| 30 | Aia a ola hou ʻo Kupanea. | When Kupanea comes to life again. |
| | [When Kupanea died, Kaona, a false prophet who lived during the reign of Kamehameha III, suggested that the family leave him unburied and that Kaona’s prayers would restore the corpse to life again. Instead Kupanea’s corpse became decomposed and had to be buried. Thus, this humorous saying — meaning never! — came into being.] |
| 37 | Aia i Hilo ʻo Alanaio; aia i Puna ʻo Kapoho; aia i Laupāhoehoe ʻo Ulekiʻi. | In Hilo is Alanaio; in Puna is Kapoho; in Laupāhoehoe is Ulekii. |
| | [A vulgar play on place names, calling attention to private parts, which are omens of disappointment when seen in dreams. An expression of contempt for one who brings bad luck. Alanaio (Way-of-the-pinworm), the anus, is in Hilo; Kapoho (The Container), the vagina, is in Puna; and Ulekiʻi (Rigid Penis) is in Laupāhoehoe.] |
| 70 | "Aia nō i ʻō," wahi ʻo Pahia. | “Yet to come,” says Pahia. |
| | [To be returned in kind later. Pahia, an honest, kindly native of Hilo, always noticed what was given him and always said in gratitude, “Yet to come, says Pahia,” meaning that he would respond in kind. People noticed that when he was given pork, he gave pork in return, and he served fish to those from whom he received fish. His friends and their friends learned to say, “ʻYet to come,’ says Pahia,” when they intended to return a kind favor.] |
| 95 | Akāka wale nō ʻo Kaumaikaʻohu. | Very clearly appears Kaumaikaʻohu. |
| | [One can very well see what the whole matter is about. Kaumaikaʻohu is a hill in Punaluʻu, Kaʻū.] |
| 96 | Akāka wale ʻo Haleakalā. | Haleakalā stands in full view. |
| | [Said of anything that is very obvious or clearly understood.] |
| 113 | Aloha mai nō, aloha aku; ʻo ka huhiā ka mea e ola ʻole ai. | When love is given, love should he returned; anger is the thing that gives no life. |
| 123 | Anu ʻo ʻEwa i ka iʻa hāmau leo e. E hāmau! | ʻEwa is made cold by the fish that silences the voice. Hush! |
| | [A warning to keep still. First uttered by Hiʻiaka to her friend Wahineʻomaʻo to warn her not to speak to Lohiʻau while they were in a canoe near ʻEwa.] |
| 217 | ʻAʻohe wāwae o ka iʻa; ʻo ʻoe ka mea wāwae, kiʻi mai. | Fish have no feet; you who have feet must come and get it. |
| | [Said of one who asks for, but doesn’t come to get, what he wants. Any footless creature might be used as an example.] |
| 224 | ʻAʻole e make ko ke kahuna kanaka, ʻo ko ke aliʻi kanaka ke make. | The servant of the kahuna will not be put to death, but the chief’s servant will. |
| | [A warning not to antagonize the friend of an influential man. A kahuna will do his best to protect his own servant.] |
| 273 | E hakoko ana ʻo Heneli me Keoni Pulu; ua lilo ke eo iā Keoni Pulu. | Henry and John Bull wrestle; John Bull wins. |
| | [Hunger is routed by filling the stomach. Henry (Hunger) and John Bull (Fullness) wrestle until John Bull wins the match.] |
| 304 | Eia ka lua hūnā o nā aliʻi: ʻo ka waha. | Here is the secret cave of the chiefs: the mouth. |
| | [We refuse to discuss our chiefs too freely.] |
| 307 | 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.] |
| 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. |
| | [Prophesied by David Malo.] |
| 326 | E kuʻi ka māmā a loaʻa ʻo Kaʻohele. | Let your fastest runners run in relay to catch Kaʻohele. |
| | [Let us make every effort to attain our goal. Kaʻohele was a chief and warrior and in his day there was none swifter than he. It was only by running after him in relay that he was caught and killed.] |
| 340 | E! Loaʻa akula ke kalo, ʻo ka ʻapowale. | Say! You’ll obtain a taro, the ʻapowale. |
| | [You are wasting your time. A play on ʻapo-wale (grasp-at-nothing), a variety of taro.] |
| 346 | E mālama i ka mākua, he mea laha ʻole; ʻo ke kāne he loaʻa i ka lā hoʻokahi. | Take care of parents for they are choice; a husband can he found in a day. |
| | [Parents should be cared for, for when they are gone, there are none to replace them. One can marry again and again.] |
| 368 | ʻEono moku a Kamehameha ua noa iā ʻoukou, akā ʻo ka hiku o ka moku ua kapu ia naʻu. | Six of Kamehameha’s islands are free to you, but the seventh is kapu, and is for me alone. |
| | [This was uttered by Kamehameha after Oʻahu was conquered. The islands from Hawaiʻi to Oʻahu, which included Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe, belonged to his people. But the seventh “island,” Kaʻahumanu, was his alone. Anyone who attempted to take her from him would be put to death.] |
| 399 | Haʻalele ʻo Makanikeoe. | Makanikeoe has departed. |
| | [Peace and love are no longer here.] |
| 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.] |
| 490 | Hāʻulelau i Kalalau, ʻo Lūaliʻi lā i Kauliʻiliʻi. | Hāʻulelau is at Kalalau, and Lūalii is at Kauliʻiliʻi. |
| | [Such a scattering all over the place, like fallen leaves, with bits and pieces all strewn about. A play on haule-lau (fallen leaves), kalalau (wander around), lū-aliʻi (scatter in pieces), and kau-liʻiliʻi (a little here and a little there).] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 553 | 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.] |
