HIIAKA’S BATTLE WITH PANA-EWA
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
O wela Kahiki-ku me Kahiki-moe;
Ala mai o Ka-moho-alii
E moe ana iloko o ke ao polohiwa.
E Ku e, e ho’i ka amama41 i ka lani;
E Ku e, e ho’i ke ola ia Hiiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele,
A ola loa no, a-a!
It was such a voice of utterance as this (leo) that the two boys who went in before Pele desired. These two messenger-boys, by the way, are, in another account, spoken of as birds.
The purpose of Kane in sending out this leo seems to have been to rouse into activity the earth-strata, na papa honua.
TRANSLATION
The voice from above of a man supreme
Flies east, flies west, in the cry of a bird:
Curl over, thou yeasty billow of Kane!
Be rent, O Heaven, and quake, O Earth!
Kahiki’s pillars, flame ye and burn!
Ka-moho-alii doth wake and rise
From his couch on banks of purple cloud.
To heaven return with thy tabu, O Ku!
Salvation, O Ku, for Hi’iaka—
Hi’iaka the darling of Pele!
Immortal life to her!
At this the gods of war sprang into array, as if unleashed by the words of Pele. At their head marched Ku-lili-ai-kaua, a veteran who had followed Pele in her voyage from Kahiki. With him, went Ke-ka-ko’i, a guide (hookele) well acquainted with the forest trails. In the van strode three weird figures (Ka-maiau, Ka-hinihini and Mápu) bearing conchs, to which they ever and anon applied their lips and sent forth resounding blasts. But even more thrilling and inspiring than the horns of Triton was the voice of these gods of war as they chanted their war-song:
Mele Ka’i Kaua
Hulihia ka mauna, wela i ke ahi;
Wela mo’a-nopu ka uka o Kui-hanalei,42
I ke a pohaku Pu’u-lena43 e lele mai iuka.
O Ke-ka-ko’i44 ka hookele mai ka Lua;
O Ka-maiau45 kani pololei, kani le’ale’a;
O ka Hinihini46 kani kua mauna;
O ka Mápu47 leo nui, kani kóhakohá;
O hulihia i ka ale ula,48 i ka ale lani,49
I ka pu-ko’a,50 i ka a’aka51—
I ke ahu a Lono52 e!
E lono anei, e hookuli?
E hookuli i ka uwalo, e!
Eü, e hele no e!
Hé-he-hé-e-e!
TRANSLATION
The Mount is convulsed, it belches flame;
Fire-scorched is upland Kui-hanalei—
A hail of stones shot out with sulphur-blasts.