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ʻŌlelo Noʻeau - Concordance

lehua

lehua
1. n. the flower of the ʻōhiʻa tree (Metrosideros macropus, M. collina subsp. polymorpha); also the tree itself. The lehua is the flower of the island of Hawaiʻi, as designated in 1923 by the Territorial legislature; it is famous in song and tale. see nāpolupolu, pōkiʻi₁, ʻūpolu. fig., a warrior, beloved friend or relative, sweetheart, expert (see lehua₉).
The plant has many forms, from tall trees to low shrubs, leaves round to narrow and blunt or pointed and smooth or woolly. The flowers are red, rarely salmon, pink, yellow, or white. The wood is hard, good for flooring and furniture, formerly used for images, spears, mallets. (Neal 637–8). It grows abundantly in wet areas (see ex., ʻūpolu).
It was believed that picking lehua blossoms would cause rain. For rain and wind names associated with lehua see Kanilehua, Kinailehua. Kinimakalehua, Kiu Wai Lehua, Līlīlehua, Moanianilehua, Moelehua. see also lū lehua, Moaʻe Lehua, ʻōiwi₂ (chant). cf. Marquesan heʻua
2. The name of a species of ohia, otherwise called the ohia hamau; metrosideros.
3. The blossom of the ohia and the lehua and the ahihi.
4. Flowers done up in bundles, as among foreign families; he pua lei mai kahiki mai.
5. Lehua is used often figuratively for a person highly esteemed; as, kuu lehua ala o Koolau, my sweet-scented lehua (very dear friend) of Koolau.
6. vs. laden, as a lehua tree with beautiful blossoms.
7. n. rainbow-colored mother-of-pearl shell used for fishing lure.
8. n. a variety of taro, used for red poi. Cultivars may be qualified by the terms keʻokeʻo (white) or maoli (native).
9. Name of a species of kalo; also called lehuakuikawao.
10. n. globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa).
11. n. a variety of yam; the stem has red wings and the tuber has light pinkish flesh.
12. n. name of the small island just west of Niʻihau. As the westernmost of the Hawaiian Islands (except for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands), Lehua is associated with a setting sun (see chant, kalakalaʻihi). In poetry, the extent of the Hawaiian Islands is shown by coupling Lehua Island and Haʻehaʻe and Kumukahi on East Hawaiʻi . A breeze is named for this island.
13. s. The name of a large rock or small island on the north-east of Niihau, which has a good spring of water and a fine cavern.
14. placename. island (291 acres, maximum elevation 710 feet) west of Niʻihau, the westernmost island of the main Hawaiian chain (not including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands); landing, northeast Niʻihau. For a saying, see kāʻili. lit.: Lehua flower. (Pele's younger sister, Hiʻiaka, accompanying Pele on her first trip to Hawaiʻi, left a Lehua lei at this island when her brother, Kāneʻāpua, decided to stay there.) Elementary school, Pearl City, Oʻahu. (PH 106; UL 258.)
15. ashes; ash-colored or gray, as a chicken...
16. n. expert, as in fishing.
17. The name of the first man slain in sacrifice on a particular occasion.

