permitted the taro stalks to grow above water just as they did before the flood came. The rafts were tied together to form a large, floating field of taro.]
2290
Nā puʻe ʻuala hoʻouai.
Movable mounds of sweet potato.
[It was the custom of Pūlaʻa, Puna, Hawaiʻi, to remove the best mounds of sweet potato, earth and all, to wide strips of thick, coarse lauhala mats stretched out on racks. When a chief came on a visit, these mats were placed on the right-hand side of the road and made kapu. Should he return, the mat-grown potato field was carried to the opposite side of the road so that it would still be on the right of the traveling chief.]
2291
Nā puʻe ʻuala ʻīnaʻi o ke ala loa.
The sweet-potato mounds that provide for a long journey.
[Said of a patch of sweet potatoes whose crops are reserved for a voyage or journey.]
The quickly emptied container belongs to Hanamāʻulu.
[Said of the stingy people of Hanamāʻulu, Kauaʻi — no hospitality there. At one time, food containers would be hidden away and the people of Hanamāʻulu would apologize for having so little to offer their guests.]
2711
Puehu ka hulu o ka manu.
The feathers of the bird are scattered.
[The person has gone off with haste.]
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.]
Puehuehu (1)
46
Aia i Kohala, i Puehuehu.
Gone to Kohala, to Puehuehu.
[Nothing more is left. Used about someone who has lost everything. A play on puehu (to scatter like fine dust). Also expressed Hoʻi i Kohala i Puehuehu.]
No matter how much one covers a steaming imu, the smoke will rise.
[The secret will get out.]
634
He imu puhi na ka lā o Kalaʻe.
Kalaʻe is made a steaming oven by the sun.
[At Kalaʻe, Molokaʻi, stood an imu that was said to have baked the rain, making it a dry place.]
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.
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.”]
927
He puhi ke aloha, he iʻa noho i ke ale.
Love is like an eel, the creature that dwells in the sea cavern.
[Love makes one restless in the mind, like the writhing of an eel.]
928
He puhi kumu one, he iʻa ʻino.
An eel of the sand bank is a dangerous creature.
[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.]
Puhipuhi lāʻau a kahuna, ka maunu loaʻa a ka pupuka.
By blowing the medicine given by a kahuna, can the ugly gain his desire.
[Said of one who resorted to the prayers and ceremonies of a kahuna hana aloha to gain the love of his desired one. The person consulting the kahuna ate pilimai and manulele sugar cane after the kahuna had dedicated them to Makanikeoe, the love god. Then he blew in the direction of the desired person. The god, who also had a wind form, bore the mana along, and when it touched the one desired he or she became very much in love with the sender. When used with evil intent — for revenge or to humiliate — the sender is spoken of as an ugly person who has no charm of his own, hence he must resort to sorcery.]
[A facetious reply when someone asks how a friend or relative is.]
600
He huluhulu kau i ka puka ihu.
Hair growing inside of the nostril.
[Said in envy of a person who is regarded as a favorite by a superior — he is so closely allied to the person that he is likened to a hair in the other’s nostril. Also said in criticism of one who is made too much of.]
1206
ʻIke ʻia aʻe nō ma ka huluhulu kau i ka puka ihu.
Attention is paid only to the hairs of the nostrils.
[Attention is paid to the favored few whom one does not like to offend.]
1249
I paʻa iā ia ʻaʻole ʻoe e puka.
If it had ended with him [or her] you would not be here.
[Said to a younger sibling to encourage more respect for an elder.]
1250
I paʻa i ka hānau mua, ʻaʻole e puka nā pōkiʻi.
Had the mother died in bearing the oldest, all the others would not have been born.
[Said in reminding brothers and sisters to respect the hiapo (eldest).]
1251
I paʻa i kona kupuna ʻaʻole kākou e puka.
Had our ancestress died in bearing our grandparent, we would not have come forth.
[Said to remind a member of the family to respect the senior line, because they came first. Also expressed I paʻa i kona makua....]
