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Ka Mo`omeheu o Hawai`i 
Hawaiian Culture

Makahiki Chants
All translations by Leilehua Yuen

 Hula Kolea

 

Ka Huli Aku

 

Ka huli aku, ka huli mai

Ka huli lei `ula, lei a kōlea

Kōlea, kōlea, ki`i i ka wai

Wai `ākōlea, wai `ākōlea

 

 

 

 

           

Tree shell go away, tree shell come

Tree shell sacred lei, golden plover lei

Golden plover, golden plover, fetch the water

Water of the red fen, water of the red fern

 

 

 

 

Hula Kolani                                                 

 

He ua la, he ua; he ua pi`i mai

Noenoe hālau, hālau loa o Lono

 

O Lono `oe, pa `Ā`a pali

I ka hana Ikuā pohā ko`ele`ele

 

A Welehu ka malama noho i Makali`i

Li`ili`i ka hana aia a `e`eu

 

He `Eu ia no ka la hiki, hiki mai ka Lani

Nauweuwe ka honua, Ka hana a ke ola’i nui


Moe pono ole ko’u po

 

Na niho ai kalakala ka hana a ka Niuhi

A mau i ke kai loa. He loa o ka hikina.


A ua noa, a ua noa.

 

The rain, the rain; the rain fetches here

A mist like a shed, a great hall of Lono

 

Thou art Lono, Sirius touches the cliff

In the work of Ikuā pohā ko`ele`ele  (first month of the year)

 

In Welehu (second month) the shining seat of the Pleiades

Little is the work done

 

`Eu (star) rises, comes the heavenly one

The earth cries at the work of the earthquake

 

No sleep in my night

 

Thorny the teeth in the work of the shark

Of the great sea, the great one of the east.

 

It is freed, it is freed.

 

 

Hula Keiki

 

E ka `Iole, Nau, Nau, Nau

Na Leilehua Yuen

 

E ka `iole, nau, nau, nau

E ka `iole, nau, nau, nau

 

Auhea wale ana `oe

Noho I ke kula

Pe`e i ka po

`Ai i ka `uala

 

Aia hea mea `ai a pau loa?
Nana ia Makali`i

Nana ia Makali`i

 

Nau, nau me kou niho

E ka `iole ma`iki

Aki, aki ka `upena

Nana he puka nui

Nana he puka nui

 

Loa`a mai, na mea `ai

Hia`ai kamali`i

Hia`ai kamali`i

Oh, rat, chew, chew, chew

Oh, rat, chew, chew, chew

 

Where are you?

Living in the plains

Hiding in the night

Eating the sweet potatoes

 

Where is all the food?

Look to Makali`i

Look to Makali`i

 

Chew, chew with your teeth

O little tiny rat

Bite, bite the net

Look, a big hole

Look, a big hole

 

Here it comes tumbing down, the food

Happy are the children

Happy are the children

 

 

Hula Ala`apapa

 

Hi`u o lani ki`i ka ua o Hilo i ka lani

Ke ho`oki`iki`i mai la ke ao o Pualani

O mahele ana pulu Hilo i ka ua

O Hilo Hanakahi

 

Ha`i ka nalu wai kaka lepo o Pi`ilani

Ha`i na `iwi o Hilo

I ke ku ia e ka wai

Oni`o lele a ka ua o Hilo i ka Lani

 

Ke ho`oki`iki`i mai la ke ao o Pualani

Ke holuholu a`e la e puka

Puka e nana ke kiki a ka ua

Ka nonoho a ka ua i ka hale o Hilo

 

Like Hilo me Puna ke ku a mauna`ole

He `ole ke ku a mauna Hilo me Puna

Ke kowa Puna mawaena Hilo me Ka`u

Ke pili wale la i ke kua i mauna`ole

Pili ho`ohaha i ke kua o Mauna Loa

 

 

 

 

 

Hula Ala`apapa

Ko`i Honua

 

Pakū Kea`au, lulu Waiakea

Noho i ka la`i loa o Hanakahi

O Hilo i olokea ia, i au la e i kai

O Lele`iwi, o Makahanaloa

Me he kaele-papa la Hilo, i lalo ka noho

 

