[Applied to one who worked hard, like a Hawaiian sailor on a whaling ship. Retuming home with a well-filled pocket, he would find many friends and girlfriends to help him spend his earnings. In a very short time his cash would be gone and his friends would find another prosperous person. Sadly he would retum to work.]
[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.]
1259
Ipu paʻu lena i ka uahi.
Soot containers yellowed by smoke.
[A term of contempt applied to the kauā of Kaupō, Maui.]
1334
Ka iʻa hei i ka uahi.
The fish caught by smoke.
[Birds caught at night with a net after being attracted by a bonfire.]
1380
Ka iʻa uahi a holo i ka pali.
The fish pursued by running after them on the hills.
[Goats.]
1381
Ka iʻa uahi nui o ka ʻāina; o ka iʻa ma luna, o ka ʻai ma lalo.
The many smoky fish of the land; with the fish ahove and the vegetable food beneath.
[This refers not to any particular fish or meat but to anything that is cooked in an imu. When lighted, the imu is smoky until the stones redden and the wood is reduced to coals.]
1387
Kaiehu ʻia a pulu ka puka uahi.
The sea tosses up the sprays, wetting the smokestack.
ʻO uakeʻe nei i loko o Haʻaloʻu, ʻo ka pō nahunahu ihu.
The little bend in Haʻaloʻu (Bend-over), on the night that the nose is bitten.
[This was said of Kahalaiʻa when he became angry with Kaʻahumanu. He was only a “little bend” whose wrath was no more important then a nip on the nose.]
[A term of derision applied to a native Hawaiian who apes the ways of the whites instead of appreciating the culture of his own people. Also said to one who is absolutely ignorant of his own culture.]
946
He ʻuala ka ʻai hoʻōla koke i ka wī.
The sweet potato is the food that ends famine quickly.
[The sweet potato is a plant that matures in a few months.]
1347
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.]
2123
Māla ʻuala.
Potato patch.
[Said in annoyance by an oldster when another Hawaiian asks in English, “What’s the matter?” “Matter” sounds like “māla,” and the retort “Māla ʻuala" squelches any more questioning.]
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.]
ʻO ka wai kau nō ia o Keʻanae; ʻo ka ʻūlei hoʻowali ʻuala ia o Kula.
It is the pool on the height of Keanae; it is the ʻūlei digging stick for the potato [patch] of Kula.
[A handsome young man of Kula and a beautiful young woman of Keʻanae, on Maui, were attracted to each other. She boasted of her own womanly perfection by referring to her body as the pool on the heights of Keʻanae. Not to be outdone, he looked down at himself and boasted of his manhood as the digging stick of Kula.]
ʻUalakaʻa (1)
50
Aia i luna o ʻUalakaʻa.
He is up on ʻUalakaʻa.
[A play on ʻUala-kaʻa (Rolling-potato-hill). Said of one who, like a rolling potato, has nothing to hold fast to. The hill was said to have been named for a sweet potato that broke loose from its vine on a field above and rolled down to a field below in Mānoa.]
Ualoa (1)
343
ʻElo ke kuāua o Ualoa; puaʻi i ka lani, kū kele ke one.
Drenching is the shower of Ualoa; the heavens overflow to soak the sands.
[Very wet weather. A play on ua (rain) and loa (very much). Ualoa is a place name.]
E akahele i ka mamo a ʻĪ, o kolo mai ka mole uaua.
Beware the descendant of ʻĪ, lest the tough roots crawl forth.
[A warning uttered by Palena, a chief of Kohala, who saw Kuaʻana-a-ʻĪ cruelly treated by the chiefs of Kona. Kuaʻana later went to see the people of his mother, Hoʻoleialiʻi, in Hāna, and to help the chiefs of Hilo in fighting those of Kona.]
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.]
ʻAʻohe na ia mau mea e uē iā ʻoe, na ke kanaka ʻoe e uē.
Things will not mourn you, but people will.