| 662 | He kaikamahine ke keiki, ola nā iwi; ʻo ke keiki kāne he hānai mākua hūnōai. | A girl child brings life to the bones [of her parents], but a boy child supports his parents-in-law. |
| | [In old Hawaiʻi, a man went to live with his wife’s parents, while a woman remained with her own.] |
| 763 | He like nō ke koʻele, ʻo ka pili naʻe he like ʻole. | The thumping sounds the same, but the fitting of the parts is not. |
| | [Some do good work, others do not; but the hustle and bustle are the same.] |
| 768 | He lōʻihi ʻo ʻEwa; he pali ʻo Nuʻuanu; he kula ʻo Kulaokahuʻa; he hiki mai koe. | ʻEwa is a long way off; Nuuanu is a cliff; Kulaokahu a is a dry plain; but all will be here before long. |
| | [Said of an unkept promise of food, fish, etc. Oʻahu was once peopled by evil beings who invited canoe travelers ashore with promises of food and other things. When the travelers asked when these things were coming, this was the reply. When the visitors were fast asleep at night, the evil ones would creep in and kill them.] |
| 857 | He ʻoi wale aku nō ʻo Huaʻā. | Great indeed was Huaʻā. |
| | [A sarcasm. Huaʻā was a chief of Puna on Hawaiʻi. When the chief of another district threatened to war against him, he hastily sent word to Kamehameha for protection. The latter ordered the war-minded chief to cease his threats.] |
| 904 | He pohō na ka pohō, ʻo ke akamai no ke hana a nui. | Sinking is to be expected where it is naturally found, but one should use as much skill as possible [to avoid it]. |
| | [Losses come easily; it requires skill and wisdom to avoid them.] |
| 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.] |
| 992 | Hiki maila nā hoaloha, ʻo Keʻolohaka lāua ʻo Hanalē. | The friends Keʻolohaka and Hanalē have come. |
| | [The friends Vacancy and Hunger are here. Said in fun when one is very hungry.] |
| 1016 | Hoʻā ke ahi, kōʻala ke ola. O nā hale wale nō kai Honolulu; ʻo ka ʻai a me ka iʻa i Nuʻuanu. | Light the fire for there is life-giving suhstance. Only the houses stand in Honolulu; the vegetable food and meat are in Nuuanu. |
| | [An expression of affection for Nuʻuanu. In olden days, much of the taro lands were found in Nuʻuanu, which supplied Honolulu with poi, taro greens, ʻoʻopu, and freshwater shrimp. So it is said that only houses stand in Honolulu. Food comes from Nuʻuanu.] |
| 1038 | Hoʻi mai ʻo Makanikeoe. | Makanikeoe is back again. |
| | [Peace and love are here once more.] |
| 1046 | Hōkai ʻo Wawaia ke kūkini holo lalau. | The runner, Wawaia, who ran out of his course, caused hindrance and delay. |
| | [Said of one who does not concentrate and wastes considerable time. Wawaia was a runner who, instead of running on the errand assigned to him by his chief, went on a visit before completing the errand, thus causing delay and rousing the ire of his chief.] |
| 1070 | Hoʻokahi mea manaʻo nui a ka ʻōhua o ka hale: ʻo kahi mea mai ka lima mai o ke aliʻi. | There is one thing all members of the household look to: whatever they are given by the hands of the chief. |
| | [All members of the chief’s household are dependent on him.] |
| 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.] |
| 1077 | Hoʻokahi no lāʻau lapaʻau, ʻo ka mihi. | There is one remedy — repentance. |
| | [Said of one who had offended a family ʻaumakua and suffered the penalty, or of one who was unhappy over a wrong he had done to others.] |
| 1130 | Huikau nā makau a ka lawaiʻa i Wailua, lou mai ʻo Kawelowai iā Waiehu. | The fishhooks of the fishers became entangled at Wailua and caught Kawelowai at Waiehu. |
| | [An entangling love affair. The first line of a chant.] |
| 1151 | I ʻauheʻe ʻo Kaʻuiki i ka wai ʻole. | Kaʻuiki was defeated for the lack of water. |
| | [When ʻUmi, ruler of Hawaiʻi, went to Hāna to battle against Lono-a-Piʻilani of Kaʻuiki, thirst weakened the Maui warriors. Often used later to mean “without water or the needed supplies we cannot win.”] |
| 1171 | I ʻike ʻia nō ʻo Kohala i ka pae kō, a ʻo ka pae kō ia kole ai ka waha. | One can recognize Kohala by her rows of sugar cane which can make the mouth raw when chewed. |
| | [When one wanted to fight a Kohala warrior, he would have to be a very good warrior to succeed. Kohala men were vigorous, brave, and strong.] |
| 1179 | I Kahiki nō ka hao, ʻo ke kiʻo ʻana i Hawaiʻi nei. | In Kahiki was the iron; in Hawaiʻi, the rusting. |
| | [Perhaps the foreigner was a good person while he was at home, but here he grows careless with his behavior.] |
| 1203 | ʻIkea maila ʻo Mānā, ua hāʻale i ka wai liʻulā. | Mānā notices the waters of the mirage. |
| | [The attempt to fool is very obvious.] |
| 1248 | I ʻo Nana hoʻokau ka mālie. | When Nana arrives, calm weather finds a place. |
| | [Good weather comes in the month of Nana.] |
| 1263 | I Waialua ka poʻina a ke kai, ʻo ka leo ka ʻEwa e hoʻolono nei. | The dashing of the waves is at Waialua but the sound is being heard at ʻEwa. |
| | [Sounds of fighting in one locality are quickly heard in another.] |
