Volume 6 / Part 2 — Evening Song.
Reading edition
From the John Ii Collection of Meles.
Subdued is the murmur, the noise, the tumult!
[And the] great wailing.
The sun is setting, its work accomplished;
Set apart (sacred) is the evening, work has ceased. 5.
It is sacred, let the voice be subdued,
Hush the voice, let there be kapu!
This is the meaning, it is evening, just that;
A sacred time for the chief to withdraw,
Let there be kapu; it is evening!
Kapu for the holy evening, faint be the voice;
Kapued the voice, [and] loud talking,
The groaning, the murmuring,
The low whisperings of the evening. 15.
For Kiha is the night allowed for boxing,
But the beginning of the night is kapu.
For Kealohi, for Kekaupea the king. 20.
Who traveled about in Wailuanui-a-hoano.
Then was oppression, dizziness relieved in that sleep. 25.
The child raised up; the sacred child pleased of heaven.
The chief for whom is the evening! Let there be kapu! It is evening and sacred.
For them the evening at Lihue,
Let there be kapu. It is evening!
Edgeways, staggering descends the sun. It is evening.
The day is divided, rain vanishes as the sun reaches Manuahi.
Casting its rays in the dark sea, 40.
The evening is proclaimed for Hoohokukalani;
Slow are the days declining to night, to lighting time, to midnight.
Let the earth beneath be sacred to the chief, 50.
The high service indicates his rank.
Very quiet is the evening, an evening sacred to Akea,
O Ku, O Lono, O Kane—the evening, 55.
Relieved is the weariness, for ’tis evening,
A water-guard reared among the streams.
The concubine is set aside,
Waipio has no place for forgiveness. 65.
It pursues its course till it reaches the top of the cliff,
Such is the indication, the sign of evening.
Relieved is the fatigue, for ’tis evening, 70.
The darkening shades of evening,
The night, the night towards dawn,
Morning light, stretching from midnight,
Giving refreshing rest to the district, 75.
The rest at Kahiki-nui-kai-akea.
To cleanse in the sea of Kahiki-ku,
To bathe in the choppy sea.
The current of the ocean flows toward Lono.
O Lono, an attentive land is this, 85.
I am gentle here at Kahiki-ku.
Arise! rest the weariness, press the languor,
Overcome the tiredness; Hawaii is with sheltering houses;
Rest you in great broad Hawaii.
Peaceful heavens cover earth and space. 90.
An early evening slumber is of the heavenly company,
O Ku, O Lono, O Kane, it is your evening,
Released is the weariness, for it is evening.