[Said to one who thinks more of his possessions than of his kinfolk or friends.]
987
Hiʻikua waha ka ʻopeʻope, hiʻi ke keiki ma ke alo, uē ʻalalā i ka nahele.
A bundle borne on the back, a baby in the arms, wailing in the forest.
[Said of mothers fleeing in terror.]
1784
Ke uē nei ka ʻōhiʻa o Kealakona.
The ʻōhiʻa wood of Kealakona weeps [for you].
[Uttered as a taunt by Mahihelelima, powerful warrior of Maui, when he sent his slingshots toward the warriors of Hawaiʻi under Piʻimaiwaʻa. ʻŌhiʻa logs from Kealakona were used for the fortress on Kaʻuiki, where the Maui warriors fought the invaders. Later used to mean, “We are prepared to defend ourselves and we are sorry for you if you try to fight us.”]
1797
Kīkē ka ʻalā, uē ka māmane.
When the boulders clash, the māmane tree weeps.
[This was first uttered by Hiʻiaka as she watched the fires of Pele destroy Lohiʻau. She described the terrifying outpouring of lava as it overwhelmed him. Later used to mean that when two people clash, those who belong to them often weep.]
1917
Kulu ka waimaka, uē ka ʻōpua.
The tears fall; the clouds weep.
[When rain falls at the time of a person’s death or during his funeral, it is said, the gods mingle their tears with those of the mourners.]
2460
ʻO ke kāne kēlā uē waimaka.
If that is the husband [of your choice], there will he much crying [with unhappiness].
[Said of one whose kapu prohibited him or her from carrying a baby lest it wet the lap. An infant who wet the lap of such a person might be put to death. Such a woman was often unable to rear her own children.]
948
He ʻuhā leo ʻole.
A lap without protest.
[Said of a woman who is willing to have intercourse with any man who asks her.]
[An expression of admiration for any youth of ʻOhaikea in Kaʻū. A handsome young man of that locality was said to have been so strong that he could break a log in two with his bare hands.]
1977
Lele kāhili, holo ka uhaʻi, uhi kapa.
Kāhili sway, the door covering is closed, the tapa is drawn up.
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.”]
379
E uhi ana ka wā i hala i nā mea i hala.
Passing time obscures the past.
380
E uhi wale nō ʻaʻole e nalo, he imu puhi.
No matter how much one covers a steaming imu, the smoke will rise.
[The secret will get out.]
519
He ʻai make ka uhi.
The yam is the food of death.
[The yam grows downward in the ground, instead of upward like the taro. When a person digs for yams, he has to be on the watch lest while digging with head down low an enemy strike him on the back of the neck and kill him.]
1977
Lele kāhili, holo ka uhaʻi, uhi kapa.
Kāhili sway, the door covering is closed, the tapa is drawn up.
[The chief sleeps.]
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.]
Covered with māmane leaves is the water of Kapāpala.
[The stream in Kapāpala, Kaʻū, often becomes very muddy. The people used to place māmane branches in the water to help the mud settle so that some drinking water could be obtained. This saying applies to a person who tries to cover up the wrongdoings of another.]
ʻAkahi hoʻi kuʻu ʻono i ka uhu kāʻalo i kuʻu maka.
Now I long for the uhu fish that passes before my eyes.
[How I would like that handsome fellow for a sweetheart. The uhu is a bright-colored fish, beautiful to look at, and tasty.]
131
ʻAʻohe e loaʻa, he uhu pakelo.
He will not be caught, for he is a parrotfish, slippery with slime.
[Said of a person too wily and wise to be caught.]
1223
I laka nō ka uhu i ka pakali.
The uhu is attracted by the decoy.
[If one wants to attract a person he must have something to interest him. Be patient and you will get what you want.]
1531
Ka pali nānā uhu kaʻi o Makapuʻu.
The uhu-observing cliff of Makapuʻu.