| 1272 | Ka ʻāina hiʻialo ʻo Honuakaha. | The land of Honuakaha [where chiefs] were embraced. |
| | [Honuakaha, back of the Kawaiahaʻo Cemetery, was once the home of Kalākaua. Here chiefs were entertained with parties.] |
| 1295 | Ka hana a ka mākua, ʻo ka hana nō ia a keiki. | What parents do, children will do. |
| 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.] |
| 1679 | Ke amo ʻia aʻela ʻo Kaʻaoʻao; ke kahe maila ka hinu. | Kaʻaoʻao is being carried by; the grease is flowing from his body. |
| | [What has happened to him is very obvious. Kaʻaoʻao, angry with his brother Kekaulike, ruthlessly destroyed the crops in his absence. The latter followed him up to Haleakalā and there slew him. His decomposed body was found later by his followers.] |
| 1694 | Ke hea mai nei ʻo Kawelohea. | Kawelohea calls. |
| | [An expression much used in poems of Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. Kawelo was a woman murdered by her husband. Her spirit entered a blowhole at Honuʻapo, where her remains had been tossed. Out of this hole she warned of impending trouble, and the people grew fond of this voice from the depths.] |
| 1741 | Ke kau mai nei ʻo ʻOlepau. | The moon is in the phase of ʻOlepau. |
| | [There is nothing more to consider. A play on ʻole (no) and pau (finished).] |
| 1768 | Ke momole nei no ka mole ʻo ʻĪ. | The ʻĪ chiefs still adhere to their taproots. |
| | [The descendants of ʻĪ hold fast.] |
| 1867 | Kuhi nō ka lima, ʻāwihi nō ka maka, ʻo ka loaʻa nō ia a ka maka onaona. | With a hand gesture and a wink, an attractive person can get whatever he desires. |
| 1890 | Kū ka liki mai nei hoʻi ʻo ia ala. | What a proud stance he has over there. |
| 1921 | Kūneki nā kūʻauhau liʻiliʻi, noho mai i lalo; hoʻokahi nō, ʻo ko ke aliʻi ke piʻi i ka ʻiʻo. | Set aside the lesser genealogies and remain humble; let only one be elevated, that of the chief. |
| | [Boast not of your own lineage but elevate that of your chief. Said to members of the junior line of chiefs.] |
| 1961 | Lawe ʻo Lehua i ka lā; lilo! | Lehua takes away the sun; [it is] gone! |
| | [The sun is said to vanish beyond Lehua at sunset. In love chants, this saying means that one’s sweetheart has been taken away.] |
| 1962 | Lawe ʻo Maleka i ka hoa lā; lilo! | America takes the mate; [she is] gone! |
| | [This expression was used in a chant of the whaling days, when some Hawaiians lost their wives and sweethearts to the white sailors.] |
| 1973 | Lēʻī ʻo Kohala i ka nuku nā kānaka. [Lēʻī Kohala, eia i ka nuku nā kānaka. (PE)] | Covered is Kohala with men to the very point of land. |
| | [A great populahon has Kohala. Kauhiakama onee traveled to Kohala to spy for his father, the ruling chief of Maui. While there, he did not see many people for they were all tending their farms in the upland. He returned home to report that there were hardly any men in Kohala. But when the invaders from Maui came they found a great number of men, all ready to defend their homeland.] |
| 2014 | Loaʻa i ka lāʻau a Kekuaokalani, ʻo Lehelehekiʻi. | You will get Kekuaokalani s club called Lehelehekiʻi. |
| | [You will find nothing but disappointment. Kekuaokalani was a nephew of Kamehameha I, to whom the latter entrusted the care of his war god after his death. Kekuaokalani had a club called Lehelehe-kiʻi (Lips-of-an-image). One meaning of Lehelehekiʻi is “to get around doing nothing but ʻlip’,” that is, talking.] |
| 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.] |
| 2110 | Make ʻo Keawe me kona kālele. | Keawe and the person he leaned upon are both dead. |
| | [Said to one who has a habit of depending on others. Keawe-i-kekahi-aliʻi-o-ka-moku was a noted chief of Hawaiʻi.] |
| 2111 | Make ʻo Mikololou a ola i ke alelo. | Mikololou died and lived again through his tongue. |
| | [Said of one who talks himself out of a predicament. Mikololou was a shark god of Maui destroyed by the shark goddess Kaʻahupāhau of Pearl Harbor for expressing a desire to eat a human being. He was drawn up to land where his flesh fell off and dried in the heat of the sun. One day some children found his tongue in the sand and played with it, tossing it back and forth. When it fell into the sea, the spirit of Mikololou possessed it and it became a living shark again.] |
| 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.] |
| 2244 | Nā kūmau palapaʻa o Naʻalehu, ʻo ia mau nō ka pāpaʻa. | The thick-walled calabashes of Naʻalehu are always crusted [with dried poi]. |
| | [A Kaʻū saying — the thick-headed natives of Naʻalehu are strict adherents to principles.] |
| 2246 | Nā lā ʻae ʻo ia. | The days that were days indeed. |
| | [The days of youth, prosperity, and strength.] |
| 2282 | Nā ʻOle ka pō, ʻo nā ʻOle ke ao, he ʻole ka loaʻa. | The nights are ʻOle, the days are ʻOle — nothing to be gotten. |
| | [The tide is high in the ʻOle period and no fish are caught.] |
| 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.] |
| 2302 | Na wai ke kupu ʻo ʻoe? | Whose sprout are you ? |
| | [Whose child are you? Also expressed Na wai ke kama ʻo ʻoe?] |
