| 24 | Aia akula i kula panoa wai ʻole. | Gone to the dry, waterless plain. |
| | [Gone where one may find himself stranded or deserted.] |
| 55 | Aia ka wai i ka maka o ka ʻōpua. | Water is in the face of the ʻōpua clouds. |
| | [In Kona, when the ʻōpua clouds appear in the morning, it’s a sign that rain is to be expected.] |
| 176 | ʻAʻohe loea i ka wai ʻōpae. | It is no feat to catch shrimps in a freshet. |
| | [You don’t need experience to do that job. Shrimps were often taken in great numbers by means of wicker platforms placed across mountain streams. In time of freshets they would be swept onto these platforms and gathered.] |
| 178 | ʻAʻohe lolena i ka wai ʻōpae. | There must he no slackness when one gathers shrimp in time of a freshet. |
| | [Let there be no slackers when there is work to be done. Lazy people don’t get anywhere.] |
| 195 | ʻAʻohe nō hoʻi ou ʻī mai ʻaʻohe wai o lalo. | You didn’t tell me that there wasn’t any water below. |
| | [Why didn’t you warn me? Two men, one totally and one partially blind, wanted to cross Punaluʻu Stream in Kaʻū. The blind one didn’t know his companion was unable to see well. When they reached the bank he asked his companion, “Is there water down there?” The partly blind one replied, “Yes, there is.” So they jumped in with the intention of swimming across. But the stream was dry, and both men suffered broken bones and bruises.] |
| 242 | ʻAu umauma o Hilo i ka wai. | Hilo has breasted the water. |
| | [To weather the storm. The district of Hilo had many gulches and streams and was difficult to cross.] |
| 255 | E ake ana e inu i ka wai hū o Koʻolihilihi. | Eager to drink of the gushing spring of Koʻolihilihi. |
| | [Eager to make love. Koʻolihilihi (Prop-eyelashes) is a spring in Puna. When royal visitors were expected, the people attached lehua blossoms to the makaloa sedge that grew around the spring so that when their guests stooped to drink, the lehua fringes touched their cheeks and eyelashes. The last person for whom the spring was bedecked was Keohokalole, mother of Liliʻuokalani.] |
| 267 | E ʻau mālie i ke kai pāpaʻu, o pakī ka wai a pula ka maka. | Swim quietly in shallow water lest it splash into the eyes. |
| | [A cautioning to go carefully where one isn’t sure of conditions.] |
| 342 | ʻEloʻelo i ka wai o Kulanihākoʻi. | Drenched by the water of Kulanihākoʻi. |
| | [Said of a heavy downpour. Kulanihākoʻi is the name of a mythical pond in the sky.] |
| 391 | Haʻa ka wai o Kemamo i ka mālie. | The water of Kemamo dances in calm weather. |
| | [Said humorously of the swish of ladies’ dresses as they walk along.] |
| 393 | Hāʻale i ka wai a ka manu. | The rippling water where birds gather. |
| | [A beautiful person. The rippling water denotes a quiet, peaceful nature which attracts others.] |
| 404 | Haehae ka manu, ke ʻale nei ka wai. | Tear up the birds, the water is surging. |
| | [Let us hurry, as there is no time for niceties. Kaneʻalohi and his son lived near the lake of Halulu at Waiʻaleʻale, Kauaʻi. They were catchers of ʻuwaʻu birds. Someone falsely accused them of poaching on land belonging to the chief of Hanalei, who sent a large company of warriors to destroy them. The son noticed agitation in the water of Halulu and cried out a warning to his father, who tore the birds to hasten cooking.] |
| 418 | Hākoʻi wai a ka neki. | Water agitated among the rushes. |
| | [The throbbing of the heart of one in love at the sight of the object of his affection.] |
| 432 | Hālawa, inu wai kūkae. | Hālawa drinker of excreta water. |
| | [An insult applied to the kauā of Hālawa, Molokaʻi.] |
| 469 | Hanini ka wai o Kulanihākoʻi. | The water of Kulanihākoʻi spills. |
| | [It’s raining.] |
| 591 | He hoʻokahi no wai o ka like. | All dyed with the same color. |
| | [Identical.] |
| 734 | Hele a nono i ka wai. | He looks red in the water. |
| | [He is as attractive as the fringes of lehua floating in the water.] |
