| 29 | Aia anei ka maka i ke kua o ʻike ʻole iho? | Are the eyes on the back that one cannot see what is being done? |
| | [Said of one who declares that he doesn’t know how to do a certain thing and perhaps will not be able to learn.] |
| 31 | Aia a paʻi ʻia ka maka, haʻi ʻia kupuna nāna ʻoe. | Only when your face is slapped should you tell who your ancestors are. |
| | [Hawaiians were taught never to boast of illustrious ancestors. But when one is slandered and called an offspring of worthless people, he should mention his ancestors to prove that the statement is wrong.] |
| 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.] |
| 92 | ʻAkahi hoʻi kuʻu ʻono i ka uhu kāʻalo i kuʻu maka. | Now I long for the uhu fish that passes before my eyes. |
| | [How I would like that handsome fellow for a sweetheart. The uhu is a bright-colored fish, beautiful to look at, and tasty.] |
| 104 | ʻAlaʻalawa ka maka o ka ʻaihue. | The eyes of a thief glance about. |
| | [An expression of suspicion toward a shifty-eyed person.] |
| 109 | ʻAle mai ke aloha kau i ka maka. | Love comes like a billow and rests before the eyes. |
| | [Said of an overwhelming love that leaves a constant yearning, with the image of one’s affections ever before one.] |
| 185 | ʻAʻohe mea ʻimi a ka maka. | Nothing more for the eyes to search for. |
| | [Everything one desires is in his presence.] |
| 257 | E ʻaki maka o ka lauhue. | Nip off the bud of the poison gourd. |
| | [Uttered by some chiefs of the court of Alapaʻi, ruler of Hawaiʻi, who wanted Kamehameha destroyed at birth.] |
| 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.] |
| 318 | E Kaululāʻau, ʻakahi nō pō i pipili ai nā maka. | O Kaululāʻau, it is the first night that the eyelids have stuck so. |
| | [Used in derision of one who doesn’t use his eyes. Kaululāʻau was a Maui chief who, because of his mischief, was banished to the island of Lānaʻi by his father. There he destroyed the evil inhabitants of that island by applying gum to their eyelids after they had fallen asleep.] |
| 360 | E nihi ka helena i ka uka o Puna; mai pūlale i ka ʻike a ka maka. | Go quietly in the upland of Puna; do not let anything you see excite you. |
| | [Watch your step and don’t let the things you see lead you into trouble. There is an abundance of flowers and berries in the uplands of Puna and it is thought that picking any on the trip up to the volcano will result in being caught in heavy rains; the picking is left until the return trip. Also said to loved ones to imply, “Go carefully and be mindful.”] |
| 362 | E noho ma lalo o ka lāʻau maka, iho mai ka huihui, māʻona ka ʻōpū. | Sit under a green tree. When the cluster comes down, the stomach is filled. |
| | [Serve a worthy person. When your reward comes you will never be hungry.] |
| 378 | E uhaʻi i ka maka o ka ihe. | Break off the point of the spear. |
| | [Cease warfare and resume friendly relations.] |
| 434 | Hālō aku ma ʻō, he maka helei; kiʻei mai ma ʻaneʻi, he ʻoʻopa. | Peer over there and there is someone with a drawn-down eyelid; peep over here and here is a lame one. |
| | [No matter which way one turns there is a sign of bad luck.] |
| 567 | He hana maka ʻenaʻena. | A work that causes red, hot eyes. |
| | [A task that requires so much work it deprives one of sleep.] |
| 625 | He iki huna lepo mai kēia e pula ai ka maka. | This is a small speck of dust that causes a roughness in the eye. |
| | [One may be small but he can still cause distress. This was the retort of Kaʻehuiki, a shark-god of Puna, when he was taunted for his small size by Kaiʻanuilalawalu, shark-god of Kīpahulu, Maui.] |
| 681 | He keʻa puaʻa maka ʻolelepā. | A fierce rooting hog. |
| | [A warrior fierce in battle.] |
| 715 | He lāʻau maka no ka nāhelehele. | A green wood of the forest. |
| | [An inexperienced person.] |
| 753 | Hele nō ka lima; hele nō ka ʻāwihi; ʻaʻohe loaʻa i ke onaona maka. | The hand goes; the wink goes; nothing is gained by just looking sweet. |
| | [Keep the hands occupied with work, then one can afford to make eyes at the opposite sex. Just looking attractive isn’t enough.] |
| 767 | He lohe ʻōlelo iā Kalehuawehe, he ʻike maka iā Kuaokalā. | Have only heard of Kalehuawehe, but have seen Kuaokalā. |
| | [That is only hearsay so I do not know much about it; but this I have seen and know about.] |
