| 23 | Aia a kau ka iʻa i ka waʻa, manaʻo ke ola. | One can think of life after the fish is in the canoe. |
| | [Before one feels elated and makes plans he should first secure his “fish.”] |
| 38 | Aia i ka huki nehu, ka iʻa kaulana o ka ʻāina. | Gone to haul in the nehu, the well-known fish of the land. |
| | [Gone to get nehu for bait. Gone to get her man; that is, gone to get the bait that will get him.] |
| 62 | Aia ko kāne i ka lawaiʻa, hoʻi mai he ʻōpeʻa ka iʻa. | Your husband has gone fishing and returns with bats for meat. |
| | [This saying comes from a children’s chant of amusement for coaxing a sea animal to crawl from its shell.] |
| 120 | Anu hewa i ka pō, he kuʻuna iʻa ʻole. | Feeling the cold air of the night was all in vain; no fish was caught in the net. |
| | [A wasted effort.] |
| 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.] |
| 161 | ʻAʻohe kanaka o kauhale, aia i Mānā, ua haohia i ka iʻa iki. | No one is at home, for all have gone to Mānā, attracted there by small fishes. |
| | [Said of one who is distracted by an insignificant matter or goes away on any excuse.] |
| 204 | ʻAʻohe pilipili ʻāina wale mai, aia ka iʻa i ke kai. | The fish remain at sea and come nowhere near the shore. |
| | [Said of a person who avoids his friends or relatives.] |
| 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.] |
| 226 | ʻAʻole hiki i ka iʻa liʻiliʻi ke ale i ka iʻa nui. | A small fish cannot swallow a big one. |
| | [A commoner cannot do anything to a chief.] |
| 314 | E kalani e, kiʻi mai i ka iʻa, ua komo i ka mākāhā! | O heavenly one, come and get the fish for it has entered the sluice gate! |
| | [Used by one who has his hands full and needs help quickly. In a battle, Ahia caught Kameʻeiamoku and lifted him with the intention of dashing him to the ground. Kameʻeiamoku twisted himself about, grasped Ahia by the calf of the leg and held fast so that it was impossible for him to run. Seeing Kamehameha a short distance away, Kameʻeiamoku called to him to come and take the fish. Thus was Ahia killed.] |
| 329 | E lawe i ke ō, he hinana ka iʻa kuhi lima. | Take vegetable food; the hinana is a fish that can be caught in the hand. |
| | [A suggestion to take taro, poi, potato, or breadfruit along on the journey and not worry about meats, which can be found along the way. First uttered by Pele in a chant about the winds of Kauaʻi.] |
| 338 | ʻElepaio kahea iʻa. | Fish-calling ʻelepaio. |
| | [Said of one who talks about his wants and does nothing to obtain them. Sometimes the call of the ʻelepaio sounds like “ ʻOno ka iʻa! ʻOno ka iʻa!” (“Fish is tasty! Fish is tasty!”) A person hearing it may answer, “Why don’t you go and catch some yourself?” A similar expression is ʻElepaio puni iʻa (ʻElepaio, fond of fish).] |
| 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.] |
| 446 | Hana a lau a lau ke aho, a laila loaʻa ka iʻa kāpapa o ka moana. | Make four hundred times four hundred fish lines before planning to go after the fighting fish of the sea. |
| | [Be well prepared for a big project.] |
| 451 | Hāna i ka iʻa iki. | Hāna of the little fish. |
| | [Believing slanderous tales about Kuʻula and his wife, Hinahele, the ruling chief of Hāna ordered them destroyed. Having mana over the fish of the sea, the two caused a scarcity until their son ʻAiʻai brought them back to life. Kuʻula and Hinahele were worshipped as deities by fishermen.] |
| 513 | He āhole ka iʻa, hole ke aloha. | Āhole is the fish, love is restless. |