| 755 | Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā, wali ka ʻulu o Halepuaʻa. | The water flows, the smooth stone [pounder] works, and the breadfruit of Halepuaʻa is well mixed [into poi]. |
| | [Everything goes smoothly when one is prosperous. A play on wai (water) and ʻalā (smooth stone). ʻAlā commonly refers to cash. In later times, Hele nō ka wai, hele nō ka ʻalā came to refer to a generous donation. Halepuaʻa is a place in Puna, Hawaiʻi.] |
| 825 | Hemo ke alelo o Kaumaka i ka wai. | The tongue of Kaumaka came out in the water. |
| | [Said of one who has had a good trouncing. Kaumaka, a defeated chief, was put to death by drowning.] |
| 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.] |
| 974 | Hewa i ka wai. | Great as a body of water. |
| | [A great multitude; so many that one cannot count.] |
| 976 | He wai makamaka ʻole. | Water that recognizes no friend. |
| | [Said of flooded streams that are dangerous.] |
| 1019 | Hōʻale i ka wai ua lana mālie. | Stirring up still waters. |
| | [Said of one who stirs up controversies.] |
| 1029 | Hoʻi hou ka wai i uka o Ao. | The water returns again to the upland of Ao. |
| | [The people had to travel far inland to find uncontaminated water.] |
| 1036 | Hoʻi ka wai a ka puna noho mai. | The water returns to the spring and there remains. |
| | [Said of one who withdraws.] |
| 1054 | Holu ka wai o Kaʻulili i ka makani. | The water of Kaʻulili ripples in the wind. |
| | [A humorous saying applied to one whose proud swagger is like the movement of the ʻūlili (wandering tattler).] |
| 1083 | Hoʻokahi wai o ka like. | All of one color. |
| | [All the same; harmonious; in unity.] |
| 1102 | Hoʻomoe wai kahi ke kāoʻo. | Let all travel together like water flowing in one direction. |
| 1112 | Hopo ana i ka wai poniponi o Waipuhi. | Fearful of the dark water of Waipuhi. |
| | [Said of one who is fearful of getting into trouble.] |
| 1120 | Huʻea i kai nā pihaʻā moe wai o uka. | Washed down to the sea are the stones and debris of the upland stream beds. |
| | [Said of a cloudburst that washes the stones from the stream beds, or of a person who, like the torrents, leaves no scandal untold.] |
| 1122 | Huʻea pau ʻia e ka wai. | All scooped up by rushing water. |
| | [Everything is told, no secrets are kept.] |
| 1134 | Hū ka wai i ke pili. | The water overflows to the pili grass. |
| | [Said of anything that overflows its boundaries, including a person whose behavior goes beyond the bounds of propriety.] |
| 1137 | Huli ka lau o ka ʻamaʻu i uka, nui ka wai o kahawai. | When the leaves of the ʻamaʻu turn toward the upland, it is a sign of a flood. |
| | [When the wind blows the leaves of the ʻamau fern so that they bend toward the mountains it is also blowing clouds inland, which will produce rain.] |
| 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.”] |
| 1188 | I kani nō ka ʻalae i ka wai. | A mudhen cries because it has water. |
| | [A prosperous person has the voice of authority.] |
| 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.] |
| 1237 | I mua e nā pōkiʻi a inu i ka wai ʻawaʻawa. | Forward, my younger hrothers, until you drink the bitter water [of battle]. |
| | [Uttered by Kamehameha as he rallied his forces in the battle of ʻĪao Valley.] |
| 1238 | ʻInā e lepo ke kumu wai, e hōʻea ana ka lepo i kai. | If the source of water is dirty, the muddy water will travel on. |
| | [Where there is evil at the source, the evil travels on.] |
| 1245 | Inu wai kōliʻuliʻu o Hilo. | Drink the waters of the distant sky in Hilo. |
| | [The rain of Hilo is a chief source of drinking water.] |
| 1264 | I wai noʻu. | Give me water. |
| | [Said to challenge another to a game or contest.] |
| 1266 | I wawā ʻia ka hale kanaka. Na wai e wawā ka hale kanaka ʻole? | Voices are heard around an inhabited house. Who hears voices about an uninhabited one ? |