Kaele wale Hilo i ka alai ia e ka ua

`Oi ka niho o ka ua o Hilo i ka lani

Kuawa`awa`a Hilo i `eli `a e ka wai

Kaiko`o haki ka nalu ka ua o Hilo

Ha`i lauwili mai ka nahele

 

Nana lu kahe waikahe o Wailuku

Hohonu Waiau nalo ke po`o o ka lae o Mokupane

Wai ulaula o Wai`ānuenue

Ka wowonui i ka wai o Kolopulepule

Halulu i hāku`i ku me he uahi la

 

Ka pua o ka wai ua oaka i ka lani

`Ele`ele Hilo e pane e i ka ua

Okakala ka hulu o Hilo i ke anu

Pili kau mai Hilo ia ua loa

 

Paliku la`au ka uka o Hā`ili

Ka lae `ōhi`a e kopekope

Me he `aha moa la ka pale pa la`au

Ka nahele o Pa`ie`ie

Ku`u po`e lehua I waenakonu o Mokaulele

Me ka ha`i la`au i pūkaula Hala`i i ka ua

 

Ke nana ia la e la`i i Hanakahi

 

Oni aku Hilo oni ku`u kai lipolipo

A Lele`iwi ku`u kai ahua mimiki a ka Malua

Lei kahiko lei nalu ka poai

Nana Pu`ueo e makai ka `iwi honua e

Punahoa la ino kuku wau  Waiakea la.

 

 

 

 

 

Kea`au shelters, Waiakea lies calm

Dwelling in the great peace of Hanakahi

Much-divided Hilo swims in the sea

Between Lele`iwi and Makahanaloa

Within the broad bowl, Hilo sits down

 

Darkened is Hilo by the sky-obscuring rain

Sharp the tooth of the rain of Hilo in heaven

Gullied Hilo, excavated by water

Rough broken waves is the rain of Hilo

Swaying, twisting toward the forest

 

Nana spatters, trickles, overflows Wailuku

Deep Waiau hides the cape of Mokupane

Red water of Wai`ānuenue

The great roar of the water of Kolopulepule

Reverberating, beating, rising is the smoky mist

 

The rain-clouds open in the heaven

Darkened Hilo answers in the rain

Bristling feathers of Hilo in the cold

Thatch placed on Hilo in the great rain

 

A rampart is the wooded upland of Haili

The headland of `ōhi`a is raked

As by a flock of chickens clawing the woods

The forest of Pa`ie`ie

My lehua people in the center of Mokaulele

With the swaying trees a bundle on Hāla`i in the rain

 

Spread is the peace of Hanakahi

 

Hilo moves away, my dark sea moves

At Lele`iwi my rolling, roiling sea spray thrown by the wind

An ancient wave-garland encircling

Pu`ueo spreads seaward the earth-ribs

Punahoa reef storm-beaten wears away Waiakea.

Hula Pahu

Ko`i Honua

 

O Hilo `oe, Hilo, muliwai a ka ua i ka lani

I hana ia Hilo ko`i ana e ka ua

E halo ko Hilo ma i  o i anei

Lenalena Hilo e, panopano i ka ua

Ua lono pilikeko o Hilo i ka wai

Okakala ka hulu o Hilo i ke anu

Ua ku o ka paka a ka ua i ke one

Ua moe oni ole Hilo i luna ke alo

Ua hana ka uluna lehu o Hanakahi

Haule ka onohi Hilo o ka ua i ke one

Loku kapa ka hihilo kai o Paikaka

Ha, e!

 

Thou art Hilo, Hilo – floodgate of Heaven

The work of Hilo is to compel the rain

Drag swimming there and here

Yellow Hilo, dark in the rain

Roaring is Pilikeko of Hilo in the wet

Bristling the feathers of Hilo in the chill

Strike of the fat drops of rain on the sand

Sleeps unmoving Hilo, upward the face (Hilo sleeps motionless on its back)

Working their pillows, the 400,000 of Hanakahi

Dropped are the eyes of Hilo because of the rain on the sandy shore

Torrential rain splashing striking gusting windy squall of Paikaka

Hah, Yeah!