| | [Said of the āhole fish when used in hana aloha sorcery to arouse love.] |
| 542 | He ʻāloʻiloʻi, ka iʻa waha iki o ke kai. | An ʻāloʻiloʻi, a fish of the sea that has a small mouth. |
| | [Said of one who always has little to say.] |
| 572 | He heʻe ka iʻa, he iʻa kino palupalu. | It is an octopus, a soft-bodied creature. |
| | [Said of a weakling.] |
| 595 | He hou ʻoe, he iʻa moe ahiahi. | You are a hou, a fish that sleeps in the evening. |
| | [A small, inoffensive fellow — but one who will fight when annoyed.] |
| 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).] |
| 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.] |
| 605 | He iʻa kokoke kā ka lawaiʻa. | A fisherman always finds fish nearby. |
| | [Said of one who can get what he wants because he is smart.] |
| 607 | He iʻa laka ka loli kaʻe, he loaʻa wale i kāheka. | The loli kaʻe is easy enough to gather, for it is found in sea pools. |
| | [Said of a cross, dissatisfied person who becomes grumpy. A play on kaʻe (grumpy) in loli kaʻe (sea cucumber).] |
| 608 | He iʻa laka nō lā hoʻi ka ʻina. | The ʻina is easily gathered. |
| | [A retort to a person who frequently says, “If I had this” or “If I had that.” A play on ʻina (sea egg) and inā (if).] |
| 609 | He iʻa loaʻa wale nō hoʻi ka poʻopaʻa. | A poʻopaʻa is a fish easy to catch. |
| | [Hard-headed people are fairly common. A play on poʻopaʻa (hard-headed).] |
| 610 | He iʻa make ka ʻopihi. | The ʻopihi is a fish of death. |
| | [The ʻopihi is usually found on rocks where the sea is rough. There is always danger of being washed away by the waves when gathering ʻopihi.] |
| 611 | He iʻa moʻa ʻole i kālua. | A fish that can never he cooked. |
| | [Said of a person of low rank. Nothing can change his genealogy.] |
| 612 | He iʻa no ka moana, he aho loa kū i ke koʻa. | A fish of the deep sea requires a long line that reaches the sea floor. |
| | [In order to obtain a good position, one must prepare.] |
| 613 | He iʻa no ka pāpaʻu, he loaʻa wale i ka hopu lima; he iʻa no ka hohonu, noho i kaʻeaʻea. | Fish of the shallows are easy to catch with the hands; but fish of the depths keep the fisherman wet with sea sprays. |
| | [Ordinary folks are easy to find but an outstanding one is not.] |
| 614 | He iʻa no ke kai kohola. | A fish of the shallow sea. |
| | [A person easy to woo.] |
| 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.] |
| 616 | He iʻa ua nipoa i ka ʻauhuhu. | A fish stunned by ʻauhuhu juice. |
| | [Said of one under the influence of sorcery or other evils.] |
| 710 | He kūmū ka iʻa, muʻemuʻe ke aloha. | Kūmū is the fish, bitter is love. |
| | [An expression used in hana aloha sorcery. It was uttered with the hope that the intended victim would be as conscious of love as of a bitter drop on the tongue.] |
| 721 | He lauhau, he iʻa hōkake kāheka. | It is a lauhau, the fish that creates disturbances in sea pools. Said of a boisterous person. |
| 726 | He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu, he poʻopaʻa ka iʻa e loaʻa. | A fisherman in the shallow sea can only catch poʻopaʻa. |
| | [An untrained, unskilled person is limited in what he can do.] |
| 751 | Hele nō i ka hola iʻa i ka lā. | Fish poison should he used in the daytime. |
| | [Greater efficiency is achieved in the daytime. [cf 1158]] |
| 769 | He loko kapu ia, he awa ka iʻa noho; eia kā ua komo ʻia e ke ʻā kōkokī. | It was a pond reserved only for awa fish, but now a bait-stealing ʻā fish has gotten into it. |