[The sea surrounding Makapuʻu Point, Oʻahu, is the favorite haunt of the uhu (parrotfish).]
2105
Makemake akula i ka uhu kāʻalo i ka maka.
There is a desire for the parrot-fish that passes the eyes.
[Said when one desires a lass or lad who is passing by.]
2588
Pala ka hala, momona ka uhu.
When the pandanus fruit is ripe, the parrotfish is fat.
[The sea urchin, a favorite food of the parrotfish, is fat during the season when the pandanus fruit is ripe. Feeding on fat sea urchin, the fish, too, hecome fat.]
[Said in praise of people who do not go anywhere without a gift or a helping hand. The saying originated at Honomakaʻu in Kohala. The young people of that locality, when on a journey, often went as far as Kapua before resting. Here, they made lei to adorn themselves and carry along with them. Another version is that no Kohala person goes unprepared for any emergency.]
235
ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou kanaka uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i wahine nāu?
Why is it that you do not show how handsome you are by seeking your own woman ?
[A woman might say, under the same circumstances, “ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou wahine uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i kāne nau?’]
285
E hoʻi ka uʻi o Mānoa, ua ahiahi.
Let the youth of Mānoa go home, for it is evening.
[Refers to the youth of Mānoa who used to ride the surf at Kalehuawehe in Waikīkī. The surfboards were shared among several people who would take turns using them. Those who finished first often suggested going home early, even though it might not be evening, to avoid carrying the boards to the hālau where they were stored. Later the expression was used for anyone who went off to avoid work.]
950
He uʻi lolena kū i kiʻona.
A lazy beauty is fit for the dung hill.
[Said of a beautiful person who is worth nothing.]
1076
Hoʻokahi no lāʻau a ka uʻi.
Let the youth use but a single stroke.
[Let it be once and for all. First uttered by the instructor of the chief Puapuakea, advising him to strike his enemy with a single, fatal blow.]
ʻAʻole e kū ka ikaika i kēia pākela nui; ke pōʻai mai nei ka ʻohu ma uka, ma kai, ma ʻō a ma ʻaneʻi.
One cannot show his strength against such odds; the rain clouds are circling from the upland, the lowland, and from all sides.
[Said by Maheleana, a warrior of Kualiʻi, when he saw his small company surrounded by the enemy.]
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.]
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.”]
433
Halemano honi palai o uka.
Halemano smells the ferns of the upland.
[At Halemano, Oʻahu, the breezes bring the fragrance of ferns from the upland.]
478
Hao mai ka makani kuakea ka moana; hao mai ke kai kū ke koʻa i uka.
When the gales blow, the sea is white-backed; when the sea rises, corals are washed ashore.
[Said of the rise of temper.]
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.]
[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.]
[Every deed, good or bad, receives its just reward.]
205
ʻAʻohe pilo uku.
No reward is a trife.
[Even a small gift is appreciated.]
382
E uku ʻia ke kanaka kiʻi lāʻau, he luhi kona i ka hele ʻana.
The man who goes to fetch medicinal herbs is to be paid — the trip he makes is labor.
[The person sent by the kahuna to gather herbs for a patient’s medicine was always paid by the patient’s family. If they faiied to pay, and the gatherer grumbled, the medicine would do no good. A person who was paid couldn’t grumble without hurting himself.]
456
Hānai puaʻa wahine, ma loko ka uku.
Raise a sow, for her reward is inside of her.
[A sow will bear young.]
603
He iʻa ia no Kahoʻolawe, he uku.
It is the fish of Kahoʻolawe, the uku.
[He shall be made to pay. A play on uku (reward or recompense).]
952
He uku maoli ia, he iʻa no Kahoʻolawe.
He is an uku, a fish of Kahoʻolawe.
[He is a rebel. Said by Keopuolani of Kekuaokalani when she suspected him of rebellion at the time of ʻai-noa (the abolishing of the kapu).]
Aia a wini kākala, a ʻula ka lepe o ka moa, a laila kau i ka haka.