| 2355 | ʻO ʻAlelele ke kawa kaulana o Makawao. | ʻAlelele, the famous diving pool of Makawao. |
| | [Refers to Makawao, Maui.] |
| 2356 | ʻO ʻAwili ka nalu, he nalu kapu kai na ke akua. | ʻAwili is the surf, a surf reserved for the ceremonial bath of the goddess. |
| | [Refers to Pele. There were three noted surfs at Kalapana, Puna: Kalehua, for children and those just learning to surf; Hoʻeu, for experienced surfers; and ʻAwili, which none dared to ride. When the surf of ʻAwili was rolling dangerously high, all surfing and canoeing ceased, for that was a sign that the gods were riding.] |
| 2357 | ʻO ʻEwa, ʻāina kai ʻula i ka lepo. | ʻEwa, land of the sea reddened by earth. |
| | [ʻEwa was once noted for being dusty, and its sea was reddened by mud in time of rain.] |
| 2359 | ʻO Hāna ia, he ʻāina au pehu. | That is Hāna, land where lack was known. |
| 2367 | ʻO Hikapoloa ka makuakāne, o Lanihūpō ka makuahine. | Hikapoloa was the father and Lanihūpō the mother. |
| | [Said of an utterly stupid person. A play on the names of the father (Stagger-in-the-dark) and the mother (Stupid chief).] |
| 2368 | ʻO Hikapoloa ka pō, he pō kiʻikiʻi, he pō naʻanaʻa. | Hikapoloa is the night — a leaning night, a stretching night. |
| | [A play on ka pō loa (the long night). Said when one waits wearily for the night to pass, when there is nothing to do to shorten the hours.] |
| 2369 | ʻO Hinaiaʻeleʻele ka malama, ʻāluka ka pala a ka ʻōhiʻa. | Hinaiaʻeleʻele is the month when the mountain apples open everywhere. |
| 2370 | ʻO Hinaiaʻeleʻele ka malama, ʻeleʻele ka umauma o ke kōlea. | Hinaiaʻeleʻele is the month in which the breast feathers of the plovers darken. |
| 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.] |
| 2374 | ʻO Honoliʻi, huewai ʻolāʻolā i ka nuku. | Honoliʻi, where the water bottle gurgles at the mouth. |
| | [Said of those of Honoliʻi, Hilo, by Hiʻiaka. In ancient days, expert sorcerers there who prayed others to death muttered prayers that sounded like the gurgling of a water bottle.] |
| 2375 | ʻO Honuʻapo aku nō ia ʻo kahi o ka ʻahuʻawa. | That is Honuapo where the ʻahuʻawa grows. |
| | [A Kaʻū saying about disappointment. The ʻahuawa was much used as fiber for straining ʻawa. A play on hoka (to strain, to be disappointed).] |
| 2376 | ʻO huaʻole ka lā, ʻo nakaka ka lā, ʻo ʻōmilu ka lā, ʻo pōnalo ka lā. | Fruitless is the day, cracked is the day, puny is the day, blighted is the day. |
| | [Said of a day that brings no luck to the worker.] |
| 2382 | ʻO ia kona maʻi he ake pau. | His disease is tuberculosis. |
| | [Said of a person who is too eager to finish his work. A play on ake pau (eager to finish), the Hawaiian term for tuberculosis (literally “consumed lung”).] |
| 2383 | ʻO ia lā he koa no ke ʻano ahiahi; ʻo ia nei no ke ʻano kakahiaka. | He is a warrior of the evening hours; but this person here is of the morning hours. |
| | [That person has had his day and is no longer as active as before; but this person is strong, brave, and ready to show his prowess.] |
| 2384 | ʻO ia mau nō i ke alo pali. | Ever the same before the face of the cliff. |
| | [Just the same as ever.] |
| 2385 | ʻO ia mau nō nā ēwe a Kamaunuaniho. | The descendants of Kamaunuaniho are ever the same. |
| | [A play on niho (teeth) in the name Kamaunuaniho. Said of a nasty person.] |
| 2389 | ʻO Ikiiki ke kāne, ʻo Hoʻopaupaualio ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki huhū koke. | Ikiiki is the husband, Hoʻopaupauaho (Cause-shortness-of-breath) is the wife; a child born to them is short of temper. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Ikiiki.] |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of ʻIkuwā.] |
| 2393 | ʻOiʻoi ʻo Maui Hikina. | East Maui forges ahead. |
| | [Those of East Maui are said to be very active and able to withstand anything.] |
| 2394 | ʻO ka ʻaʻama holo pali pōhaku, e paʻa ana ia i ka ʻahele pulu niu. | The crab that runs about on a rocky cliff will surely be caught with a snare of coconut fibers. |
| | [He who goes where he tempts trouble is bound to suffer.] |
| 2396 | ʻO Kaʻaona ka pua i ka uahi o ka hoʻoilo, a ulu māhiehie. | In Kaʻaona [is used] the dart that has rested in the smoke during the rainy months until it acquires beauty. |
| | [Said of the month Kaʻaona, when the young people bring out their darts for games. These darts had reddened in the smoke of the fireplaces during the wet months. With rubbing and polishing they acquired a beautiful sheen.] |
| 2397 | ʻO Kaʻaōna ke kāne, ʻo Laʻioeoe ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki leʻa i ke oli. | Kaʻaōna is the husband, Laʻi-oeoe (Calm-prolonged-sound) the wife; a child born to them is a pleasing chanter. |
| | [A child born in the month of Kaʻaōna is blessed with a pleasant voice for speaking and chanting.] |
| 2398 | ʻO ka ʻaui aku nō koe o ka lā. | The sun will soon go down. |
| | [Said of an aged person.] |
| 2399 | ʻO Kāʻelo ka malama, kāpule ke kōlea. | Kāʻelo is the month when the breasts of the plovers darken. |
| | [This is the month when the plovers are fat and ready to fly on their migration to the north.] |