| | [A woman who is the wife of a fine man of chiefly rank is now having an affair with a worthless scamp.] |
| 771 | He loli ka iʻa, ʻīloli ke aloha. | Loli is the sea creature, passionate is the love. |
| | [An expression used in hana aloha sorcery when loli was secured as an offering.] |
| 798 | He manini ka iʻa mai hōʻā i ke ahi. | The fish is just a manini, so do not light a fire. |
| | [Said to one who suffers defeat in a practice session: “This occasion is a mere manini, a small fish, so do not let your temper be kindled.”] |
| 800 | He manō ka iʻa hoʻomano ke aloha. | Shark is the fish; may love be persistent. |
| | [An expression used in hana aloha sorcery. A play on manō and hoʻomano (persistent).] |
| 801 | He mano kuli, he iʻa kāhala. | It is a reckless and heedless kāhala fish. |
| | [Said of a disobedient person. The kāhala is a deep-sea fish that is difficult to land.] |
| 806 | He māʻona ʻai a he māʻona iʻa ko ka noanoa. | The commoner is satisfed with food and fish. |
| | [The commoner has no greater ambition than success in farming and fishing.] |
| 811 | He maunu ʻekaʻeka; pāpaʻi ka iʻa e hoʻi ai. | With foul bait one can only catch crabs. |
| | [Poor output makes poor income.] |
| 830 | He mūheʻe ka iʻa hololua. | A cuttlefish is a creature that moves two ways. |
| | [Said of a two-faced person.] |
| 833 | He naiʻa, he iʻa lele. | It is the naiʻa, a leaping fish. |
| | [Said of one who jumps to conclusions.] |
| 846 | He nōpili ka iʻa, pili paʻa ke aloha. | The nōpili is the fish; love clings fast. |
| | [Said of the freshwater goby (ʻoʻopu) of the nōpili variety, known to climb waterfalls by clinging fast to the wet stones. It was used by kāhuna in hana aloha sorcery.] |
| 859 | He ʻōlali ia he iʻa paheʻe. | It is an ʻōlali fish, a slippery one. |
| | [Said of a person who is too wily and wise to be caught.] |
| 865 | He ʻoʻopu-hue, ka iʻa ʻōpū kēkē. | An ʻoʻopu-hue, the fish with a distended belly. |
| | [A term of derision for a pot-bellied person.] |
| 866 | He ʻoʻopu kuʻia, ka iʻa hilahila o Kawainui. | A bashful ʻoʻopu, the shy fish of Kawainui. |
| | [Said of a bashful person. Kawainui at Kailua was one of the largest ponds on Oʻahu.] |
| 868 | He ʻōpelu ʻoe, he iʻa lomi. | You are an ʻōpelu fish, easily broken into small pieces by working with the fingers. |
| | [You are a weak person, easily subdued.] |
| 885 | He paoʻo ka iʻa ʻaʻohe kāheka lēhei ʻole ʻia. | There is no sea pool that a pāoʻo fish does not leap into. |
| | [An active person is found everywhere] |
| 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.] |
| 949 | He ʻiāhini ka iʻa o kahi maloʻo. | The locust is the meat of dry places. |
| | [Said of a type of locust, now extinct, that was easy to catch and much eaten when fish were scarce.] |
| 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).] |
| 953 | He ula, he iʻa noho i ka naele. | A lobster, the creature that stays in sea caves. |
| | [Said of a shy person who remains at home.] |
| 964 | He ʻupena nae; ʻaʻohe iʻa hei ʻole. | It is a fine-meshed net; there is no fish that it does not fail to catch. |
| | [Said of a woman who never fails to attract the opposite sex.] |
| 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.’] |
| 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.] |
| 1007 | Hilu ka iʻa, he iʻa noʻenoʻe. | The fish is the hilu, an attractive one. |
| | [A quiet, well-behaved person. When a pregnant woman longed for hilu fish, the child born to her would be well-mannered, quiet, and unobtrusive.] |
