| 130 | ʻAʻohe e hōʻike ana ka mea hewa ua hewa ia. | The wrongdoer does not tell on himself. |
| 145 | ʻAʻohe ia e loaʻa aku, he ulua kāpapa no ka moana. | He cannot be caught for he is an ulua fish of the deep ocean. |
| | [Said in admiration of a hero or warrior who will not give up without a struggle.] |
| 162 | ʻAʻohe kana mai o ka holo o ka lio ia Hanalē; pākahi a ka lio, pālua a ka lio. | How Henry made the horses run; one on a horse or two on a horse. |
| | [How hunger (Henry) made the fingers work in conveying poi to the mouth — with one fmger and with two.] |
| 191 | ʻAʻohe na ia mau mea e uē iā ʻoe, na ke kanaka ʻoe e uē. | Things will not mourn you, but people will. |
| | [Said to one who thinks more of his possessions than of his kinfolk or friends.] |
| 192 | ʻAʻohe nānā; he holoholona ia he mea ʻuhane ʻole; o ke kanaka nō ka nānā, he mea ʻuhane. | Never mind; it is an animal, a soulless creature; take heed of man, for he is a creature with a soul. |
| 225 | ʻAʻole e ʻōlelo mai ana ke ahi ua ana ia. | Fire will never say that it has had enough. |
| | [The fire of anger or of love will burn as long as it has something to feed upon.] |
| 266 | E ao o pau poʻo, pau hiʻu ia manō. | Be careful lest you go head and tail into the shark. |
| | [A warning to be on one’s guard. Nanaue, of Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, had two forms — that of a man and that of a shark. As people passed his farm to go to the beach, he would utter this warning. After they had passed, he would run to the river, change into a shark, and swim under the water to the sea where he would catch and eat those he had warned. No one knew that it was Nanaue who was eating the people until someone pulled off the shoulder covering he always wore and discovered a shark’s mouth between his shoulder blades. After he was put to death the people were safe again.] |
| 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.] |
| 357 | E nānā mai a uhi kapa ʻeleʻele ia Maui, a kau ka puaʻa i ka nuku, kiʻi mai i ka ʻāina a lawe aku. | Watch until the black tapa cloth covers Maui and the sacrificial hog is offered, then come and take the land. |
| | [Said by Kahekili, ruler of Maui, to a messenger sent by Kamehameha I with a question whether to have war or peace. Kahekili sent back this answer — “Wait until I am dead and all the rites performed, then invade and take the island of Maui.”] |
| 366 | E, ʻolohaka! I ke ʻehu nō o ka lāʻau pālau, kulana; hākālia nō a pāpā lāʻau aku o ka make nō ia. | Say! The person is hollow. With just the passing breeze of a brandished club, he falls. As soon as a spear touches him, he dies. |
| | [Said by Pupukea, a chief of Kaʻū, of Makakuikalani, chief of Maui, in an exchange of insults. Later commonly used to refer to weaklings.] |
| 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.] |
| 373 | E pili mai auaneʻi ia pupuka iaʻu! | That homeliness will not attach itself to me! |
| | [Ugliness is not contagious. Said by a good-looking person in answer to, “I wonder why a handsome person like you should have such a homely mate.”] |
| 428 | Hala nō ia lā o ka pōloli. | A hungry day passes. |
| | [An expression of thankfulness that there was food for another day.] |
| 467 | Hānau ke aliʻi i loko o Holoholokū, he aliʻi nui; hānau ke kanaka i loko o Holoholokū, he aliʻi nō; hānau ke aliʻi ma waho aʻe o Holoholokū, ʻaʻohe aliʻi, he kanaka ia. | The child of a chief born in Holoholokū is a high chief; the child of a commoner born in Holoholokū is a chief; the child of a chief born outside of the borders of Holoholokū is a commoner. |
| | [Holoholokū, sacred birthplace of the chiefs, is in Wailua, Kauaʻi.] |
| 550 | He au Koʻolau aku ia. | That is Koʻolau weather. |
| | [The Koʻolau, or windward, side of an island is often storm-beaten. This expression was first used in a chant to Hiʻiaka by Wahineʻomaʻo, who pleaded with her not to let her wrath lead to destruction. Later used as a warning that headstrong wilfulness leads to distress.] |
| 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.] |
| 590 | He honu maeaea akula ia. | It is a māeaea variety of turtle. |
| | [He is a stinker. A play on māeaea (unpleasant smelling).] |
| 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).] |
| 620 | He ʻike ʻana ia i ka pono. | It is a recognizing of the right thing. |
| | [One has seen the right thing to do and has done it.] |
| 651 | He kāhiko hoʻokahakaha nō ia kula. | Finery belonging to the plain, put on display. |
| | [Said of a place when the blooming season arrives, or of a person dressed in fine array.] |
| 658 | He kai kapu ia na ke konohiki. | A forbidden beach reserved for the konohiki. |
| | [A maiden who is spoken for.] |