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352E manaʻo aʻe ana e lei i ka lehua o Mokaulele.A wish to wear the lehua of Mokaulele in a lei.
 [A wish to win the maiden. Lei symbolizes sweetheart, and lehua, a pretty girl.]
659He kai lū lehua ko Panaʻewa.Panaʻewa shakes down the lehua fringes into the sea.
 [Once, when the forest of Panaʻewa extended to the sea, fringes of lehua blossoms were seen floating about in the water.]
713He kumu lehua muimuia i ka manu.A lehua tree covered with birds.
 [An attractive person. A lehua tree in bloom attracts birds as an attractive person draws the attention of others.]
714He lāʻau kū hoʻokahi, he lehua no Kaʻala.A lone tree, a lehua of Kaʻala.
 [An expression of admiration for an outstanding person, unequaled in beauty, wisdom, or skill.]
738He lehua neneʻe wale i Hōpoe.A low spreading lehua tree at Hōpoe.
 [A petite person, as pretty as a small, flower-laden tree.]
786He maka lehua no kona one hānau.One who has the face of a warrior [loyal and honored] in his birthplace.
805He maoli pua lehua i ka wēkiu.An attractive lehua blossom on the topmost branch.
 [An attractive person.]
1034Hoʻi ka ʻoʻopu ʻai lehua i ka māpunapuna.The lehua-eating ʻoʻopu has gone back to the spring.
 [Said of one who has gone back to the source.]
1105Hoʻonuʻa Hilo i ka lehua.Hilo produces the lehua in abundance.
1236I mōhala nō ka lehua i ke keʻekeʻehi ʻia e ka ua.Lehua blossoms unfold because the rains tread upon them.
 [It is the rain that brings forth the lehua blossoms. So do gentle words bring forth much that is desired.]
1265I walea ka manu i ka ʻula o ka lehua.The bird is attracted by the redness of the lehua.
 [The youth is attracted by the charm of another.]
1437Ka lehua neneʻe o Kāʻana.The low-growing lehua of Kāʻana.
 [Refers to Kāʻana, Molokaʻi. Often mentioned in chants of Molokaʻi, the lehua of Kāʻana were loved by the goddess Kapo. This lehua grove was destroyed by introduced animals. The first or one of the first hula schools in the islands is said to have been located at Kāʻana.]
1567Ka ua kiawe lehua o Hōpoe.The rain that sets the lehua of Hōpoe to swaying.
 [When the rain patters down, the lehua of Hōpoe, Puna, gently sway to and fro.]
1568Ka ua kīhene lehua o Hāmākua.The rain that produces the lehua clusters of Hāmākua.
1570Ka ua kinai lehua o Panaʻewa.The rain that bruises the lehua blossoms of Panaʻewa.
 [Both lehua and rain are commonly found in Panaʻewa.]
1585Ka ua lū lehua o Panaʻewa.The lehua-shedding rain of Panaʻewa.
 [The heavy rain of the lehua forests of Panaʻewa in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Famed in chants of old.]
1587Ka ua moaniani lehua o Puna.The rain that brings the fragrance of the lehua of Puna.
 [Puna is known as the land of fragrance.]
1638Kauā ke aloha i nā lehua o Kāʻana.Love is a slave to the lehua blossoms of Kāʻana.
 [Kāʻana is a place between Keaʻau and ʻŌlaʻa where travelers used to rest and make lei of lehua. It took many blossoms and much patience to complete a lei. The lei was later given to a loved one.]
1725Ke kai kuaʻau lehua o Panaʻewa.The sea where lehua fringes float about in the shallows.
 [Long ago, when lehua trees grew down to the shore at Puna and Hilo, the fringes of the flowers often fell into the sea, reddening the surface.]
2036Maʻemaʻe Puna i ka hala me ka lehua.Lovely is Puna with the hala and lehua.
 [Refers to Puna, Hawaiʻi.]
2101Makaʻu ke kanaka i ka lehua.Man is afraid of the lehua.
 [When going to the mountains one is warned not to pluck lehua blossoms lest it rain. Only when one is going out of the upland region is it permissible to pluck flowers. So the mountaingoer is said to fear the lehua.]
2250Nā lehua o Līhau i pehia e ka noe.The lehua blossoms oj Līhau, weighted by the mist.
 [Līhau, a mountain of Maui, was noted for its beautiful lehua blossoms.]
2251Nā lehua o Luluʻupali.The lehua blossoms of Luluʻupali.
 [Famed in songs of Kauaʻi were the lehua blossoms of Luluʻupali.]
2252Nā lehua o Mokaulele.The lehua blossoms of Mokaulele.
 [The lehua blossoms of Mokaulele, Hilo, are famed in legends and chants.]
2253Nā lehua puakea o Ninauapo.The white lehua blossoms of Ninauapo.
 [White lehua blossoms flourished at Ninauapo in Mānoa, Oʻahu.]
2347Nui ka hanu o Limahuli i nā lehua o Luluʻupali.Heavily-sighed Limahuli falls over the lehua blossoms of Luluupali.
 [Said of a person in love who sighs over a sweetheart.]
2379ʻOhuʻohu Halemano i ka lau lehua.Bedecked is Halemano with lehua leaves.
 [An expression of admiration for a good-looking person.]
2440ʻO Kauaʻi nui moku lehua, ʻāina nui makekau.Great Kauaʻi, isle of warriors and land of men ever on the defense.
2478Ola akula ka ʻāina kaha, ua pua ka lehua i kai.Life has come to the kaha lands for the lehua blooms are seen at sea.
 [“Kaha lands” refers to Kekaha, Kona, Hawaiʻi. When the season for deep-sea fishing arrived, the canoes of the expert fishermen were seen going and coming.]
2534ʻOpihi kauwawe lehua o Hōpoe.ʻOpihi covered by the lehua blossoms of Hōpoe.
 [The fringes of lehua at Hōpoe fall into the sea, and are washed up over the rocks, hiding the ʻopihi.]
2685Pōkiʻi ka ua, ua i ka lehua.The rain, like a younger brother, remains with the lehua.
 [Said of the rain that clings to the forest where ʻōhiʻa trees grow.]
2695Pua ka lehua.The lehua is in bloom.
 [Said by the people of Kawaihae when the aku fish appear in schools. It was considered unlucky to speak openly of going fishing.]
2704Pua lehua i ka lawaiʻa.A lehua blossom in fishing.
 [An expert in catching fish.]
2707Pua mai nei hoʻi ka lehua.The lehua is blossoming.
 [The faces are red from drinking beer.]
2727Pūkākā nā lehua o Mānā, ʻauwana wale iho nō i ka ʻauwai pakī.Scattered are the warriors of Mānā, who go wandering along the ditch that holds little water.
 [A boast after winning a battle.]

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