| 2400 | ʻO Kāʻelo ka malama, pulu ke aho a ka lawaiʻa. | Kāʻelo is the month when the fisherman’s lines are wet. |
| | [Kāʻelo was a good time to do deep-sea fishing.] |
| 2401 | ʻO Kāʻelo ke kāne, Pulukāʻelo ka wahine, hānau mai keiki kāpulu. | Kāʻelo is the husband, Pulu-kāʻelo (Well-drenched) the wife; children born to them are filthy. |
| | [Said of a filthy person. A play on ʻelo (soak). The month of Kāʻelo is rainy and muddy.] |
| 2402 | ʻO ka hale e kū, ʻo ke kanaka e noho. | Where a house stands, there man dwells. |
| 2403 | 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.] |
| 2404 | ʻO ka hāʻule nehe o ka lau lāʻau, he hāwanawana ia i ka poʻe ola. | The rustling of falling leaves is like a whisper to the living. |
| | [It is the living who appreciate such things.] |
| 2405 | ʻO ka hua o ke kōlea aia i Kahiki. | The egg of the plover is laid in a foreign land. |
| | [The plover’s egg was never seen in Hawaiʻi. Said of a subject that no one knows anything about, or of something far away and impossible to reach.] |
| 2406 | ʻO ka huhiā ʻino ka mea e ola ʻole ai. | Rage is a thing that does not produce life. |
| 2407 | ʻO ka iʻa i kū kona waha i ka makau ʻaʻole ia e ʻapo hou ia mea. | The fish whose mouth has heen pierced by a hook will never again take another. |
| | [Said of one who avoids trouble after once being hurt.] |
| 2409 | ʻO ka iki hāwaʻe ihola nō ia o Miloliʻi. | Here is the little sea urchin of Miloliʻi. |
| | [A boast. I am small but potent.] |
| 2410 | ʻO ka ʻīlio i paoa ka waha i ka hua moa ʻaʻole e pau ia hana iā ia. | A dog whose mouth likes the taste of eggs will not stop taking them. |
| | [Said of one who cannot be cured of a bad habit.] |
| 2411 | ʻO ka ʻīlio kahu nō ka ʻīlio hae. | The dog who has a master is the dog who barks the most. |
| | [Said of a person who resents any disparaging remarks about his chief.] |
| 2412 | ʻO ka lāʻau i hina, ʻaʻole ia e kū hou. | A fallen tree does not rise again. |
| | [Said of an old man who has lost his sexual potency.] |
| 2413 | ʻO ka lāʻau o ke kula e noho ana i ka ʻāina, ʻo ka lāʻau o ka ʻāina e nalowale aku ana. | The trees of the plains will dwell on the land; the trees of the native land will vanish. |
| | [A prophecy uttered by Kalaunuiohua. Trees from the plains of other lands will grow here and our native trees will become extinct.] |
| 2417 | ʻO ka lā ko luna, o ka pāhoehoe ko lalo. | The sun above, the smooth lava below. |
| | [Said of a journey in which the traveler suffers the heat of the sun above and the reflected heat from the lava bed helow.] |
| 2418 | ʻO Kalani ka ʻio o Lelepā, ka ʻālapa piʻi moʻo o Kū. | The heavenly one is the hawk of Lelepā, the warrior descendant of Kū. |
| | [Retort of a kahu when he overheard someone criticize his chief, Kamehameha, who was then only a young warrior. He used the name Lele-pā to imply that his chief could fly over any barrier.] |
| 2419 | ʻO ka lani kēlā, ʻo ka lani kēia. | That one a chief this one a chief. |
| | [Said of two persons well matched for a contest.] |
| 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.] |
| 2421 | ʻO ka līlā maiʻa ia o ka ʻeʻa, ʻaʻole e pala i ke anahulu. | A tall banana in a mountain patch whose fruit does not open in ten days. |
| | [A boast of his own height by Makakuikalani, chief of Maui, when Pupukea of Hawaiʻi made fun of his being so tall and thin.] |
| 2422 | ʻO ka makani ke ala o ka ʻino. | Wind is the source of storms. |
| | [The wind drives the rain clouds that bring torrents and floods.] |
| 2423 | ʻO ka makapō wale nō ka mea hāpapa i ka pōuli. | ʻOnly the blind grope in darkness. |
| | [Said to one who gropes around instead of going directly to the object he is seeking.] |
| 2424 | ʻO ka makua ke koʻo o ka hale e paʻa ai. | The parent is the support that holds the household together. |
| 2425 | ʻO ka manu ma luna, ʻo ia ma lalo. | The birds above, he below. |
| | [Said in admiration of one who travels with great speed — he equals the birds that fly in the sky.] |
| 2426 | ʻO ka maoli maiʻa ʻono ia o ka ʻeʻa. | The tastiest banana of the patch. |
| | [The finest, most attractive lad of the community.] |
| 2427 | ʻO ka mea makaʻala ʻaʻohe lilo kona waiwai i ka ʻīlio. | He who watches does not lose his property to dogs. |
| | [ʻOne who watches his possessions will not lose them to thieves.] |
| 2428 | ʻO ka mea ua hala, ua hala ia. | What is gone is gone. |
| | [There is no use in recalling hurts of the past.] |
| 2429 | ʻO ka mea ukuhi kai ʻike i ka lepo o ka wai; o ka mea inu ʻaʻole ʻo ia i ʻike. | He who dips knows how dirty the water is, but he who drinks does not. |
| | [He who does the work knows what trouble it takes; he who receives does not.] |
| 2430 | ʻO ka mūheʻe ka iʻa holo lua. | The cuttlefish is the sea creature that travels two ways. |
| | [Said of a two-faced person.] |
| 2431 | ʻO ka ʻOle ia, mai ʻOlekukāhi a ʻOlekupau. | It is the ʻOle nights from ʻOlekukāhi to ʻOlekupau. |
| | [No. Absolutely not. A play on ʻole (nothing). ʻOlekukāhi, ʻOlekulua, ʻOlekukolu and ʻOlekupau are moon phases in the lunar month.] |