| | [Where people are, life is. From a chant for Kaʻahumanu.] |
| 1299 | Ka hao a ka wai nui, pihaʻā o kai. | When a great flood washes down, the shore is littered with stones and debris from the upland. |
| | [When one is careless in speech, trouble results.] |
| 1306 | Kahe ka wai ʻula, kuakea ka moana. | When the brown waters run, the sea is white with foam. |
| | [Signs of a storm.] |
| 1314 | Ka hilu pani wai o Hauʻula. | The water-damming hilu fish of Hauula. |
| | [Refers to Hauʻula, Oʻahu. In ancient days, two brothers came from Kahiki in the form of hilu fish. Near Oʻahu they separated, one going to the east side of the island and the other to the west. The younger brother was caught in a net at Hauʻula and divided among the families of the fishermen. When the older brother arrived he was grieved to find pieces of his brother’s body throughout the village. He went to the upland and dammed the water of the stream with his own body. After a while he rose, and the backed-up water rushed down, sweeping everyone into the sea. The pieces of his brother’s body were joined again into a hilu fish.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 1506 | Ka nui e paʻa ai i ka hue wai. | The size that enables one to carry a water bottle. |
| | [Said of a child about two years old. In Kaʻū, where fresh water was scarce and had to be obtained from upland springs, every person who went helped to carry home water. When a child was about two, he was given a small gourd bottle for carrying water.] |
| 1515 | Ka ʻōnohi Wai a Uli. | Water of Uli made visible to the eyes. |
| | [A mirage revealed by the goddess Uli.] |
| 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.] |
| 1646 | Ka wai ʻeleʻele a ka poʻe ʻike. | The black fluid of the learned. |
| | [Ink.] |
| 1648 | Ka wai hālau o Wailua. | The expansive waters of Wailua. |
| | [Wailua, Kauaʻi, is the land of large streams.] |
| 1649 | Ka wai hoʻihoʻi lāʻī o ʻEleile. | The water of ʻEleile that carries back the ti-leaf stalk. |
| | [The pool of ʻEleile on Maui is famed in songs and chants. Visitors throw ti stalks into the pool and watch the water carry them all around before washing them downstream.] |
| 1651 | Ka wai hoʻomalule kino. | The liquid that causes limpness to the body. |
| | [Intoxicating drinks.] |
| 1652 | Ka wai huahuaʻi o Kewalo. | The bubbling water of Kewalo. |
| | [Kewalo once had a large spring where many went for cool, refreshing water.] |
| 1653 | Ka wai hūnā a ka pāoʻo. | The hidden water of the pāoʻo fish. |
| | [A little pool of water on Lehua often mentioned in chants of Niʻihau. It is said to be guarded by a supernatural pāoʻo fish. When this fish rises to the surface, its back resembles the surrounding rocks, which makes the pool difficult to see. When the pāoʻo sinks to the bottom, the water can again be seen. Also, a pool not far from the crater of Kīlauea. The priests of Pele who knew of its location obtained water from it to mix with the ʻawa drinks they offered to her. Like the pool on Lehua, a supernatural pāoʻo fish guarded it. This pool was destroyed during the making of a road.] |
| 1654 | Ka wai kāʻili ao. | The liquid that snatches away the light [of intelligence]. |
| | [Kawaihāpai, Oʻahu. A drought once came there in ancient times and drove out everyone except two aged priests. Instead of going with the others, they remained to plead with their gods for relief. One day they saw a cloud approaching from the ocean. It passed over their house to the cliff behind. They heard a splash and when they ran to look, they found water. Because it was brought there by a cloud in answer to their prayers, the place was renamed Ka-wai-hāpai (The-carried-water) and the water supply was named Ka-wai-kumu-ʻole (Water-without-a-source).] |
| 1656 | Ka wai lewa i ka makani. | The water that sways in the breeze. |
| | [The coconut, which contains water and is found in clusters high up in the tree.] |