| 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.] |
| 1027 | Hoʻi hou ka iʻa i ke ʻehu kai. | The fish returns to the foamy sea. |
| | [Said of one who returns to a previous home or former habit.] |
| 1048 | Hōkai ua lawaiʻa o ke kai pāpaʻu, he poʻopaʻa ka iʻa e hoʻi ai. | A fisherman who fools around in shallow water takes home poʻopaʻa fsh. |
| | [The poʻopaʻa (hard-headed) fish is easily caught with hook and line.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 1109 | Hoʻopau maunu i ka iʻa liʻiliʻi; e kiʻi nō ma ka iʻa nunui. | A waste of bait to go for the small fish; go for the big ones. |
| 1115 | Hopu hewa i ka loli, i ka iʻa maka ʻole. | Grasped the eyeless fish by mistake. |
| | [Met with disappointment. The loli (sea cucumber) is known as the fish without eyes.] |
| 1158 | I hele no ka hola iʻa i ka lā. | Poison fish while it is day. |
| | [It is better to work during the day. [cf 751]] |
| 1183 | I kai nō ka iʻa, mali ʻē ka makau. | While the fish is still in the sea, make the hook fast to the line. |
| | [Be prepared.] |
| 1184 | I ka moana nō ka iʻa, liuliu ʻia nā pono lawaiʻa. | While the fish is still in the sea, get your gear ready. |
| | [Be prepared.] |
| 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.] |
| 1267 | I wawā nō ka noio, he iʻa ko lalo. | When the noio make a din, there are fish below. |
| | [When people gossip, there is a cause.] |
| 1322 | Ka iʻa ʻai pū me ka lepo. | The fish eaten with mud. |
| | [The clam. Even when washed before cooking it still retains a bit of the mud in which it lived.] |
| 1323 | Ka iʻa a ka wai nui i lawe mai ai. | The fish borne along by the flood. |
| | [The ʻoʻopu, which was often carried to the lowlands in freshets.] |
| 1324 | Ka iʻa a ke kualau i lawe mai ai. | The fish brought in by the rain at sea. |
| | [The spawn of the manini fish that came to the islands by the millions during the summer months. They were said to come after a shower at sea, in the early morning.] |
| 1325 | Ka iʻa ʻau mai me he manu. | The fish that swims with the movements of a bird. |
| | [A turtle.] |
| 1326 | Ka iʻa ʻawaʻawa a ka haole. | The foreigners’ sour fish. |
| | [Salted salmon, a fish commonly eaten by Hawaiians after its introduction here.] |
| 1327 | Ka iʻa ʻeli i ka lepo. | The fish that digs in the mud. |
| | [The clam] |
| 1329 | Ka iʻa hāhā i kahawai. | The fish groped for in the streams. |
| | [The ʻoʻopu, often caught by groping under rocks and hollow places in a stream.] |
| 1330 | Ka iʻa hali a ka makani. | The fish fetched by the wind. |
| | [The ʻanaeholo, a fish that travels from Honouliuli, where it breeds, to Kaipāpaʻu on the windward side of Oʻahu. It then turns about and returns to its original home. It is driven closer to shore when the wind is strong.] |
| 1331 | Ka iʻa hāmau leo o ʻEwa. | The fish of ʻEwa that silences the voice. |
| | [The pearl oyster, which has to be gathered in silence.] |
| 1332 | Ka iʻa hanu ʻala o kahakai. | The fragrant-breathed fish of the beach. |
| | [The līpoa, a seaweed with an odor easily detected from a distance.] |
| 1333 | Ka iʻa hāwanawana i ka wāwae, a ʻōlelo i ka lau o ka lima. | The fish that whispers to the feet and speaks to the tips of the fingers. |
| | [The mahamoe, found in the sand. It is felt under the feet and picked up by the fingers.] |
| 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.] |
| 1335 | Ka iʻa hoʻāla i ka pō, wai lama i ke ahi. | The fish that wakes people up at night and causes a glowing of torches over the water. |