| 786 | He maka lehua no kona one hānau. | One who has the face of a warrior [loyal and honored] in his birthplace. |
| 810 | He mau maka laha ʻole. | Faces that are rare. |
| | [Said by members of the royal court in speaking of their chiefs with appreciation for the privilege of serving. The faces of the aliʻi were rarely seen.] |
| 1084 | Hoʻokē a maka. | Deny the eyes. |
| | [Said of a very selfish person who eats without sharing, no matter who looks on with longing; or of one who does his own work only, without lifting a finger to help another. Also said of one who gives to his own children but refuses to share with the children of neighbors and relatives.] |
| 1089 | Hoʻolaʻi maka ma waho, ʻoʻoleʻa loko. | A friendly face outside, a hardness inside. |
| | [A hypocrite.] |
| 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.] |
| 1123 | Huewai maka. | Unripe water gourd. |
| | [A small water hole, which is nearly too small to be of value. Not applied to people.] |
| 1128 | Hui aku na maka i Kou. | The faces will meet in Kou. |
| | [We will all meet there. Kou (now central Honolulu) was the place where the chiefs played games, and people came from everywhere to watch.] |
| 1211 | ʻIke maka iā Kaneoneo. | He has seen Kaneoneo for himself. |
| | [Said of one who has been disappointed. A play on Ka-neoneo (The Nothing).] |
| 1230 | I luna nā maka, i lalo nā kuli. | Eyes up, knees down. |
| | [Pray.] |
| 1412 | Ka ʻio nui maka lana au moku. | The great ʻio with eyes that see everywhere on the land. |
| | [A ruling chief.] |
| 1592 | Ka ua ʻōʻiliʻili maka akua. | The rain that appears here and there to denote the presence of a god. |
| | [Said of the rain that falls with a drop here and a drop there instead of falling in a shower.] |
| 1613 | Kau ka maka. | The eyes rest upon [him or her]. |
| | [A longing to see a certain person or to possess a certain thing.] |
| 1633 | Kaʻū nui maka lepo. | Great Kaʻū of dirty faces. |
| | [An expression of ridicule. Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, is a dry, wind-swept district where clouds of dust rise into the air.] |
| 1677 | Ke aliʻi nāna e kālua i ke poʻo i ka imu a poʻalo aʻe i nā maka. | The chief who can roast the head in the imu and scoop out the eyes. |
| | [Said of a chief who had the power and authority to have the head of one who offended him cut off and roasted in an imu, or to order his eyes dug out. The heads were roasted and then discarded, a warning to lesser chiefs and commoners to respect their superiors.] |
| 1730 | Ke kai maka koholua o Keahole. | The sea of Keahole that pierces like the point of a koholua stick. |
| | [Keahole in Kona, Hawaiʻi, is a cold place to swim.] |
| 1755 | Ke kope hoʻohiaʻā maka o Kona. | The coffee of Kona that keeps the eyes from sleeping. |
| | [This saying applies not only to coffee, but also to love. To be in love with a person of Kona is to lose much sleep.] |
| 1785 | Ke wela nei nō ka ʻili i ka maka ihe. | The skin still feels the heated sting of the spear point. |
| | [Said when one is still at war. First uttered by Keaweamaʻuhili to Kahāhana.] |
| 1793 | Kiʻi maka liʻiliʻi. | Small-eyed images. |
| | [Ordinary people.] |
| 1794 | Kiʻi maka nunui. | Big-eyed images. |
| | [Important people.] |
| 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. |
| 1868 | Kuhi nō ka lima, hele nō ka maka. | Where the hands move, there let the eyes follow. |
| | [A rule in hula.] |
| 2007 | Lilo ka maka i ke kua. | The eyes are turned to the back. |
| | [There is an angry look in the eyes.] |
| 2013 | Liʻu nā maka o ke akua i ka paʻakai. | The eyes of the supernatural beings are made to smart with salt. |
| | [Said of people who have been duped.] |
| 2093 | Makaliʻi ka malama, makaliʻi nā maka, makaliʻi nā nahele. | Makalii is the month in which people squint and plants grow stunted. |
| | [A play on different meanings of makaliʻi.] |
| 2099 | Maka piapia. | Dirty, sticky eyes. |
| | [A rude expression applied to one who looks at a thing but doesn’t seem to see it. Also said of the sticky eyes of one who has just gotten up from sleep.] |
| 2105 | Makemake akula i ka uhu kāʻalo i ka maka. | There is a desire for the parrot-fish that passes the eyes. |
| | [Said when one desires a lass or lad who is passing by.] |
| 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.] |
| 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.] |