E ʻau mālie i ke kai pāpaʻu, o pakī ka wai a pula ka maka.
Swim quietly in shallow water lest it splash into the eyes.
[A cautioning to go carefully where one isn’t sure of conditions.]
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.]
934
He pula, ʻo ka ʻānai ka mea nui.
A speck of dust in the eye causes a lot of rubbing because of irritation.
[Let one member of a family do wrong and, like the resultant irritation, he is a shame to all.]
2733
Pula kau maka ʻino loa.
A very bad mote in the eye.
[A person who is much disliked. Pula kau maka denotes something that is constantly on oneʻs mind.]
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.”]
[Whenever concentration and united effort are required, this saying is used. A sorcerer at Hakalau once created havoc in his own and other neighborhoods. Many attempts to counter-pray him failed until a visiting kahuna suggested that all of the others band together to concentrate on the common enemy. This time they succeeded.]
374
E pule wale nō i ka lā o ka make, ʻaʻole e ola.
Prayers uttered on the day of death will not save one.
[Said by Lohiʻau to Hiʻiaka.]
699
He koʻe ka pule a kahuna, he moe nō a ʻoni mai.
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.]
1196
I ka pule nō o Lohiʻau a make.
Lohiʻau was still praying when he died.
[Said of one who waits until he is face to face with death before beginning to pray.]
2195
Molokaʻi pule oʻo.
Molokaʻi of the potent prayers.
[Molokaʻi is noted for its sorcery, which can heal or destroy.]
[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.]
2735
Pulelo ke ahi haʻaheo i nā pali.
The firebrand soars proudly over the cliffs.
[An expression of triumph. Referring to the firebrand hurling of Kauaʻi, or to the glow of volcanic fire on Hawaiʻi.]
2736
Pulelo ke ahi o Makuaiki.
The firebrand of Makuaiki rises triumphant.
[Said of one who rises from obscurity or gains a victory.]
The water returns to the spring and there remains.
[Said of one who withdraws.]
1163
Iho ihola ka puna palaʻai.
Down goes the pumpkin spoon.
[Said in derision to one who pouts, whose pouting lips are compared to a spoon.]
1243
ʻIno ka moana ke ahu mōkākī nei ka puna i uka.
The sea is rough, for the corals are strewn on the beach.
[Here are all the indications that there is trouble yonder.]
Puna (31)
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.]
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.]
246
ʻAwa kau lāʻau o Puna.
Tree-growing ʻawa of Puna.
[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.]
260
E ala e Kaʻū, kahiko o Mākaha; e ala e Puna, Puna Kumākaha; e ala e Hilo naʻau kele!
Arise, O Kaʻū of ancient descent; arise, O Puna of the Kumākaha group; arise, O Hilo of the water-soaked foundation!
[A rallying call. These names are found in Kaʻū and Puna chants of the chiefs. The Mākaha and Ku-mākaha (Like-the-Mākaha) were originally one. Some moved to Puna and took the name Kumākaha.]
360
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.”]
397
Haʻalele i Puna nā hoaloha ʻē.
Left in Puna are the friends.
[Said of one who has deserted his friends. Originally said of Hiʻiaka when she left Puna.]
[Said of one who is verbally ambitious but does nothing to attain his goal, or of one who is full of flattery and false promises.]
Punahoa (4)
171
ʻAʻohe lihi ʻike aku i ka nani o Punahoa.
Hasn’t known the beauty of Punahoa.
[Used when the charms of a person or place are unknown. Punahoa is an unusually attractive place.]
2305
Neʻe aku, neʻe mai ke one o Punahoa.
That way and this way shifts the sand of Punahoa.
[Said of a group that divides, or of an undecided person who shifts one way and then another.]
2306
Neʻe papa ka helu a ka lā i Punahoa.
The sun continued to scorch at Punahoa.
[The fight didn’t end quickly.]