When the spur is sharp and the comb red, then shall the cock rest on a perch.
[When a boy becomes a man, then shall he take a mate.]
80
ʻĀina koi ʻula i ka lepo.
Land reddened by the rising dust.
[Said of ʻEwa, Oʻahu.]
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.]
241
A ʻula! Kolekole!
Red! Red exposed!
[Said while drawing down the lid of the eye in contempt. Also, a vulgar expression arising from the following story: On Hawaiʻi lived a man who was dim-sighted but not entirely blind, though he liked to pretend to be so. One day, two women saw him coming with a friend, and one said to the other, “One of those men can see, and the other is not as blind as he pretends to be.” Her companion disagreed. “I am sure he is blind,” she said. Then the first woman replied, “I will expose myself and we shall see.” When the men drew near, the woman sat down and facing the “blind” man, exposed herself. He looked and exclaimed, “A ‘ula! Kolekole!” Because of this, his friend and the two women knew that he was not totally blind.]
415
Haka ʻula a Kāne.
Kāne’s red perch.
[A rainbow with red colors predominating.]
573
He heʻe nui, ke ʻula ala.
It is a large octopus because it shows a red color.
[A man went to farm one day and met another squatting carelessly as he worked. He made this remark, often used later to refer to a man who exposes himself.]
[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.]
ʻAʻohe i nalo ka ʻulaʻula o ka lepo, loaʻa hou nō ka wahine.
The redness of the earth hasnt even vanished when a new wife is obtained.
[Said in scorn of a person who takes a new mate shortly after the death of the old one.]
396
Haʻalele i ka ʻulaʻula waiwai a koho i ka ʻulaʻula waiwai ʻole.
Leaves the valuable red and chooses the worthless red.
[Said of one who rejects a suitor of rank in favor of one of lesser station.]
1275
Ka ʻai waha ʻulaʻula o ka ʻāina.
The red-mouthed food of the land.
[Watermelon. When the Hawaiians first saw Captain Cook’s men eating watermelon, they thought that they were eating human flesh and referred to them as akua waha ʻulaʻula (red-mouthed gods).]
1280
Kāʻanapali wāwae ʻulaʻula.
Red-footed Kāʻanapali.
[A term of derision for the people of Kāʻanapali. The soil there is red, and so the people are said to be recognizable by the red soles of their feet.]
1620
Kaʻū lepo ʻulaʻula.
Kaʻū of the red earth.
[Said of the natives of old Kaʻū, who were one vast family. Because of pride in their own people and homeland, Kaʻū people intermarried until they were of one blood and as one with their homeland. The kauwā were the only exceptions to this rule — they were despised and considered a people apart.]
[This expression is not meant to be vulgar. When the ule or pōule (breadfruit blossom) appears, it is the sign of the fruiting season. The young breadfruit first appears upright, and as the fruit grows larger its stem bends so that it hangs downward.]
ʻAʻole i ʻenaʻena ka imu i ka māmane me ka ʻūlei, i ʻenaʻena i ka laʻolaʻo.
The imu is not heated by māmane and ʻūlei wood alone, but also by the kindling.
[To be powerful, a ruler must have the loyalty of the common people as well as the chiefs.]
956
He ʻūlei kolo.
A creeping ʻūlei.
[An expression applied to a tough, strong person. The wood of the ʻūlei plant is very strong and was used as a fishing spear in olden times.]
2447
ʻO ka wai kau nō ia o Keʻanae; ʻo ka ʻūlei hoʻowali ʻuala ia o Kula.
It is the pool on the height of Keanae; it is the ʻūlei digging stick for the potato [patch] of Kula.
[A handsome young man of Kula and a beautiful young woman of Keʻanae, on Maui, were attracted to each other. She boasted of her own womanly perfection by referring to her body as the pool on the heights of Keʻanae. Not to be outdone, he looked down at himself and boasted of his manhood as the digging stick of Kula.]