| 679 | He kawa ia naʻu i lele a ʻopu. | That is a diving place in which I dived without making a splash. |
| | [Said of something that is easy to do because one is accustomed to doing it.] |
| 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.] |
| 819 | He moa kani ao ia, a pō kau i ka haka. | He is a cock that crows in the daytime, but when night comes he sits on a perch. |
| | [Said of a person who brags of what he can do, but when difficulties come he is the first to remove himself from the scene.] |
| 820 | He moʻa no ka ʻai i ka pūlehu ʻia; he ahi nui aha ia e hoʻā ai? | Food can be cooked in the embers; why should a big fire be lighted? |
| | [A small love affair will do; why assume the responsibilities of a permanent mating? Said by those who prefer to love and leave.] |
| 836 | He nane hūnā ia. | A riddle whose answer is well hidden. |
| 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.] |
| 939 | He puʻu pale ia lae na ka hoʻokele. | The cape is just something to be passed by the canoeman. |
| | [A boast — difficulties are mere trifles to an expert.] |
| 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).] |
| 973 | He wai ʻauʻau ia no ke kanaka. | Bathing water for the man. |
| | [Said of a hero who is expert in dodging spears. Spears are like bathing water to a warrior who loves to fight.] |
| 978 | He waiwai nui ke aloha; o kaʻu nō ia e pulama nei. | Love is a great treasure which I cherish. |
| | [A common expression in chants and songs.] |
| 986 | Hihi kaunaʻoa, hihi i Mānā; aloha wale ia lāʻau kumu ʻole. | The dodder vine creeps, creeps at Mānā; beloved indeed is the trunkless plant. |
| | [This saying comes from two lines of a chant. Said of a person with no family background, or to a parasitical person. The kaunaʻoa (dodder vine) is a parasite.] |
| 995 | Hilinaʻi Puna kālele ia Kaʻū, hilinaʻi Kaʻū kālele ia Puna. | Puna trusts and leans on Kaʻū, Kaʻū trusts and leans on Puna. |
| | [The people of Puna and Kaʻū are related.] |
| 1074 | Hoʻokahi no hulu like o ia poʻe. | Those people are all of the same feather. |
| 1148 | Iā ia a hiki, make ka puaʻa. | As soon as he arrived, the pig died. |
| | [It was the custom to kill and roast a pig when a very welcome guest arrived.] |
| 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.] |
| 1242 | I noho ʻoukou a i pae mai he waʻa o Kahiki-makolena, hopu ʻoukou a paʻa; o ke kahuna ia ʻaʻohe e ʻeha ka ʻili ʻoiai no Kahiki aku ana ka ʻāina. | If sometime in the future a canoe from Kahiki-makolena arrives, grasp and hold fast to it. There is the kahuna for you, and your skins will never more he hurt [in war],for the land will someday he owned hy Kahiki. |
| | [A prophecy uttered by Kaleikuahulu to Kaʻahumanu and her sisters as he was dying. Foreign priests (missionaries) will come. Accept their teachings.] |
| 1249 | I paʻa iā ia ʻaʻole ʻoe e puka. | If it had ended with him [or her] you would not be here. |
| | [Said to a younger sibling to encourage more respect for an elder.] |
| 1295 | Ka hana a ka mākua, ʻo ka hana nō ia a keiki. | What parents do, children will do. |
| 1408 | Kaino paha he pali nui o Kīpū e ʻōlelo ia nei, eia kā he pali iki nō. | By the way it is talked about, one would think that Kīpū is a large cliff, but instead it is only a small one. |
| | [By the way people talked the task sounded difficult, but it was easy after all. Kīpū is on Kauaʻi.] |
| 1484 | Ka moa i hānai ʻia i ka lā, ua ʻoi ia i ka moa i hānai ʻia i ka malu. | A cock fed in the sunlight is stronger than one fed in the shade. |
| | [If you want a strong son, raise him with plenty of sunlight.] |
| 1500 | Ka nīoi aku ia e welawela ai ko nuku. | That is the chili pepper that will burn your lips. |
| | [Said of one whose lovemaking is like the fiery taste of peppers. It’s long remembered.] |
| 1539 | Ka piʻi nō ia a kōkī o Wailau. | Ascends to the highest point in Wailau. |
| | [Praise for one who has made a worthy accomplishment. The inhabitants of Wailau, Molokaʻi, a place of tall precipices, were excellent climbers. [cf 2434]] |
| 1697 | Ke hina ke uahi ma kahi ʻaoʻao he mea mākole ko ia ʻaoʻao. | When the smoke falls on one side, someone on that side will feel a smarting of the eyes. |
| | [Where strong words fall, feelings are hurt.] |
| 1749 | Ke koaʻe iho ia, he manu lele no ka pali kahakō. | That is the tropic hird, one that flies at the sheer cliffs. |
| | [Said of a person who is hard to catch.] |
| 1751 | Ke koa ia e laumeki ai kahawai o Hilo. | That is the warrior who will dry the streams of Hilo. |
| | [A powerful warrior.] |
| 1771 | Ke ola nō ia o kiaʻi loko. | That is the livelihood of the keeper of the pond. |
| | [This is one’s livelihood. Certain fish in a pond were reserved for the owner, but shrimps, crabs, and such could be taken by the caretaker.] |