| 2432 | ʻO ka pā ʻai a ka iʻa, kuhi ka lima, leʻa ka hāʻawi. | With a pearl fishhook that the fish grasps, one can point with the hand and give with pleasure. |
| | [A good fishhook brings in enough food for the family and to give to relatives and friends.] |
| 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.”] |
| 2434 | ʻO ka piʻi nō ia a Kōkī-o-Wailau. | Ascended to the topmost part of Wailau. |
| | [An expression of admiration for one who reaches the top in spite of difficulties. Kōkī-o-Wailau is a peak on Molokaʻi whose sides are steep and difficult to ascend.] |
| 2435 | ʻO ka poʻe e ʻai ana i ka loaʻa o ka ʻāina he lohe ʻōlelo wale aʻe nō i ka ua o Hawaiʻi. | Those who eat of the product of the land merely hear of the rains in Hawaiʻi. |
| | [Said of absentee royal landlords who reap the gain but know nothing of the difficulties in the land where the toilers work.] |
| 2436 | ʻO ka poʻe hulilau ʻole o hope. | Those with no large gourd calabashes in the back. |
| | [Those with no wives at home.] |
| 2437 | ʻO ka pono ke hana ʻia a iho mai nā lani. | Continue to do good until the heavens come down to you. |
| | [Blessings come to those who persist in doing good.] |
| 2438 | ʻO ka pono o kahi aliʻi o ka mikimiki me ka ʻeleu. | The thing to do at the court of the chief is to do work and do it effciently. |
| | [Those who serve their chiefs must do their work quickly and well.] |
| 2439 | ʻO kapuahi aku ia a Uli. | That is Uli’s fireplace. |
| | [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.] |
| 2440 | ʻO Kauaʻi nui moku lehua, ʻāina nui makekau. | Great Kauaʻi, isle of warriors and land of men ever on the defense. |
| 2441 | ʻO kau aku, ʻo kā ia lā mai, pēlā ka nohona o ka ʻohana. | From you and from him — so lived the family. |
| | [The farmer gave to the fisherman, the fisherman to the farmer.] |
| 2442 | ʻO ka uhiwai nō kai ʻike i ka ʻino o ka wai. | ʻOnly the mists know the storm that caused the streams to swell. |
| 2443 | ʻO Kaulua ka malama, ʻolo ka ʻōpū mālolo a ka lawaiʻa. | Kaulua is the month when the bag nets of the fishermen sag with flying fish. |
| 2444 | ʻO Kaulua ke kāne, ʻo Lanihua ka wahine, hānau ke keiki he kua leho. | Kaulua is the husband, Lani-hua (Productive-heaven) the wife; born to them is a child with calloused shoulders. |
| | [Said of a person born in the month of Kaulua. He was likely to be a hard worker who carried large bundles on his back.] |
| 2445 | ʻO ka ʻulu iki mai kēia nāna e kaʻa i kahua loa. | This is the small maika stone that rolls over a long field. |
| | [I am a small person who can accomplish much. When Lonoikamakahiki visited Kamalalawalu, ruling chief of Maui, he took along his half-brother Pupukea to serve him. Makakuikalani, half-brother and personal attendant of Kamalalawalu, made fun of the small stature of Pupukea. This saying was Pupukea’s retort.] |
| 2446 | ʻO ka ʻulu o lalo he loaʻa i ka pinana, ʻo ka ʻulu o luna loa he loaʻa i ka lou. | A breadfruit that is low can he reached by climbing, but a breadfruit high above requires a stick to reach it. |
| | [A mate of low station is easy to fmd, but one of higher rank is less easily acquired.] |
| 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.] |
| 2448 | ʻO ke aka kā ʻoukou ʻo ka ʻiʻo kā mākou. | Yours the shadow; ours the flesh. |
| | [A phrase used in prayers dedicating a feast to the gods. The essence of the food was the gods’, and the meat was eaten by those present.] |
| 2449 | ʻO ke alelo ka hoe uli o ka ʻōlelo a ka waha. | The tongue is the steering paddle of the words uttered by the mouth. |
| | [Advice to heed the tongue lest it speak words that offend.] |
| 2450 | ʻO ke aliʻi ka mea ikaika, ʻaʻole ʻo ke kanaka. | It is the chief who is strong, not the commoner. |
| | [A commoner’s own work of planting and fishing is limited by his physical ability. A chief can command a multitude to carry out his projects.] |
| 2451 | ʻO ke aliʻi lilo i ka leʻaleʻa a mālama ʻole i ke kanaka me ke kapu akua, ʻaʻole ia he aliʻi e kū ai i ka moku. | The chief who is taken with pleasure-seeking and cares not for the welfare of the people or the observation of the kapu of the gods, is not the chief who will become a ruler. |
| | [Said by Kekūhaupiʻo to Kamehameha. Advice to young people that success comes not by seeking idle pleasure but by living up to one’s beliefs and caring for the welfare of others.] |
| 2452 | ʻO ke aliʻi wale nō kaʻu makemake. | My desire is only for the chief. |
| | [An expression of loyalty and affection for one’s chief, used in chants of praise.] |
| 2453 | ʻO ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi malihini. | Love is the host in strange lands. |
| | [In old Hawaiʻi, every passerby was greeted and offered food whether he was an acquaintance or a total stranger.] |
| 2454 | ʻO ke aloha o ke ipo, he wela ia nō ke kino. | The love of a sweetheart is like a hot fire within the body. |
| 2455 | ʻO ke ao aku nō hoʻi koe, ʻaina ʻē ka hāuliuli. | It was almost day when the hāuliuli fish began to take the bait. |
