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Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 3 (of 3)

Volume 6 / Part 2 — Mele Ahiahi.

Reading edition

Lawe Lehua i ka la, kapu ke ahiahi.

E maa ka mumu, ka wawa, ka nei—e!

Kupina—i!

E kau aku ana hoi ka la, e ko mai ana;

Ke ahiahi hoanoano, hoomehameha. 5.

Hooihiihi, e ihi kihi ka le—o!

E hamau ka leo, e kapu!

Eia ke ano la, he ahiahi wale;

He iu kapu no ka lani e pee ana,

E kauolo lupe ana, ke luluhi nei—e, 10.

E kapu e, he ahiahi!

Kapu i ke ahiahi ihiihi, maa ka leo;

E kapu ka leo, ka walaau,

Ka nunu, ka ne ua la,

Ka ua ne ua la o ke ahiahi, 15.

Ka ulu-haka i ka po o Hakalani,

O ka pohaka o ke Kekaupea.

No Kihi ka po no ka hookeekee,

O ke kihi ahiahi kapu no hoi,

No Kealohi, no ke Kekaupea ke ’lii. 20.

Nona ke ahiahi—, e kapu—e—, e ahiahi!

He ahiahi kapu no Kawelo.

I holoholo ’ku iloko Wailuanui-a-hoano.

E hiamoe ana i moemoe a Kuhe.

Ilaila ka paluhi newalani i ka hiamoe. 25.

O ka huki kau kama ka ihi kama hoohia ka lani.

O ke ahiahi o Mahuna Kaioe.

O ka maka o Kuawalu-pau-ka-moku,

Ke ’lii nona ke ahiahi e; e kapu e, he ahiahi kapu o!

He ahiahi kapu no Kuihewa 30.

I Kukaniloko, i Lihue, ilaila ka pa awaawahia o ke kapu,

O ko Kuihewa awahia i malania.

O Kuihewa, Kakuihewa, Kuihewa o ka ua-ua-pena,

O ko lakou ahiahi i Lihu—e,

No Luaia, no Luanuimahao ke ’lii nona ke ahiahi. 35.

E kapu e! he ahiahi!

Kaha aui, newa ka la, ua ahiahi.

Ke kahakaha ka la, hele ua, kaha ka la i Manuahi.

Aia i ka haaluapou lawe aku la Lehua i ka la,

Aka ku la i ke poo ke kai uli, 40.

Hele aku la kanakaloa o ka la,

Hoi mai la ka poli o malumalu akua.

Ke ku mai la ka pahu o ke anoano—e;

Ano paha Kahiki—e,

Anoano aku la Kahiki, ua ahiahi. 45.

Kauliakea ke ahiahi ia Hoohokukalani;

He ahiahi ko ia ’na liliu,

He liu na la, he aui po, ke kului po, aumoe po,

He po ahiahi ae no ka lani kiu hoihoi mai ana.

E kapu ko lalo honua i ke ’lii, 50.

He ahiahi ka i kona nui, kona he apu.

I ke kona nui niho amo

Ia koluna ke ahiahi, he ahiahi kapu no Akea,

No Akea kahiko ke ahiahi.

E Ku, E Lono, E Kane,—he ahiahi—e; 55.

Kuu aku ka luhi, ua ahiahi;

He ahiahi kapu no Kekuaiwa, no Kauhola.

No ka ia hi’u loloa, ka ewaewa loloa iloko ka wai,

O Kiha-nui-lulu-moku, no Liloa ia ahiahi,

No ke kanaka luu wai manawa wai, 60.

Kiai wai kahawai okoa no.

A ka waiho hoi aku ke kamakama,

He kapu ka au ’lii, he wela ke kamani,

He laa ka hala, ka nioi kupu i Paakalana.

Aohe wahi manalo Waipio. 65.

Ke hahai aku la ka po i Haena.

Ke alualu aku la kau i ka pali,

Kiko aku la i ke poo Halaawiki,

Ko mai la ke ano, ke ano ke ahiahi—e.

Kuu aku ka luhi, ua ahiahi. 70.

He ahiahi kuluikului nei,

Kuluikului kahi ana po;

Ka po, ka po ia malio,

Malio, malio i ke aumoe,

Kaa momoe lea i ka apana, 75.

I ke poo Hawaii-ku.

E kani Hawaii ia’u!

Ka hiamoe i Kahiki-nui-kai-akea,

Ilaila anaina moku ai ka lani,

E lua lai alo moku ai i luakini 80.

Ka lani ma; ka lani ma i Hanalaa,

E holoi ai kai o Kahiki-ku,

E auau ai ke kai kupio—e,

Ke au, ka moana kahinia ia Lono.