| | [The mālolo, or flying fish.] |
| 1336 | Ka iʻa hōʻeha lima. | The fish that can hurt the hands. |
| | [The wana (sea urchin).] |
| 1337 | Ka iʻa holehole iwi o ka ʻāina. | The fish of the land that strips the flesh from the bones. |
| | [Goats. When one pursues them for meat, many a limb suffers skinning and bruises.] |
| 1338 | Ka iʻa hoʻohihia makau o ʻĀinahou. | The fish of ʻĀinahou that tangles the fish line. |
| | [The ʻalalauwā, which came in great schools to the waterfront of Honolulu. Fishermen of all ages came with their poles to fish, and the crowds were sometimes so great that the lines tangled.] |
| 1339 | Ka iʻa hoʻopā ʻili kanaka o Waimea. | The fish of Waimea that touch the skins of people. |
| | [When it was the season for hinana, the spawn of ʻoʻopu, at Waimea, Kauaʻi, they were so numerous that one couldn’t go into the water without rubbing against them.] |
| 1340 | Ka iʻa hoʻopumehana i ka weuweu. | The fish that warms the clumps of grass. |
| | [Mountain shrimp, which cling to weeds and grasses along the banks of streams when a cloudburst occurs in the upland. Unlike the ʻoʻopu, they are not washed down to the lowland.] |
| 1341 | Ka iʻa huli wale i ka pōhaku. | The fish that turns over the stones. |
| | [The wī, a shellfish found in mountain streams. They can be discovered only by turning over the stones to which they cling.] |
| 1343 | Ka iʻa i māʻona ai ka menehune. | The fish that satisfied the menehune. |
| | [Shrimp. A man once rewarded some menehune friends with shrimp after they had made him a canoe.] |
| 1344 | Ka iʻa ʻimi i ka moana, na ka manu e haʻi mai. | The fish sought for in the ocean, whose presence is revealed by birds. |
| | [A school of aku, whose presence is signaled by the gathering of noio at sea.] |
| 1345 | Ka iʻa ʻiniki o ka mākeke. | The pinched fish of the market. |
| | [Fish at the market are pinched by customers to determine their freshness.] |
| 1346 | Ka iʻa i nui ai o Kamehameha. | The fish on which Kamehameha was raised. |
| | [Taro greens. The Kamehameha mentioned here is the son of Kekaulike, ruler of Maui, not Kamehameha I, the conqueror. Once, when it was necessary for his personal attendants to be gone for the day, the chief, who was then a small child, was left in the care of his attendants’ two young sons. Taro greens had been prepared and cooked for the royal child, because they were tender and easy to swallow. Kekaulike arrived unexpectedly and was displeased to see only taro greens instead of fish being given to his son. When the boys, who did not recognize him, explained that this was a very precious child and that the taro greens were fed him because they had no bones that would lodge in his throat, Kekaulike was pleased. Thus the little chief, who was reared at Pakaikai, Moloka’i, became known as Kamehameha-nui-ʻai-lūʻau (Great Kamehameha, Eater-of-taro-greens).] |
| 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.] |
| 1348 | Ka iʻa kā kēhau o ka ʻāina. | The dew-dislodging fish of the land. |
| | [The ʻūhini, a locust (now extinct) that was caught in the morning while the dew was still on the shrubbery. They were strung on the stems of grass blossoms, broiled and eaten.] |
| 1349 | Ka iʻa kālai i ke koʻi. | The fish hewn with a hatchet. |
| | [Animals which produce beef, pork, mutton, venison, etc. Such meat has to be cut or chopped to a size that makes cooking easier.] |