| | [One was just about giving up hope when the person he was angling for showed some response.] |
| 2457 | ʻO ke ʻehu kakahiaka nō ka wā loaʻa. | The time to catch anything is in the early morning. |
| | [When you want to do something, don’t wait. Get at it as early as possible.] |
| 2458 | ʻO kēia ʻuʻuku e nui ana. | This smallness will be big later. |
| | [Said of a small child who will grow into adulthood, a small place that may develop into a large one, and so forth.] |
| 2459 | ʻO ke kahua ma mua, ma hope ke kūkulu. | The site first, and then the building. |
| | [Learn all you can, then practice.] |
| 2460 | ʻO ke kāne kēlā uē waimaka. | If that is the husband [of your choice], there will he much crying [with unhappiness]. |
| 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.] |
| 2462 | ʻO ke kū hale wale iho nō i Makanoni. | Only the house stands there at Makanoni. |
| | [Said of a house from which the inhabitants are gone.] |
| 2463 | 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.] |
| 2464 | ʻO ke kumu, o ka māna, hoʻopuka ʻia. | The teacher, the pupil — let it come forth. |
| | [A challenge from a pupil to the teacher who trained him in warfare or sports — “Now let the teacher and pupil vie against each other.”] |
| 2467 | ʻO Kilohana ia, he ʻaweʻawe moku. | That is the Kilohana of the broken bundle cords. |
| | [Said of Kilohana above Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi. An old trail went by here, leading from Kona to Koʻolau. Robbers hid there and waylaid lone travelers or those in small companies and robbed them of their bundles.] |
| 2469 | ʻO ko Kona mau nō ia ʻo ka laʻi. | Calm is typical of Kona. |
| | [Said of a Kona person who is always poised and calm.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2473 | ʻO Kula i ka hoe hewa. | Kula of the ignorant canoe-paddlers. |
| | [Said of Kula, Maui, whose people did not know how to paddle canoes because they were uplanders.] |
| 2474 | ʻO Kulu ka pō, o Welehu ka malama, he lā iʻa ʻole. | Kulu is the night and Welehu the month; no fish is to be found that day. |
| | [A play on kulu (drop). Welehu was said to be the month on which to lay the head on the pillow, for the sea was too rough for fishing. Hence an unlucky, unprofitable day.] |
| 2475 | "O kū, o kā," ʻo Wahineʻomaʻo. | “Kū and kā,” says Wahineʻomaʻo. |
| | [While walking toward Hilo one day, Hiʻiaka met Wahineʻomaʻo shivering by the roadside with a pig in her arms — a gift for Pele. Hiʻiaka suggested that she start walking to Kīlauea chanting, “O kū! O kā!” Before long Wahineʻomaʻo had reached the volcano, given her offering, and returned to meet Hiʻiaka, whom she followed on the long journey to Kauaʻi. “O kū! ʻO kā!” cannot be translated. However, any work done hurriedly might be referred to this way, meaning “with a lick and a promise.”] |
| 2476 | ʻO kuʻu wahi ōpū weuweu lā, nou ia. | Let my little clump of grass be yours. |
| | [A humble way of offering the use of one’s grass house to a friend.] |
| 2504 | ʻO luna, ʻo lalo; ʻo kai,ʻo uka — ʻo ka hao pae ko ke aliʻi ia. | Above, below; seaward, inland — the iron that washes ashore belongs to the chief. |
| | [Said by Kamehameha. All iron that was found belonged to him.] |
| 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.] |
| 2506 | ʻO Mahoehope ke kāne, ʻo Lanihua ka wahine, hānau ke keiki he kōkua nui a waiū nunui. | Mahoehope is the husband, Lanihua (Productive-heavenly-one) is the wife; a child born to them is either thick-shouldered or large-busted. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Mahoehope. If a boy, he would be strong-shouldered and able to do much work; if a girl, she would be large of breast.] |
| 2507 | ʻO Mahoemua ke kāne, Leleipele ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he ʻōpulepule. | Mahoemua is the husband, Lele-i-pele (Leap-into-voIcano) the wife; a child born to them is reckless and irresponsible. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Mahoemua.] |
| 2509 | ʻO Makaliʻi ke kāne, ʻo Hiʻipoi ka wahine, hānau ke keiki he maikaʻi. | Makaliʻi is the husband, Hiʻipoi (Cherished-one) the wife; a child born to them is well behaved. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Makaliʻi.] |
| 2510 | ʻO Māuli kēia o ka lā pau. | This is Māuli, the last day [of the lunar month]. |
| | [Said when a task is near completion.] |
| 2511 | ʻO Muku ka lā, mumuku nā hana. | Muku is the day; incomplete are the tasks. |
| | [A warning not to begin a project on the day of Muku lest it be unsuccessful.] |
| 2512 | ʻO nā hihia wale ʻana i Moeawakea. | All the entangling shrubbery at Moeawakea. |
| | [Said of entangling affairs. There is a play on Moe-awakea (Sleep-till-the-sun-is-high).] |
| 2513 | ʻO nā hōkū nō nā kiu o ka lani. | The stars are the spies of heaven. |
| | [The stars look down on everyone and everything.] |
| 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!”] |
| 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.] |
| 2516 | ʻO Nana ka malama; momona ka pāpaʻi. | Nana is the month; the crabs are fat. |