Ulekiʻi (1)
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.]
[A vulgar expression. One with very dark lips is said to be sexually potent.]
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.]
958
He uli na ka heʻe pūloa.
It is ink from the long-headed octopus.
[Said of a person clever at getting away with mischief. The ink of the octopus is its camouflage.]
1350
Ka iʻa kāohi aho o nā kai uli.
The fish of the deep that pulls the line taut.
[The ulua. Also, a fine lad.]
1522
Kāpae ka ʻalaʻala he heʻe no kai uli.
[The weight causes] the head of the octopus to lean to one side; it is of the deep sea.
[Said disparagingly of a prosperous or important person. Once Hiʻiaka purposely avoided a kahuna who was seeking her. When he found her he said, “Oh! The head of the octopus leans to one side! After all, you are an octopus of the deep sea, a goddess!”]
1886
Kūkae uli.
Octopus ink.
[A term applied to prostitutes in the whaling days because of their cleverness in escaping from precarious situations, like an octopus that squirts ink to cover its escape.]
[That is a place where a sorcerer may burn a personal possession of his chosen victim. Uli was a god to whom a sorcerer might appeal. This is a warning to watch out lest one run into sorcery.]
Plover that perches on the mound, waits till its breast darkens, then departs for Kahiki.
[The darkening of the breast is a sign that a plover is fat. It flies to these islands from Alaska in the fall and departs in the spring, arriving thin and hungry and departing fat. Applied to a person who comes here, acquires weahh, and departs.]
1846
Kona, mauna uliuli; Kona mauna ulupō.
Kona of the green mountains; Kona of the dense forest.
[North and South Kona, Hawaiʻi.]
2865
Uliuli kai holo ka manō.
Where the sea is dark, sharks swim.
[Sharks are found in the deep sea. Also applied to men out seeking the society of the opposite sex.]
2866
Uliuli kai pali o Kahikinui, kokolo mai ka ʻohu he ʻino.
Dark are the sea cliffs of Kahikinui; when the mists creep, it is a sign of a storm.
[Trouble is approaching. This is taken from a chant in the legend of Pāmano, who saw his own death approaching.]
[There is no interest in that. Said by one who lacks interest, or is bored with what is being said or done. A play on hoi (bitter yam) and hoihoi (interest).]
914
He poʻo ulu ko nā mea kanu.
Plants have heads that grow again.
[An assurance that if you break off the top of a plant, it will put forth a new one.]
1198
I ka waha nō a ulu ka ʻai; i ka waha nō a maloʻo.
Food crops are made to grow by the mouth; while still in the mouth they wither.
[Said of one who talks about farming and plans to plant but does nothing about it.]
1261
I ulu nō ka lālā i ke kumu.
The branches grow because of the trunk.
[Without our ancestors we would not be here.]
1509
Kanu ke kalo i Welo, ʻaʻole e ulu nui ʻia e ka ʻohā.
Plant taro in Welo and the offshoots will not be many.
[The corm of taro planted in the month of Welo grows very large but the offishoots are few.]
1623
Ka ulu koa i kai o Oneawa.
The koa grove down at Oneawa.
[From the legend of Hiʻiaka. Canoes are sometimes referred to as the koa grove at sea, for canoes in ancient times were made of koa.]
[Lanikāula was the kāula (prophet) of Molokaʻi. His fame was so great that it incurred the jealousy of Kawelo, prophet of Lānaʻi, who sought every means of destroying Lanikāula. His efforts were rewarded when he discovered where Lanikāula went to relieve himself. Kawelo made a hole in a sweet potato and filled it with his rival’s excrement. This he took back to Lānaʻi and with it prayed his victim to death. When Lanikāula saw that his end was near, he asked his sons to suggest a burial place. He found each suggestion unsatisfactory except that of his youngest son. So Lanikāula was buried in a kukui grove near his home. In the grave were placed his personal belongings, which, by the power invested in them by a kahuna, would bring harm to anyone who disturbed the remains. So Lanikāula rests in his kukui grove, famed in songs of Molokaʻi.]