| 1657 | Ka wai liʻulā o Mānā. | Mirage of Mānā. |
| | [Mirages were seen at Mānā on the nights of Kū and Kāne.] |
| 1658 | Ka wai lumalumaʻi kanaka o Wailuku. | The water of Wailukn where men were drowned. |
| | [Refers to Wailuku, Hilo, where victims were drowned to be offered in sacrifice at a nearby heiau.] |
| 1659 | Ka wai nāʻuke poʻo o Kahā. | The water of Kahā that removed head lice. |
| | [The water of Kahā is in Waiōhinu, Kaʻū. The chief Keouakuahuʻula once discovered that he had lice on his head. Not wanting others to know, he went to Kahā where he washed his head and had the pests removed.] |
| 1661 | Ka wai puka iki o Helani. | The water of Helani that comes from a small opening. |
| | [Refers to Helani, Kona, Hawaiʻi. Here a coconut grove thrived, and from a small opening in the shell of the nut one could get water to drink.] |
| 1662 | Ka wai ʻula ʻiliahi o Waimea. | The red sandalwood water of Waimea. |
| | [This expression is sometimes used in old chants of Waimea, Kauaʻi. After a storm Waimea Stream is said to run red. Where it meets Makaweli Stream to form Waimea River, the water is sometimes red on one side and clear on the other. The red side is called wai ʻula ʻiliahi.] |
| 1680 | Ke ʻanapa nei ka wai liʻulā o Mānā. | The water in the mirage of Mānā sparkles. |
| | [Said of one who is overdressed.] |
| 1711 | Ke inu akula paha aʻu ʻĀlapa i ka wai o Wailuku. | My ʻĀlapa warriors must now be drinking the water of Wailuku. |
| | [Said when an expected success has turned into a failure. This was a remark made by Kalaniʻōpuʻu to his wife Kalola and son Kiwalaʻō, in the belief that his selected warriors, the ʻAlapa, were winning in their battle against Kahekili. Instead they were utterly destroyed.] |
| 1716 | Kekaha wai ʻole o nā Kona. | Waterless Kekaha of the Kona district. |
| | [Kekaha in Kona, Hawaiʻi, is known for its scarcity of water but is dearly loved by its inhabitants.] |
| 1743 | Ke kawa wai ʻole o Kaumaea. | The waterless leaping place of Kaumaea. |
| 1762 | Ke kula wai ʻole o Kamaʻoa. | The waterless plain of Kamaʻoa. |
| | [The plain of Kamaʻoa, in Kaʻū, was well populated, but its people had to go upland for their water supply.] |
| 1765 | Ke lepo ke kumu wai, e huaʻi ana ka lepo i kai. | When the source of the water is dirty, muddy water will he seen in the lowland. |
| | [When the thoughts are dirty, dirty words are heard.] |
| 1781 | Ke pani wai o ʻĪao. | The dam of ʻĪao. |
| | [In a battle between Kamehameha and Kalanikūpule at ʻĪao, Maui, the latter escaped and fled to Oʻahu. The stream of ʻĪao was dammed by the bodies of the dead. This battle was called Kaʻuwaʻupali (Precipice-clawing) because the defeated warriors clawed the hillside in an attempt to escape.] |
| 1817 | Kohu ʻole kahi wai o Kanaio. | Unattractive is the water of Kanaio. |
| | [A contemptuous expression meaning that something another person has said or done is worthless. A play on naio (pinworm), found in the anus.] |
| 1838 | Komo wai ʻē ʻia. | A different liquid had entered. |
| | [Said of one whose paternity is suspect.] |
| 1853 | Koʻūkoʻū i ka wai a ka nāulu. | Tasty to the palate is the water of the showers. |
| | [Said of drinks.] |
| 1925 | Kū palaka ka wai o Welokā. | The water of Welokā is blocked. |
| | [Said of a person who has lost interest or becomes inactive, or of a situation that is at a standstill.] |
| 2025 | Luhe i ka wai o Pāʻieʻie. | Drooped over the pool of Pāʻieʻie. |
| | [Drunk.] |
| 2050 | Mai hōʻaleʻale i ka wai i lana mālie. | Do not stir up water that is still. |
| | [Do not stir up contention when all is peaceful.] |
| 2053 | Mai hoʻoni i ka wai lana mālie. | Do not disturb the water that is tranquil. |
| | [Let the peaceful enjoy their peace.] |
| 2126 | Malō ka wai i ka lā. | The water dries up in the sun. |
| | [Joy withers in the presence of wrath.] |