| 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.] |
| 1351 | Ka iʻa kaulana i ka waha o ka ʻale. | The fish that rests over the furrows of the billows. |
| | [The mālolo, or flying fish.] |
| 1352 | Ka iʻa kā wāwae o Hīlia. | The fish of Hīlia, kicked by the feet. |
| | [Mullet. Hīlia is a place on Molokaʻi where mullet often come in schools near the shore. The people, wading into the water, would kick the fish ashore where others would pick them up.] |
| 1353 | Ka iʻa kā welelau o ke ahi. | The fish that lies on the top edge of the fire. |
| | [The ʻoʻopu, wrapped in ti leaves and laid on the hot coals.] |
| 1354 | Ka iʻa kīnohinohi pōhaku. | The fish that adorn the rocks. |
| | [The periwinkles and nerites that cling to the rocks in shallow water.] |
| 1355 | Ka iʻa koʻekoʻe o ka ʻili i ka wai. | The fish that chills one’s skin in the water. |
| | [The ʻoʻopu, usually found in upland streams.] |
| 1356 | Ka iʻa kuehu ōkea. | The fish that scatters white sand. |
| | [The ʻōhiki (sand crab), which kicks out the sand as it makes its burrow.] |
| 1357 | Ka iʻa kuhi lima o ʻEwa. | The gesturing fish of ʻEwa. |
| | [The pipi, or pearl oyster. Fishermen did not speak when fishing for them but gestured to each other like deaf-mutes.] |
| 1358 | Ka iʻa lamalama i ka pali. | The fish caught by torching along the seacoast. |
| | [The ʻaʻama, a crab that is often caught at night by torching along the rocky shore.] |
| 1359 | Ka iʻa lamalama i ke one. | The fish caught in the sand by torching. |
| | [The ʻōhiki, or sand crab.] |
| 1360 | Ka iʻa lau nui o ka ʻāina. | Big-leaved fish of the land. |
| | [Lūʻau, or taro greens.] |
| 1361 | Ka iʻa lauoho loloa o ka ʻāina. | The long-haired fish of the land. |
| | [Any vegetable eaten with poi, such as taro greens, hoʻiʻo or kikawaiō ferns, or sweet potato greens. Poetically, leaves are the oho or lauoho, hair, of plants.] |
| 1362 | Ka iʻa lauoho loloa o ke kai. | The long-haired fish of the sea. |
| | [Limu, or seaweed.] |
| 1363 | Ka iʻa lawe mai a ka makani, he lāʻau ka ʻupena e hei ai. | The fish brought by the wind, a stick is the net to catch them with. |
| | [Said of turtles that come to certain localities in the islands. They were driven ashore with sticks.] |
| 1364 | Ka iʻa lele me he manu. | The fish that flies like a bird. |
| | [The mālolo, or flying fish.] |
| 1365 | Ka iʻa leo nui o ka pali. | Loud-voiced fish of the cliffs. |
| | [Goats, which were pursued by shouting hunters.] |
| 1366 | Ka iʻa leo nui o Keʻehi. | Loud-voicedfish of Keʻehi. |
| | [Mullet, which were often found in large schools at Keʻehi Lagoon. Fishermen talked and shouted as they drove the fish into their nets.] |
| 1367 | Ka iʻa loloa o ke kai. | The long fish of the sea. |
| | [The eel.] |
| 1368 | Ka iʻa māewa i ke kai. | The fish that sways in the sea. |
| | [The limu (seaweed), which sways with the movement of the sea.] |
| 1369 | Ka iʻa mana nui. | The fish of many divided parts. |
| | [The octopus, with its eight tentacles.] |
| 1370 | Ka iʻa maunu lima o Kuloloia. | The hand-baited fish of Kuloloia. |
| | [Small eels (pūhi ʻōilo) that were caught by placing bait on the open palm of one hand with the fingers held wide apart. When the eels came up to take the bait, the fingers were clenched into a tight fist, grabbing the eels tightly by the heads.] |
| 1371 | Ka iʻa maunu ʻole o ke kahawai. | The fish of the stream that requires no bait. |
| | [The wī, a freshwater shellfish.] |