No breadfruit can be reached when the picking stick is too short.
[There is no success without preparation.]
430
Hālau Lahaina, malu i ka ʻulu.
Lahaina is like a large house shaded by breadfruit trees.
755
Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā, wali ka ʻulu o Halepuaʻa.
The water flows, the smooth stone [pounder] works, and the breadfruit of Halepuaʻa is well mixed [into poi].
[Everything goes smoothly when one is prosperous. A play on wai (water) and ʻalā (smooth stone). ʻAlā commonly refers to cash. In later times, Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā came to refer to a generous donation. Halepuaʻa is a place in Puna, Hawaiʻi.]
959
He ʻulu ʻaʻai ʻole; he hāʻule wale i ka makani.
It is a breadfruit that does not hold to the tree; it falls easily with the wind.
[Said of a person whose loyalty is doubtful — he can be swayed to desert his chief.]
1117
Huaʻi ka ʻulu o Lele i ka makani Kona.
The breadfruit of Lele is exposed by the Kona wind.
[Hidden matters are exposed in time of anger. When the Kona wind blows, the leaves of the trees are blown off to expose the fruit.]
1201
I ke alo nō ka ʻulu a hala.
The breadfruit was just in front and it was missed.
[A term of derision applied by the shore-dwellers of Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, to the uplanders, who were poor farmers. They ripened their bananas in pits lined and covered with uluhe fern leaves, instead of allowing the bananas to ripen in the field.]
ʻO Ulumaheihei wale nō, iā ia ʻo loko, iā ia ʻo waho.
Ulumaheihei knows everything inside and out.
[ʻOne who knows everything. Ulumaheihei was a very close friend of Kamehameha, who renamed him Hoapili. He was the king’s most trusted friend and knew every affair of the kingdom. It was to him that Kamehameha entrusted his bones after death.]
Ulumano (1)
270
ʻEha ana ʻoe lā i ka makani kuʻi o ka Ulumano.
You will he hurt by the pounding of the Ulumano breeze.
[One is hurt by the sharp words spoken. This is a line from an old chant.]
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.]
459
Hana ka uluna i ka paka ua.
Prepare the pillow when the raindrops appear.
[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.]
1616
Kau ke keha i ka uluna.
The head rests upon the pillow.
[All work is done and there is nothing more to worry about.]
1617
Kau ke poʻo i ka uluna ʻo Welehu ka malama.
Rest the head on the pillow; Welehu is the month.
[Said of one whose work is done and who is able to rest. Welehu is a stormy month when little can be done except remain at home and sleep.]
The Kauaula wind ofʻUlupaʻu claims honors that do not belong to it.
[Said in derision of one who steals, then boasts of possessions that are not rightly his. Also said of one who claims illustrious relatives. The Kauaʻula wind is a wind of Maui.]
Ulupaʻupaʻu (1)
1262
I Ulupaʻupaʻu, i ka hale o ka makapō.
In Ulupaʻupaʻu, house of the sightless.
[Said of one who is actually or figuratively “blind.” Hema, chief of Maui, went deep-sea fishing to satisfy the longing of his pregnant wife. He landed at Ulupaʻupaʻu where his eyes were pecked out by a large bird.]
Aia kēkē nā hulu o ka umauma hoʻi ke kōlea i Kahiki e hānau ai.
When the feathers on the breast darken [because of fatness] the plover goes back to Kahiki to breed.
[A person comes here, grows prosperous, and goes away without a thought to the source of his prosperity.]
242
ʻAu umauma o Hilo i ka wai.
Hilo has breasted the water.
[To weather the storm. The district of Hilo had many gulches and streams and was difficult to cross.]
388
E wehe i ka umauma i ākea.
Open out the chest that it may be spacious.
[Be generous and kind to all.]