| 2132 | “Māmā Hilo?” “ʻAe, māmā Hilo i ka wai ʻole.” | “Is Hilo light?” “ Yes, Hilo is light for lack of water.” |
| | [A question asked of a runner, and his reply. It means that the way is clear, with no robbers or unpleasant experiences, and no rains to swell the streams and make traveling difficult.] |
| 2134 | Māmā Kona i ka wai kau mai i ka maka o ka ʻōpua. | Kona is lightened in having water in the face of the clouds. |
| | [Kona is relieved, knowing that there will be no drought, when the clouds promise rain.] |
| 2135 | Mānā, i ka puʻe kalo hoʻoneʻeneʻe a ka wai. | Mānā, where the mounded taro moves in the water. |
| | [Refers to Mānā, Kauaʻi. In ancient days there were five patches at Kolo, Mānā, in which deep water mound-planting was done for taro. As the plants grew, the rootlets were allowed to spread undisturbed because they helped to hold the soil together. When the rainy season came, the whole area was flooded as far as Kalamaihiki, and it took weeks for the water to subside. The farmers built rafts of sticks and rushes, then dived into the water. They worked the bases of the taro mounds free and lifted them carefully, so as not to disturb the soil, to the rafts where they were secured. The weight of the mounds submerged the rafts but permitted the taro stalks to grow above water just as they did before the flood came. The rafts were tied together to form a large, floating field of taro.] |
| 2178 | Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua. | Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers. |
| | [Flowers thrive where there is water, as thriving people are found where living conditions are good.] |
| 1655 | Ka wai kumu ʻole. | The water without source. |
| | [Kawaihāpai, Oʻahu. A drought once came there in ancient times and drove out everyone except two aged priests. Instead of going with the others, they remained to plead with their gods for relief. One day they saw a cloud approaching from the ocean. It passed over their house to the cliff behind. They heard a splash and when they ran to look, they found water. Because it was brought there by a cloud in answer to their prayers, the place was renamed Ka-wai-hāpai (The-carried-water) and the water supply was named Ka-wai-kumu-ʻole (Water-without-a-source).] |
| 2208 | Nahā ka huewai a ua kahe ka wai. | The gourd water-bottle is broken and the water has run out. |
| | [The body is dead; life has fled.] |
| 2213 | Nahā nā ʻōmaka wai a ka lihilihi. | Broken are the water-holders of the eyelashes. |
| | [Tears spill.] |
| 2220 | Nā ʻilina wai ʻole o Kohala. | The waterless plains of Kohala, where water will not remain long. |
| | [After a downpour, the people look even in the hollows of rocks for the precious water.] |
| 2300 | Nā wai ʻehā. | The four wai. |
| | [A poetic term for these places on Maui: Wailuku, Waiehu, Waiheʻe, Waikapū, each of which has a flowing water (wai).] |
| 2301 | Na wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alanui i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua? | Why shouldnʻt I know, when it is a road often traveled by my parents ? |
| | [Reply of Liholiho when someone praised his wisdom.] |
| 2302 | Na wai ke kupu ʻo ʻoe? | Whose sprout are you ? |
| | [Whose child are you? Also expressed Na wai ke kama ʻo ʻoe?] |
| 2414 | ʻŌkala ka hulu o Hilo i ka wai. | The fur of Hilo bristles in the water. |
| | [Sexual passion is rising.] |
| 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.] |
| 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. |
| 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.] |
| 2482 | ʻOla i ka wai a ka ʻōpua. | There is life in the water from the clouds. |
| | [Rain gives life.] |
| 2487 | Ola nā ʻilima wai ʻole i ke ao ʻōpua. | Healed are the ʻilima of waterless places by the rain cloud. |
| 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?”] |
| 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.] |