| 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. |
| 1885 | Kū kaʻapā ia Hawaiʻi, he moku nui. | [It is well for] Hawaiʻi to show activity; it is the largest of the islands. |
| | [Hawaiʻi should lead forth for she is the largest.] |
| 1890 | Kū ka liki mai nei hoʻi ʻo ia ala. | What a proud stance he has over there. |
| 2061 | Maikaʻi nō ka hoʻoipoipo i ka wā e lana ana ke koko; a pau ka lana ana, pau nō ka hie o ia mea. | Lovemaking is good when the blood is circulating freely [in youth]; but when the blood ceases to circulate freely [as in old age] the pleasure one derives from it ceases. |
| 2080 | Mai nānā i ka ʻulu o waho, ʻaʻohe ia nāu; e nānā nō i ka ʻulu i ke alo, nāu ia. | Never mind looking for the breadfruit away out, that is not for you; look at the breadfruit in front of you, that is yours. |
| | [Be satisfied with what you have.] |
| 2127 | Ma loko o ka hale, hoʻopuka ʻia ka pili, a ma waho o ka hale, he haku ia. | Inside of the house you may mention your relationship, but outside of the house your chief is your lord. |
| | [Those who served the chief in his home were usually loyal blood relatives. From childhood they were taught not to discuss the relationship with anyone outside of the household, and always to refer to their chief as Kuu haku (My lord), never by any relationship term. Only the chief could mention a relationship if he chose.] |
| 2189 | Moku ka pepeiao, na ke aliʻi ia puaʻa. | When the ear is cut, it is a sign that the pig belongs to the chief. |
| | [The ears of certain pigs were cut to show that they were the property of the chief.] |
| 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.] |
| 2307 | Nei ka honua, he ōlaʻi ia. | When the earth trembles, it is an earthquake. |
| | [We know what it is by what it does.] |
| 2331 | No Kaʻaona, ke ona ia ala. | [He was born] in Kaʻaona, for he attracts. |
| | [A play on ona (to attract). Children born in the month of Kaʻaona are said to be attractive to others, even when their features are very plain.] |
| 2339 | No Kula ia poʻe ke hoe hewa nei. | To Kula belong the people who are such poor paddlers. |
| | [Kula, Maui, people are ignorant. Also, never mind the talk of fools.] |
| 2359 | ʻO Hāna ia, he ʻāina au pehu. | That is Hāna, land where lack was known. |
| 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).] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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. |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2479 | Ola ia kini ke ʻā maila ke ahi. | The multitude finds life at last; the fire is lighted. |
| | [It was later used as an expression of gladness that the fire is lighted and the food on the way.] |
| 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.] |
| 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!”] |
| 2524 | ʻO ʻoe, a ʻo wau, nalo ia mea. | You and me; it is hidden. |
| | [Let the secret be with us alone.] |
| 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.] |
| 2546 | O Waiōhinu aku ia kahi o ka maiʻa pala. | That is Waiōhinu, where ripe bananas are. |
| | [A Kaʻū saying meaning that one is in for bad luck. To see bananas while on a fishing or business trip was an omen of failure. From the story of twin brothers who were climbing a hill. The stronger brother climbed on while the weaker one sat and cried. The older looked down and said “Cry, baby, cry! Go to Waiōhinu to eat ripe bananas.”] |
| 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.] |
| 2553 | Paʻa aku i ka lani o kā ke akua ia, a hāʻule mai i lalo o kā Laiana ia. | What is held up in heaven is Godʻs, and what falls below is Lyonsʻs. |
| | [A reply made by the Reverend Lorenzo Lyons (Makua Laiana) when he was charged with being careless in accepting people as members of his church. He loved and accepted them and did not adhere rigidly to certain rules before allowing them to become members.] |
| 2608 | Pau ka wai o ia pūnāwai, ke piʻi maila ka huʻahuʻa lepo. | The water is gone from that spring, for only muddy foam arises. |
| | [Said of a mudslinger. First uttered by the Reverend George B. Rowell on Kauaʻi.] |
| 2706 | Pūʻali o Ka-hau-nui ia Ka-hau-iki. | Big-hau-tree has a groove worn into it by Little-hau-tree. |
| | [Said when a child nearly wears out the patience of the adult in charge of him, or of a large company of warriors discomfited by a small one. Kahaunui and Kahauiki are places just east of Moanalua, Oʻahu.] |
| 2762 | Pūpū wahi kūʻōʻō ka mahiʻai o uka, ola nō ia kini he mahiʻai na ka ʻōiwi. | When the upland farmer gathers small, broken sweet potatoes there is life for many, though he only farms for himself. |
| | [A farmer shares with beach dwellers.] |