| 2214 | Nā hana pōʻalo maka. | Eye-scooping deeds. |
| | [Acts of treachery toward those who have shown kindness.] |
| 2257 | Nalowale nā maka, hūnā i ke ao uli. | The face is out of sight, hidden in the sky. |
| | [Said of one who is dead.] |
| 2259 | Nā maka o ka makani. | Eyes of the wind. |
| | [Clouds, which show the direction of the wind.] |
| 2267 | Nānā ka maka; hana ka lima. | Observe with the eyes; work with the hands. |
| | [Just watching isn’t enough. Pitch in and help!] |
| 2268 | Nānā ka maka; hoʻolohe ka pepeiao; paʻa ka waha. | Observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth. |
| | [Thus one learns.] |
| 2277 | Nani Lēʻahi, he maka no Kahiki. | Beautiful Lēʻahi, object of the eyes from Kahiki. |
| | [Diamond Head, always observed with interest by visitors from foreign lands.] |
| 2304 | Nāwele ka maka o Hinauluʻōhiʻa. | Pale is the face of Hinauluʻōhiʻa. |
| | [Said of the pink rim around the blossom end of the white mountain apple. Refers to the goddess Hina.] |
| 2310 | Niau kololani ka helena, hūnā nā maka i ke aouli. | Silently, quickly he departed, to hide his eyes in the sky. |
| | [Said of one who has died suddenly.] |
| 2317 | Niu maka o nōlaʻelaʻe. | Green coconuts for a clear vision. |
| | [In ancient days the water of young coconuts (niu hiwa a Kāne) was used by priests in divination.] |
| 2354 | Oʻahu maka ʻewaʻewa. | Oʻahu of the averted eyes. |
| | [This saying began with Hiʻiaka, who asked two of her kinsmen on Oʻahu for a canoe to take her to Kauaʻi. They gave her a broken one, which she and her companion mended with no help from the men. In disgust, she called them Oʻahu maka ʻewaʻewa. After that, Oʻahu was said to have the least friendly people of all the islands.] |
| 2381 | ʻOiai e nānā mai ana nō nā maka. | While the eyes still look around. |
| | [While a person is living, treat him kindly and learn what you can from him.] |
| 2567 | Pāhala, ka ʻāina lepo haʻaheo i ka maka. | Pāhala, land [of those who are] proud of the dust in the faces. |
| | [The people of Pāhala, Kaʻū, like others of that district, are proud of their home, even though the wind-blown dust keeps their faces dirty.] |
| 2621 | Peʻapeʻa maka walu. | Eight-eyed Peʻapeʻa. |
| | [Peʻapeʻa was the son of Kamehameha-nui of Maui.] |
| 2663 | Pōʻalo maka. | To gouge out the eyes. |
| | [Said of an ungrateful person who repays kindness with unkindness, especially by stealing a mate.] |
| 2689 | Pō nā maka i ka noe, i ka pahulu i ke ala loa. | The eyes are blinded by the mist that haunts the long trail. |
| | [Said of one who is deceived.] |
| 2712 | Puehu ka lehu i nā maka o ka mea luhi. | Ashes fly into the eyes of the toiler. |
| | [One must endure the unpleasant in order to gain the pleasant, just as the cook at a fireplace gets ashes into his eyes when he blows on the fire.] |
| 2715 | Pueo maka ʻalaʻalawa. | Owl with eyes glancing here and there. |
| | [Said of one who looks about to see what he can steal.] |
| 2725 | Puka ka lā, puka pū me ka hana, i ʻike ʻia ka lālā maloʻo me ka lālā maka. | When day arrives, work time arrives too, for it is then that dry branches can be distinguished from green ones. |
| 2726 | Puka ka maka i waho, loaʻa ka hale kipa aku, kipa mai. | A [new] face appears out [of the mother], someday to be a host as all visit back and forth. |
| | [Said of the baby of a relative or friend — it will someday host visiting relatives.] |
| 2733 | Pula kau maka ʻino loa. | A very bad mote in the eye. |
| | [A person who is much disliked. Pula kau maka denotes something that is constantly on oneʻs mind.] |
| 2748 | Puna maka kōkala. | Puna of the eyelashes that curve upward like the thorns of the pandanus leaves. |
| | [The placenta of a newborn was buried under a pandanus tree so the childʻs eyelashes would grow long like the pandanus thorns.] |
| 2775 | Ua ʻeha ka ʻili i ka maka o ka ihe. | The skin has been hurt by the point of the spear. |
| | [Said of a warrior who has been wounded in war. This was said with pride and affection, for it meant that he had been faithful to his chief.] |
| 2852 | Ua puka a maka. | Face is seen in the world. |
| | [Said of a child who by his birth cements the relationship of his father’s family with his mother’s. As long as the child lives, the families recognize their kinship with each other.] |