2548
ʻO Wananalua ia ʻāina; ʻo Punahoa ka wai; ʻo Kaʻuiki ka puʻu.
Wananalua is the land; Punahoa is the pool; Kaʻuiki is the hill.
[Noted places in Hāna.]
Punaluʻu (4)
1569
Ka ua kīkē hala o Punaluʻu.
The hala-pelting rain of Punaluu.
[Refers to the rain at Punaluʻu, Oʻahu.]
1887
Kū ka hale i Punaluʻu, i Ka-wai-hū-o-Kauila.
The house stands at Punaluʻu, at the gushing water of Kauila.
[Said of one who has found peace and comfort at last. Ka-wai-hū-o-Kauila is a spring, the gift of a turtle goddess to the people of Punaluʻu, Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. The people of that locality feared the cannibal woman Kaikapū, who lived near their best springs. In order to avoid her and obtain water, they dived to the sea floor where fresh water bubbled up — hence the name Puna-luʻu (Water-dived-for). Seeing their difficulty, a turtle goddess created this spring.]
2380
ʻOhuʻohu Punaluʻu i Ka-wai-hū-o-Kauila.
Punaluʻu is adorned by the rushing water of Kauila.
[Refers to Punaluʻu, Kaʻū.]
2746
Punaluʻu, i ke kai kau haʻa a ka malihini.
Punaluu, where the sea dances for the visitors.
[Punaluʻu, Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, is said to be the place where the sea dances to delight visitors.]
Small is the rice bird but an expert in nest building.
[He may be insignificant but he’s a good worker.]
2018
Loaʻa pono ka ʻiole i ka pūnana.
The rat was caught right in the nest
[The fellow was caught red-handed.]
2514
ʻO nā hōkū o ka lani kai ʻike iā Pae. Aia a loaʻa ka pūnana o ke kōlea, loaʻa ʻo ia iā ʻoe.
Only the stars of heaven know where Pae is. When you find a plover’s nest, then you will find him.
[Said of something so well hidden that it will not be found. Pae was a priest in the reign of ʻUmi. He was so lucky in fishing that the chief desired his bones for fishhooks after his death. When Pae died, his sons hid his bones so well that none of the chiefs and priests could find them. The sons would say, “When you find the nest of the plover, then will you find him.” But ʻUmi enlisted the help of a noted priest of Kauaʻi, who saw the ghost of Pae drinking from a spring in Waimanu Valley. Thus were the bones of Pae found and made into fishhooks for the chief. The sons of Pae were reminded that the chief was using their father’s bones for hooks by his constant cry, “O Pae, hold fast to our fish!”]
[A dying person might will to a relative his fondness for a certain food or activity. After his death, the relative would eat or do the thing until he grew to be as fond of it as the dead person had been. This was called a puni kauoha.]
1173
I ʻike ʻoe iā Kauaʻi a puni a ʻike ʻole iā Kauaʻi-iki, ʻaʻole nō ʻoe i ʻike iā Kauaʻi.
If you have seen all of the places on the island of Kauaʻi and have not seen Little Kauaʻi, you have not seen the whole of Kauaʻi.
[Kauaʻi-iki (Little Kauaʻi) is a stone that stood in a taro patch at Wahiawa, Kauaʻi. When it was threatened with destruction by the building of a road, it was rescued by Walter McBryde and taken to Maiʻaloa and later to Kukuiolono Park, where it stands today.]
1257
I puni iā ʻoe o Kaʻū a i ʻike ʻole ʻoe iā Kaʻūloa, ʻaʻohe nō ʻoe i ʻike iā Kaʻū.
If you have been around Kaʻū and have not seen Kaʻūloa, you have not seen the whole of the district. Kaʻūloa and Waiōhinu were two stones, wife and husband, that stood in a kukui grove on the upper side of the road between Na’alehu and Waiōhinu. With the passing of time, these stones gradually sank until they vanished completely into the earth. After Kaʻūloa was no longer seen, Palahemo was substituted as the chief point of interest.
