THE ROUT OF THE MAHIKI
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
E Lau e, Lau e-e!
No’u ke ala, i hele aku ho’i, e-e!
TRANSLATION
I enter the land of Mahiki;
I counter the head-hunting witch.
See me pluck the head from her body;
See me tear out her very heart,
Till her blood surges round me in waves—
Blood of the monster that’s legion.
Mine is the common right of way:
The traveler’s right to the road!
At dark Hiiaka camped in the road and during the night a female ku-pua named Lau-mihi, whom the Mahiki chief had sent as a spy to watch Hiiaka, was seen standing on a high place to one side of them. Hiiaka at once flew at her and put an end to her.
Now began a fierce battle between Hiiaka and the Mahiki dragon and his forces. They fought till both sides were exhausted and then, as if by mutual consent, stopped to rest.
Hiiaka perceived that the battle was to be even more fiercely contested than that at Pana-ewa. She bade Paú-o-pala’e to take good care that no ill came to Wahine-oma’o. Looking up into the heavens, Hiiaka saw her relatives and friends Poha-kau, Ka-moho-alii, Kane-milo-hai, and a large concourse of other gods, including Kane, Kanaloa, Ku and Lono, watching her, evidently greatly interested in her performances. They assured her of their protection. At this Hiiaka was much encouraged and gave utterance to her feelings in this kanaenae:
A Moolau, i ka pua o ka uhiuhi,
Helele’i mai ana ka pua o Ko’o-ko’o-lau.
Lohi’a e na mo’o liilii—
Na mo’o liilii ke ala
E kolo i ke kula,
E iho i kai o Kawaihae, la.
Hea a’e la ka mo’o liilii:
E hakaká kaua; paio olua auane’i.
He ’kau Mo’o-lau, o Mo’o-lau akua, e!
TRANSLATION
In the wilds of Mo’o-lau,
The uhiuhi’s time for bloom—
The petals fall of Koolau’s flower:
The little dragons have found the way
By which they can crawl to the plain,
Go down to the sea at Kawaihae.
The little demons now announce
That you and I shall battle wage:
We two, indeed, must fight, they say—
A god is Mo’o-lau, a host of gods!
At this the great dragon Mo’o-lau bestirred himself. His attack was direct, but he divided his host into two columns so as to envelope Hiiaka and attack her on each flank. Hiiaka saw them approaching through the jungle and chanted the following rallying song:
Mele Ho’-uluulu
A Mo’o-lau, i ka pua o ka uhiuhi,
Pala luhi ehu iho la
Ka pua o ke kauno’a i ka la;
Na hale ohai i Kekaha, o Wa’a-kiu;—