| 2574 | Paʻihi ʻoe lā, lilo i ka wai, ʻaʻohe ʻike iho i ka hoa mua. | Well adorned are you, borne along by the water, no longer recognizing former friends. |
| | [Said of one who grows proud with prosperity and looks down on his friends of less prosperous days. There is a play on wai (water). When doubled — waiwai — it refers to prosperity.] |
| 2602 | Papani ka uka o Kapela; puaʻi hānono wai ʻole o Kukaniloko; pakī hunahuna ʻole o Holoholokū; ʻaʻohe mea nāna e ʻaʻe paepae kapu o Līloa. | Close the upland of Kapela; no red water gushes from Kukaniloko; not a particle issues from Holoholokū; there is none to step over the sacred platform of Līloa. |
| | [The old chiefs and their sacredness are gone; the descendants are no longer laid to rest at Ka-pela-kapu-o-Kakaʻe at ʻīao; the descendants no longer point to Kukaniloko on Oʻahu and Holoholokū on Kauaʻi as the sacred birthplaces; there is no one to tread on the sacred places in Waipiʻo, Hawaiʻi, where Līloa once dwelt.] |
| 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.] |
| 2627 | Pēpē i ka wai o Niuliʻi. | Crushed by the water of Niuliʻi. |
| | [Rendered helpless or made humble and obedient.] |
| 2630 | Pihaʻā moe wai uka. | Stones that lie in the water in the upland. |
| | [Experts in strenuous sports. They are compared to the stones that not even a freshet can wash down to the lowland.] |
| 2705 | Pūʻali kalo i ka wai ʻole. | Taro, for lack of water, grows misshapen. |
| | [For lack of care one may become ill.] |
| 2728 | Puka kūkae wai o Kalihi. | Through an anus appears the water of Kalihi. |
| | [An expression of derision for Kalihi, Honolulu. In Kalihi Stream is a stone that resembles the human backside. When the stream is low, water pours out of the hole. First uttered by a visiting chief.] |
| 2731 | Pukana wai o Kahuku. | The water outlet of Kahuku. |
| | [Refers to the outlet of an underground stream that once flowed from Kahuku to Waipahu, Oʻahu.] |
| 2739 | Pulu ihola i ka wai a ka nāulu. | Drenched by the water from the rain clouds. |
| | [Drunk.] |
| 2740 | Pulu i ka wai lohi o Maleka. | Soaked by the sparkling water of America. |
| | [Drunk.] |
| 2741 | Pulu i ka wai naoa a ke kēhau. | Wet by the icy cold dew. |
| | [Drunk.] |
| 2797 | Ua kaʻa niniau i ka wili wai. | Swirled about by the eddying waters. |
| | [Dizzy from being madly in love. Also, intoxicated.] |
| 2801 | Ua ka ua, kahe ka wai. | The rain rains, the water flows. |
| 2824 | Ua lupeʻa ʻia i ka wai ʻona. | Fully possessed by liquor. |
| | [Dead drunk.] |
| 2828 | Ua maloʻo ka wai. | The water is dried up. |
| | [Said of inhospitality.] |
| 2859 | Uhiuhi lau māmane ka wai o Kapāpala. | Covered with māmane leaves is the water of Kapāpala. |
| | [The stream in Kapāpala, Kaʻū, often becomes very muddy. The people used to place māmane branches in the water to help the mud settle so that some drinking water could be obtained. This saying applies to a person who tries to cover up the wrongdoings of another.] |
| 2860 | ʻUʻina ka wai o Nāmolokama. | The water of Nāmolokama falls with a rumble. |
| | [Nāmolokama Falls, Kauaʻi, is famous in chants and songs.] |
| 2874 | ʻUmeke piha wai o Mānā. | A calabash full of water is Mānā. |
| | [Refers to Mānā, Kauaʻi, whieh is flooded during the rainy season.] |
| 2903 | Wai ʻapu lau kī. | Water in a ti-leaf cup. |
| | [When one goes to the upland and needs a cup to dip water from the stream or spring, he folds a ti leaf to form a dipper.] |
| 2914 | Wai o kaunu. | Water of love. |
| | [The thrilling effects of being in love.] |
| 2915 | Wai ʻōpū nui. | Big stomach water. |
| | [A humorous term applied to the water of a brackish pool. A stranger, unaccustomed to brackish water, often drank too much of it in attempting to quench his thirst.] |
| 2917 | Wai peʻepeʻe palai o Waiakekua. | The water of Waiakekua that plays hide-and-seek among the ferns. |
| | [Waiakekua is in Mānoa.] |