1258
I puni iā ʻoe o Lānaʻi a i ʻike ʻole iā Lānaʻi-Kaʻula me Lānaʻi-Hale, ʻaʻohe nō ʻoe i ʻike iā Lānaʻi.
If you have gone around Lānaʻi, and have not seen Lānaʻi Kaʻula and Lānaʻi Hale, you have not seen all of Lānaʻi.
1489
Ka moku puni kuapuʻu.
The hunchbacked island.
[Maui. Its shape on the map resembles the figure of a hunchbacked person.]
1599
Ka ua pōʻai puni o Kumaka.
The rain of Kumaka that completely surrounds.
[The rain and mists of Kumaka, Kauaʻi, completely screen homes, trees, and so forth from view.]
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.]
907
He pō Kāloa kēia, ua ʻeʻe pūpū.
This is the night of Kāloa, for the shellfish climbs.
[The nights of Kāloa, when the shellfish climb onto the wet stones, are good for shellfish hunting.]
1676
Ke ala pūpū i Molokaʻi.
The path of seashells of Molokaʻi.
[Among the noted things made by Kihaapiʻilani, ruler of Maui, was a paved road lined with seashells at Kaluakoʻi, Molokaʻi.]
1778
Ke one lei pūpū o Waimea.
The sand of Waimea, where shells for lei are found.
[Waimea, Oʻahu, and Lumahaʻi, Kauaʻi, were the two places where the shells that were made into hat bands were found. Those on Oʻahu were predominantly white and those on Kauaʻi, brown. Not now seen.]
2762
Pūpū wahi kūʻōʻō ka mahiʻai o uka, ola nō ia kini he mahiʻai na ka ʻōiwi.
When the upland farmer gathers small, broken sweet potatoes there is life for many, though he only farms for himself.
The octopus of the deep spews its ink [into the water].
[Said of one who goes off in secret or on an errand that rouses unsatisfied curiosity in others. The octopus escapes from its foes by spewing its ink and darkening the water.]
2752
Pupuhi ka iʻa o Ukoʻa.
The fish of Ukoʻa is gone.
[Ukoʻa is a famous pond in Waialua, Oʻahu. Said of one who takes flight or of something quickly and secretly taken.]
2753
Pupuhi ka ʻulu o Keʻei; ua koe ka ʻaʻaiole.
The breadfruit of Keʻei are gone; only those blown down by the wind are left.
[Said when something mysteriously vanishes. A konohiki of Keʻei in Kona, Hawaiʻi, was placed in charge of a fine breadfruit grove. In spite of his watchfulness, the fruit were stolen as soon as they matured. Secretly he asked all of his relatives to help him watch for the culprit. However, some were related to the thief as well, who learned about the watch and evaded capture. Long after, a slip of the tongue revealed the thief.]
2754
Pupuhi ka umu, moʻa pala ka ʻai.
When the umu smokes, the food is underdone.
[Not enough steam remains inside to cook the food. Said of one who does a lot of enthusiastic talking but canʻt knuckle down to business.]
2755
Pupuhi kukui — malino ke kai.
Spewed kukui nuts — calm sea.
[To calm the water, fishermen chewed kukui nuts and spewed them. It has the same meaning as, “Pour oil on troubled waters.”]
2756
Pupuhi kukui o Papalaua, he ʻino.
Light the candle of Papalaua, the weather is had.
[Said of Papalaua, Molokaʻi, where the sun shines for only part of the day. When the weather was bad the valley became dark before the day was gone, and candles had to be lighted. Sometimes said facetiously when a day is gloomy and a light is required to see.]
[Ugliness is not contagious. Said by a good-looking person in answer to, “I wonder why a handsome person like you should have such a homely mate.”]
1049
Holāholā wale ʻia aʻe nō a pau ka pupuka.
It will all he stripped away until all the ugliness is gone.
[Said in answer to a remark that a small child is ugly.]