412
Haʻikū umauma, haʻi kū e!
Follow together, follow shouting!
[An expression used by chiefs meaning, “Let us launch our canoes and go to war whether the other side is willing or not.” This is part of a chant used while transporting newly made canoes from the upland to the sea. A group of men walking abreast carried their burden and shouted this chant.]
1161
ʻIhi ke kua, meha ke alo; ka hua i ka umauma hōʻike ʻia.
Sacred is the back, silent the front; the word on the chest, reveal.
[An expression often used by chiefs. No one stands behind and no one else is here in my presence, so deliver your message to me.]
[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.]
2615
Pau ʻole nō ka ʻumeke i kekahi, pau ʻole nō ka lemu i ka hāleu.
When one does not clean the sides of the poi bowl properly he is not likely to wipe his backside clean after excreting.
2874
ʻUmeke piha wai o Mānā.
A calabash full of water is Mānā.
[Refers to Mānā, Kauaʻi, whieh is flooded during the rainy season.]
ʻUmia ka hanu! Hoʻokahi ka umauma ke kīpoʻohiwi i ke kīpoʻohiwi.
Hold the breath! Walk abreast, shoulder to shoulder.
[Be of one accord, as in exerting every effort to lift a heavy weight to the shoulder and to keep together in carrying it along.]
ʻUmiamaka (1)
979
Hewa ka iʻa a ʻUmiamaka, he okea loko.
Wrong was the “fish” of ʻUmiamaka for it had sand inside.
[Said of anything that is bad, or when one has been cheated. ʻUmiamaka was a young trickster who desired the daughter of a certain man who was very fond of lobster. But the father would not let his daughter go with a man who was not a fisherman. To win the father over, ʻUmiamaka filled a lobster shell he found on the beach with white sand. After stuffing the crack carefully with limu so it would appear freshly caught, he presented it to the father. After receiving the lobster, the father allowed his daughter to go out with ʻUmiamaka. But when the man gave his attention to the lobster, he discovered that it was just a sand-filled shell, and cried out these words. When the impudent youth returned, he claimed innocence, saying, “That was your fish, not mine.’]
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.]
2004
Lilo akula ka nui a koe ka unahi.
Most [of the fish] are taken and only the scales are left.
[Said after someone has taken the lion’s share for himself.]
ʻUnu mai a hoʻonuʻanuʻa ke kilu o Kalamaʻula, hoʻoleʻaleʻa i ke kaha o Kaunalewa.
Bring all the kilu for amusement at Kalamaʻula to make merry on the field of Kaunalewa.
[To come together for a gay time and bring whatever you have to add to the fun. There is a play on lewa, whieh refers to the swinging of the hips in hula.]
[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.]
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.]
312
E ʻimi wale nō i ka lua o ka ʻuwaʻu ʻaʻole e loaʻa.
Seek as you will the burrow of the ʻuwaʻu, it cannot be found.
[A boast of one’s skill in lua fighting, of the depth of one’s knowledge, or of a skill that isn’t easily acquired. A play on lua, a burrow, a pit, or an art of fighting. The burrow of the ʻuwaʻu bird is often deep. Birdcatchers inserted a piece of aerial root of the ʻieʻie, gummed at one end, to catch the fledglings.]
Uwēkahuna (2)
148
ʻAʻohe ʻike wale iho iā Maliʻo, i ka huhuki laweau a Uwēkahuna.
Malio is not recognized because Uwēkahuna is drawing her away.
[Said of one who refuses to recognize old friends and associates or is snubbed by friends because they have interests elsewhere. Maliʻo was a mythical woman of Puna whom Pele once snubbed. Uwēkahuna is the bluff overlooking the crater of Kīlauea.]
2774
Ua ʻawa ka luna o Uwēkahuna.
Bitterly cold are the heights of Uwēkahuna.
[Said of the wrath of a chief. From a chant by Lohiʻau when he saw the wrath of Pele as she sought to destroy him.]