| 1372 | Ka iʻa mili i ka poho o ka lima. | The fish fondled by the palm of the hand. |
| | [When it was the season for the hinana (ʻoʻopu spawn), they were so numerous that they could be scooped up in the palm of the hand.] |
| 1373 | Ka iʻa mili lima o ʻUlakoheo. | The fish of ʻ Ulakoheo, handled by many hands. |
| | [Fish sold in a market. There was a fishmarket at ʻUlakoheo in Honolulu.] |
| 1374 | Ka iʻa moe kahawai. | The fish that lies in the stream. |
| | [The ʻoʻopu.] |
| 1375 | Ka iʻa nānā i ka lani ke ola. | The fish that looks to the sky for life. |
| | [Any vegetable, a food depending on sunshine and rain for subsistence.] |
| 1376 | Ka iʻa pā i ka ihu o ka waʻa a lele. | The fish that touches the prow of the canoe and leaps. |
| | [The mālolo, or flying 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.] |
| 1378 | 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.] |
| 1379 | Ka iʻa pipili i ka lima. | The fish that sticks to the hand. |
| | [The octopus, whose tentacles have suction cups.] |
| 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.] |
| 1382 | Ka iʻa ʻula weli i ke kai. | The red fish that causes a red color to show in the sea. |
| | [The ʻalalauwā, a small red fish whose appearance in great numbers was regarded as a sign that a member of the royal family would soon die.] |
| 1383 | Ka iʻa ʻumi i ka hanu. | The fish that holds the breath. |
| | [The wana, or sea urchin. The fisherman holds his breath as he dives for them.] |
| 1384 | Ka iʻa ʻuwā lua. | The fish of loud shouting. |
| | [The mālolo. The fishermen who went out for them did not hold their silence but shouted and called to one another.] |
| 1385 | Ka iʻa wale nui o ke Koʻolau. | The slimy fish of the windward side [of Oʻahu]. |
| | [An octopus. Before it is ready to eat, it must be pounded and rubbed with salt to remove the slime and make it tender.] |
| 1386 | Ka iʻa wāwae loloa. | The long-legged fish. |
| | [A human sacrifice.] |
| 1715 | Ke kaha pili a ka iʻa kea. | The beach where the white fish are always around. |
| | [A woman around whom white men gather like fish.] |
| 1852 | Kōpī wale nō i ka iʻa a ʻeu nō ka ilo. | Though the fish is well salted, the maggots crawl. |
| | [Similar to the saying, “There’s a skeleton in every closet.”] |
| 2092 | Mākālei, lāʻau piʻi ona ʻia e ka iʻa. | Mākālei, the stick that attracts and draws thefish. |
| | [Said of a handsome person who attracts the interest of others. Mākālei was a supernatural tree who attracted fish.] |
| 2098 | Makapaʻa ʻike ʻole i ka ʻope iʻa. | One-eyed person who does not see the bundle of fish. |
| | [Dried fish were rolled in ti leaves and hung up. When the leaves dried, they matched the color of the thatch of the house and often were not noticed at a glance.] |
| 2117 | Mālama i ke kala ka iʻa hiʻu ʻoi. | Watch out for the kala, the fish with a sharp tail. |
| | [A warning to beware of a person who is well equipped to defend himself. The kala, a surgeonfish, has a spike near the caudal fin which it uses in defense.] |
| 2120 | Malama o kū i ke aʻu, ka iʻa nuku loa o ke kai. | Take heed that you are not jabbed by the swordfish, the long-nosed fish of the sea. |
| | [Do not annoy that fellow, or you will suffer the consequences.] |
| 1328 | Ka iʻa hāʻawe i ka paʻakai. | The fish that carries salt on its back. |