2233
Na ka pupuka ka lili.
Jealousy belongs to the ugly.
2722
Puhipuhi lāʻau a kahuna, ka maunu loaʻa a ka pupuka.
By blowing the medicine given by a kahuna, can the ugly gain his desire.
[Said of one who resorted to the prayers and ceremonies of a kahuna hana aloha to gain the love of his desired one. The person consulting the kahuna ate pilimai and manulele sugar cane after the kahuna had dedicated them to Makanikeoe, the love god. Then he blew in the direction of the desired person. The god, who also had a wind form, bore the mana along, and when it touched the one desired he or she became very much in love with the sender. When used with evil intent — for revenge or to humiliate — the sender is spoken of as an ugly person who has no charm of his own, hence he must resort to sorcery.]
[A humorous expression applied to one with an overabundance of energy who does just as he pleases without fear of being criticized. Such a person has so much generosity that he is likeable, even if he sometimes goes to extremes.]
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.]
1020
Hoa pupuʻu o ka pō anu.
A companion to crouch with on a cold night.
[A sweetheart or spouse.]
2761
Pupuʻu hoʻolei loa, a noho ana!
A humping up and a fling, and there he was!
[Said of one who traveled very swiftly — as though he had flung himself through the air.]
[The sea at Puʻuhale in Kalihi, Oʻahu, was said to murmur softly as it washed ashore. There were once many fishponds there.]
Puʻuhele (1)
1494
Ka nalu heʻe o Puʻuhele.
The surf of Puuhele that is ridden.
[Puʻuhele is a place in Hāna, Maui, where there is good surfing.]
Puʻukapele (2)
686
He keiki kālai hoe na ka uka o Puʻukapele.
A paddle-making youth of Puuʻkapele.
[A complimentary expression. He who lives in the uplands, where good trees grow, can make good paddles Puʻukapele is a place above Waimea Canyon on Kauaʻi.]
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.]
Pūʻula (1)
400
Haʻalele wale iho nō i ke kula o Pūʻula.
For no reason he leaves the plain of Pūʻula.
[He goes off in a huff for no reason at all. A play on puʻu, or puʻu ka nuku (to pout). Pūʻula is a place in Puna, Hawaiʻi.]
Puʻulena (1)
424
Hala ka Puʻulena aia i Hilo ua ʻimi akula iā Papalauahi.
The Puʻulena breeze is gone to Hilo in search of Papalauahi.
[Said of one who has gone away or of one who finds himself too late to do anything.]
Ka lonolau no i ka lonolau; ka puʻulīʻulī no i ka puʻulīʻulī.
The large gourds to the large gourds; the little gourds to the little gourds.
[In battle, chiefs attack chiefs and commoners fight commoners. Also, chiefs seek the society of chiefs, commoners the society of commoners.]
Puʻuloa (5)
105
Alahula Puʻuloa, he alahele na Kaʻahupāhau.
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.]
1023
Hoʻi akula kaʻōpua i ke awa lau o Puʻuloa.
The horizon cloud has gone back to the lochs of Puuloa.
[He has gone home to stay, like the horizon clouds that settle in their customary places.]
1439
Kālele ka uahi o Puʻuloa.
The smoke of Puuloa leans over.
[Said in amusement of one who leans over, intent on his work.]
1686
Ke awa lau o Puʻuloa.
The many-harbored sea of Puuloa.
[Puʻuloa is an early name for Pearl Harbor.]
2152
Mehameha wale nō ʻo Puʻuloa, i ka hele a Kaʻahupāhau.
Puuloa hecame lonely when Kaʻahupāhau went away.
[The home is lonely when a loved one has gone. Kaʻahupāhau, guardian shark of Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor), was dearly loved by the people.]
Puʻunui (1)
1490
Ka mū ʻai paka o Puʻunui.
The tobacco-eating bug of Puʻunui.
[Said of one who is a pest. Puʻunui is now a part of Honoluiu.]