E Lono—e, he pihe moku nei, 85.

He laka au eia ma Kahiki-ku.

E ku! kuua ka luhi, lomia ka o-pa.

Kuua ka luhi; he halauloa Hawaii:

Moea oe i Hawaii-nui-akea.

He luluhia lani mau honua i mau kului. 90.

He hiamoe ahiahi no ka lani ma,

E Ku, e Lono, e Kane, ko ahiahi—e.

Kuu aku ka luhi, ua ahiahi.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Lehua, the westernmost island of the Hawaiian group, hence the last on which the sun shines. ↑Note 2 · All nature proclaims the sacredness of the approaching night, hence man is called upon to recognize it by quietness. ↑Note 3 · Kauolo lupe is to bend alike together to the strain of a task. ↑Note 4 · Ulu-haka, the elevated place in the house of a high chief, where only those of rank are entitled to rest. ↑Note 5 · Pohaka, sign of Kekaupea, a chief, has reference to a certain evening sky indication named in his honor. ↑Note 6 · To him, nona, Kekaupea the king is the sacredness of the evening proclaimed, shown in line 16 to be Hakalani. ↑Note 7 · Kawelo, famous king of Kauai, is now assigned the kapu of evening. ↑Note 8 · Kuhe, the Hawaiian Morpheus, who gives undisturbed slumber; to whom lullabies were chanted to invoke pleasant and restful sleep. ↑Note 9 · Kaioe, more likely ka i a oe, is yours. As a name it carries no meaning. This line designates the night of Mahuna to Kawelo. ↑Note 10 · Not the eye (maka) but the offspring of Kuawalu. ↑Note 11 · Kuihewa, a famous king of Oahu, begins a new division. ↑Note 12 · Kukaniloko, on the upland plain of Lihue, island of Oahu, was designated the sacred spot (enclosure) for the birthplace of aliis. ↑Note 13 · In Kuihewa’s birth there his high rank and sacredness was confirmed. ↑Note 14 · Kakuihewa, equally known as Kuihewa o ka ua-ua-pena. Ua-ua was the name of a yellow dyed kapa, the qualifying pena indicates it as an imprinNote 15 · Luaia, an ancestress of Kuihewa. Luanui-mahao not identified, likely an epithet of Kuihewa. ↑Note 16 · Haalua pou, an imaginary post where two are dancing, at which time Lehua has taken the sun. ↑Note 17 · Kanakaloa, lit. long man; an epithet for the sun. ↑Note 18 · Bosom of night as a protecting god. Hoi mai la i, to, understood. ↑Note 19 · Anoano-e, a different solemnity prevails. ↑Note 20 · Perhaps even foreign Kahiki is affected. ↑Note 21 · These lines refer back to the kapued evening set apart for Wakea and his daughter, Hoohokukalani. ↑Note 22 · Liliu, rendered eminent rather than high or exalted rank. ↑Note 23 · The stars are likened to spies of heaven returning for watchful service; decidedly a poetic thought. ↑Note 24 · Awa cup, apu, of kapued royal use. ↑Note 25 · To Akea (Wakea) is the evening dedicated, as shown in line 47, note 22. ↑Note 26 · The chanter next turns to Kekuaiwa’s claims for distinction; he was a chief of Kauai. ↑Note 27 · The distant allurement of the long-tailed fish is as the desire of Kekuaiwa for the sacred evening. ↑Note 28 · One of the epithets of the lizard-goddess of Maui, who is here informed the evening is Liloa’s not hers. Liloa was the famous king of HawaiiNote 29 · This and the following line refers to Kiha’s powers. ↑Note 30 · Wela, hot, merciless, will be the doom of the hypocrite, the smooth-tongued deceiver. ↑Note 31 · The saying “nioi kupu i Paakalana” is said to be applied to a self-condemned conscience, referring to a severe sentence or penalty of the WaNote 32 · Haena point, Kauai, famed in story for its attractions from distant parts of the group. ↑Note 33 · Halaawiki, a mountain-peak on Kauai. ↑Note 34 · The poet here in several connecting lines refers to the beneficial character of the night to the whole land. ↑Note 35 · Hawaii of Ku, one of the major gods. ↑Note 36 · Hawaii is called on to proclaim the rest that comes with evening, which extends to the wide area of great Kahiki. ↑Note 37 · Dividing the heavens to effect day and night. ↑Note 38 · As originally written, this line is difficult and obscure. ↑Note 39 · A designated place in Kahiki-nui-kai-akea, where sacred or holy services only are conducted. ↑
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