| | [The mountain shrimp (ʻōpae kolo), a creature that does not die readily after being removed from the water. Once a stranger arrived at the house of a man noted for his stinginess. While the host loudly deplored his lack of any kind of meat to eat with the poi, a shrimp with a lump of salt on its back crawled out of a container in the corner. The selfish man had placed it there earlier, with the salt for seasoning, intending to eat it himself.] |
| 2269 | Nānā keʻe ka iʻa i ka maunu ʻekaʻeka. | The fish look askance at dirty bait. |
| 2293 | Naueue ka hiʻu o ka iʻa lewa i ke kai. | The tails of thefish that move in the sea tremble. |
| | [Said of fish, such as the hīnālea, in the cold month Welehu. The tails of the hīnālea bend as they seek hollows in the corals for hiding.] |
| 2296 | Naʻu ke poʻo o ka iʻa. | Keep the head of the fish for me. |
| | [Used to annoy a man on his way to fishing. It was believed that such a request would give him no catch at all.] |
| 2322 | Noho i ka hohonu me he iʻa lā. | Remains in deep water, like a fish. |
| | [Said of one who won’t associate with others.] |
| 2346 | Nui ka ʻai ma ke kuahiwi, puʻu nō ka ʻai, ʻiʻo no ka iʻa. | There is much food in the mountain; puʻu is food and ʻiʻo is meat. |
| | [This was said by the Reverend David Lyman, a missionary, in 1857 when his pupils went with him to the mountain and complained of having no food for the journey — there was an abundance of hāpuʻu and hōʻiʻo ferns in the mountains.] |
| 2363 | ʻOhi hāpuku ka iʻa o Kapaʻau. | Any kind of fish was gathered at Kapaʻau. |
| | [At time of famine no one was particular about the kind of fish he received.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2430 | ʻO ka mūheʻe ka iʻa holo lua. | The cuttlefish is the sea creature that travels two ways. |
| | [Said of a two-faced person.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2508 | ʻŌmaka ka iʻa, hōʻā aku ka lamalama i ka moana. | If the fish is the ʻōmaka, light the torches at sea. |
| | [The ʻōmaka is not a fighting fish and is easy to catch. Therefore one need not be prepared too soon and can afford to take time.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.”] |
| 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.] |
| 2667 | Pōhai ka manu ma luna, he iʻa ko lalo. | When the birds circle above, there are fish below. |
| | [Strong words are a sign of wrath. Fishermen at sea watch where the noio birds gather, for that is a sign that the aku fish are near.] |
| 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.] |
| 2767 | Pū wā iʻa nā hoa makani. | The wind companions cause a commotion among the fishes. |
| | [Oneʻs conduct causes a scandal.] |
| 2768 | Ua ahu ka imu, e lāwalu ka iʻa. | The oven is ready, let the fish wrapped in ti leaves be cooked. |
| | [All preparations have been made; now let us proceed with the work.] |
| 2818 | Ua lilo me ka iʻa o ka lauwiliwili. | Gone off with a fish called lauwiliwili. |
| | [A play on lauwili (confusing). Said of one who is confused or befuddled.] |
| 2820 | Ua loaʻa akula ka iʻa o ka ʻūʻū. | The ʻūʻū fish is now caught. |
| | [A play on ʻū (to sigh or grieve) in the name of the fish. One now has cause to grieve.] |
| 2923 | Wehe i ka mākāhā i komo ka iʻa. | Open the sluice gate that the fish may enter. |
| | [This was uttered by Kaleopuʻupuʻu, priest of Kahekili, after the dedication of the heiau of Kaluli, at Pu’uohala on the north side of Wailuku, Maui. A second invasion from Kalaniʻōpuʻu of Hawaiʻi was expected, and the priest declared that they were now ready to trap the invaders, like fish inside a pond. The saying refers to the application of strategy to trap the enemy.] |