| 152 | ʻAʻohe i nalo ka ʻulaʻula o ka lepo, loaʻa hou nō ka wahine. | The redness of the earth hasnt even vanished when a new wife is obtained. |
| | [Said in scorn of a person who takes a new mate shortly after the death of the old one.] |
| 235 | ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou kanaka uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i wahine nāu? | Why is it that you do not show how handsome you are by seeking your own woman ? |
| | [A woman might say, under the same circumstances, “ʻAuhea nō hoʻi kou wahine uʻi a ʻimi ʻoe i kāne nau?’] |
| 456 | Hānai puaʻa wahine, ma loko ka uku. | Raise a sow, for her reward is inside of her. |
| | [A sow will bear young.] |
| 723 | He lau maiʻa pala ka wahine, hou aku nō ʻoe, pōhae. | A woman is like a yellowed banana leaf that tears when one pokes at it. |
| | [A woman does not have the strength of a man.] |
| 1113 | Hōpoe, ka wahine lewa i ke kai. | Hōpoe, the woman who dances in the sea. |
| | [Hōpoe was a dancer of Keaʻau, Puna, in that long ago day when gods mingled with men. Because of her dancing and her kindly nature, Hōpoe was taken by the goddess Hiʻiaka as a favorite friend. When Pele sent Hiʻiaka to Kauaʻi to fetch Lohiʻau, the first request Hiʻiaka made to Pele was to be kind to her friend, Hōpoe. After a time, when Hiʻiaka did not return as expected, Pele in a fit of rage destroyed Hiʻiaka’s grove and the beloved Hōpoe. The latter was changed into a balancing stone that seemed to dance in the sea.] |
| 1289 | Ka haka o ka moa kāne, ua kau ʻia e ka moa wahine. | The perch of the cock is now occupied by a hen. |
| | [Said by Puna, whom Kalaniʻōpuʻu placed as governor in Hāna, Maui. Mahihelelima wanted Puna out of the way and lied that Kalaniʻōpuʻu had sent word for Puna to meet him in Hawaiʻi at once. When Puna arrived in Hawaiʻi, he discovered that he had been duped and that Kaʻuiki hill in Hāna had been taken by the Maui chiefs in the meantime. The saying was later used to mean that a superior worker had been replaced by another who was not as good.] |
| 1528 | Ka pali kāʻili wahine o Kēʻē. | The wife-snatching cliff of Kēʻē. |
| | [Once upon a time some men of Kēʻē, Kauaʻi, fell in love with the wives of some Nuʻalolo men. They climbed the ladder up to Nualolo, threatened the men there, and departed with their wives.] |
| 1639 | Ka wahine ʻai honua. | The earth-eating woman. |
| | [Pele.] |
| 1640 | Ka wahine ʻai lāʻau o Puna. | The tree-eating woman of Puna. |
| | [Pele.] |
| 1641 | Ka wahine ʻai pōhaku. | The stone-eating woman. |
| | [Pele.] |
| 1642 | Ka wahine alualu pū hala o Kamilo. | The hala-pursuing woman of Kamilo. |
| | [A current comes to Kamilo in Kaʻū from Halaaniani in Puna; whatever is tossed in the sea at Halaaniani floats into Kamilo. Kapua once left her husband in Puna and went to Kaʻū. He missed her so badly that he decided to send her a pretty loincloth she had made him. This might make her think of him and come back. He wrapped the malo around the stem of a hala cluster, tied it securely in place with a cord, and tossed it into the sea. A few days later some women went fishing at Kamilo and noticed a hala cluster bobbing in the water. Kapua was among them. Eagerly they tried to seize it until one of the women succeeded. Kapua watched as the string was untied and the malo unfolded. She knew that it was her husband’s plea to come home, so she returned to Puna.] |
| 1643 | Ka wahine hele lā o Kaiona, alualu wai liʻulā o ke kaha pua ʻōhai. | The woman, Kaiona, who travels in the sunshine pursuing the mirage of the place where the ʻōhai blossoms grow. |
| | [Kaiona was a goddess of Kaʻala and the Waiʻanae Mountains. She was a kind person who helped anyone who lost his way in the mountains by sending a bird, an ʻiwa, to guide the lost one out of the forest. In modern times Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop was compared to Kaiona in songs.] |
| 1644 | Ka wahine o ka liʻulā. | The woman of the twilight. |
| | [Lāʻiekawai, a legendary chiefess who became a goddess after her marriage to Ka-ʻōnohi-o-ka-lā (Eyeball-of-the-sun), a supernatural chief.] |
| 1645 | Ka wahine pōʻai moku. | The woman who made a circuit of the islands. |
| | [Hiʻiaka, who traveled to all of the islands of the Hawaiian group.] |
| 1799 | Kilioe wahine i uka. | Kilioe, woman of the upland. |
| | [Kilioe was a wahine moʻo (lizard woman) famed in chants and songs of the aliʻi. She belonged to Kauaʻi and it was she who tried to prevent Hiʻiaka from taking the body of Lohiʻau from a cave at Hāʻena.] |
| 1831 | Kole ka waha i ka hānai wahine maikaʻi. | One’s mouth can grow weary and sore when one rears a beautiful daughter. |
| | [Said when a hard-headed daughter finds suitors who are not to one’s liking.] |
| 1878 | Kū i ka poholima ua mea he wahine maikaʻi. | A beautiful woman stands on the palm of the hand. |
| | [A beautiful woman makes one desire to caress and serve her.] |
| 2019 | Lohiʻau Puna i ke akua wahine. | Puna is retarded by the goddess. |
| | [Refers to Pele, ruler of volcanoes. The lava flows she pours into the district retard the work and progress of the people.] |
| 2027 | Luhi wahine ʻia. | Labored over by a woman. |
| | [Spoken in respect and admiration of a family reared by a woman who alone fed and clothed them.] |
| 2051 | Mai hoʻomakamaka wahine, he hūpē ka loaʻa. | Do not make friends of a woman lest you blow your nose with weeping. |
| | [Advice to a bride. Be too friendly with another woman and she may hecome too friendly with your husband.] |
| 2173 | Moe loa ka wahine, nānā wale ke kāne. | When a wife oversleeps, the husband just looks about. |
| | [A lazy wife is no help to her husband.] |
| 2174 | Moe loa ke kāne, nānā wale ka wahine. | When the husband sleeps too much, the wife just looks about. |
| | [A lazy husband does not help his wife.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2687 | Poliʻahu, ka wahine kapa hau anu o Mauna Kea. | Poliʻahu, the woman who wears the snow mantle of Mauna Kea. |
| | [Poliʻahu is the goddess of snows; her home is on Mauna Kea.] |
| 2701 | Pua ka wiliwili nanahu ka manō; pua ka wahine uʻi nanahu ke kānāwai. | When the wiliwili tree blooms, the sharks bite; when a pretty woman blossoms, the law bites. |
| | [A beautiful woman attracts young men — sharks — who become fierce rivals over her. The law prevents the rivalry from getting out of hand — it can “bite.” It is said that when the wiliwili trees are in bloom the sharks bite, because it is their mating season.] |
| 2934 | Weliweli Puna i ke akua wahine. | Puna dreads the goddess. |
| | [Puna dreads Pele. Said of any dreaded person.] |