| 2517 | ʻO Nana ke kāne, ʻo Nanailewa ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki ʻaeʻa. | Nana is the hushand, Nana-i-lewa (Active-in-movement) the wife; a child born to them has wanderlust. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Nana.] |
| 2518 | ʻO nā ʻunihipili o Keaweʻolouha ua haʻalele i ka haka. | The deified relatives of Keaweʻolouha have deserted the person they possessed. |
| | [A play on Keawe-ʻolo-uha (Keawe-with-the-sagging-colon), a term applied to one who is too lazy to work. Those who depended on him soon deserted.] |
| 2524 | ʻO ʻoe, a ʻo wau, nalo ia mea. | You and me; it is hidden. |
| | [Let the secret be with us alone.] |
| 2525 | ʻO ʻoe hoʻi kahi i Hāʻupu kēlā, ua kupu a kiʻekiʻe i luna. | You, too, were on the tall hill of Haʻupu going all the way up to the very top. |
| | [Said sarcastically to a person who boasts of his greatness.] |
| 2526 | ʻO ʻoe kaʻu! | Youre mine! |
| | [Said in anger to mean, “You’re going to get it!”] |
| 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.] |
| 2528 | ʻO ʻole wale mā. | Just nothing and his company. |
| | [A comment about another’s idea — it is nothing and still more nothing.] |
| 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.] |
| 2535 | ʻO Poʻo ke koʻa, ka ipu kai aloha a nā aliʻi. | Poo is the fishing ground, beloved meat dish of chiefis. |
| | [Said of Poʻo, a favorite fishing place of the chiefs of Oʻahu, located near Mokumanu. Nuʻuanu Pali is the landmark by which it was located.] |
| 2540 | 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.] |
| 2541 | 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.] |
| 2544 | ʻO wahie ka ʻai, ʻo loli ka iʻa, ʻo muku ka imu. | Wood is the vegetable food, sea cucumber is the meat, and a small imu is the only imu. |
| | [Said of scarcity from oppression.] |
| 2545 | ʻO wai ka ʻoukou aliʻi i hānai ai? | What chief did you rear? |
| | [Those who had a part in the rearing of a young chief were proud of their position. Only kinsmen were given such places, but convention forbade discussing the relationship. When this is said in scorn it is the equivalent of “Who are you?”] |
| 2547 | ʻO Waipiʻo me Waimanu, no ʻoawa mahoe i ke alo o ka makani. | Waipiʻo and Waimanu, the twin valleys that face the wind. |
| | [These two are neighboring valleys on Hawaiʻi.] |
| 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.] |
| 2549 | ʻO Welehu ka malama, lehu nui ke poʻo i ka uahi o ka hoʻoilo. | Welehu is the month; sooty is the head in the smoke of winter. |
| | [Said of Welehu, the most rainy of all the wet months, when the fireplace is kept going to give warmth to the house.] |
| 2550 | ʻO Welehu ke kāne, ʻo Huhune ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he luluāʻina. | Welehu is the husband, Huhune (Tiny-specks) the wife; a child born to them is freckled. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Welehu.] |
| 2551 | ʻO Welo ke kāne, ʻo Mikikole ka wahine, hānau ke keiki, he keiki mākilo. | Welo is the hushand, Mikikole (Reach-before-the-meat-is-done) the wife; a child bom to them is a beggar. |
| | [Said of a child born in the month of Welo. Such a beggar does not ask for things, but the longing look in his eyes is a reason for invitation.] |
| 2395 | ʻO ka ʻai no ka ʻai, ʻo ka ʻiʻo kanaka ka iʻa. | Food is here to be eaten, with only human flesh for meat. |
| | [Said when there is nothing to eat with poi. There were once two boys of Kaʻū who won a riddling contest against a Kona man, the champion of the island of Hawaiʻi. In one riddle the boys claimed to be eating human flesh. The audience pondered this, since no meat was visible, and began to dispute the claim. Suddenly the boys popped wads of poi into their mouths and proceeded to lick their fingers — the “human flesh.”] |
| 2563 | Paʻapaʻakai ʻo Malama. | Crusted with salt is Malama. |
| | [Said of a sour situation. Refers to Malama, Puna, Hawaiʻi.] |
| 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.] |
| 2645 | Pili aloha ʻo Kona, hoʻoipo i ka mālie. | Love remains close to Kona, who woos the calm. |
| | [Kona is a land beloved for its calm and pleasant weather.] |
| 2784 | Ua hiki maila ʻo Keʻinohoʻomanawanui. | Keʻinohoʻomanawanui has arrived. |
| | [Said of one who is disliked because of his trouble-making. This is a play on ʻino (bad). Ke-ʻino-hoʻomanawanui (Patient-bad-fellow) is a character in the legend, “Opele-ka-moemoe” (Opele-the-sleepy-head).] |
| 2838 | Ua ola nō ʻo kai iā kai. | Shore dwellers find subsistence in the sea. |
| | [A fisherman lives by his own efforts. This thought uttered by a farmer is Ua ola nō ʻo uka iā uka.] |
| 2890 | Uē ʻo Kānepūniu i ka wela a ka lā. | Kānepūniu complains of the heat of the sun. |
| | [Said when someone complains of the heat. From a chant by Hiʻiaka, who saw Kāne-pūniu (Kāne-of-the-coconut), a supernatural tree at Wai’anae, O’ahu, on a very warm day.] |
| 2926 | Wehe ʻo Uahi. | Uahi went off. |
| | [Said of one who is quickly gone from sight, like the smoke (Uahi) from the stack of a fast-moving ship.] |