THE LAME FISHERMAN—HIS EPIC RECITAL CELEBRATING PELE
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
Kau ana paiea iluna i ka alá;
Maunu63 paiea, ha’alele i ka eke.
Nie64 au, Moala, ehia inu awa?
Ehá: o Eä,65 o Honu,66 o Kukuau,67 o Hinalea,68
O ka apu-hihi,69 o ka hihi-wai;70
Ei’ a’e loli-pua,71 ei’ a’e loli-koko;
Ei’ a’e loli-ka’e, ei’ a’e Leleä.72
O Leleä makua, makua o Kahi-kona,73
Nána i hanu, kaha ka ua koko:
Ha’i’na a’e ana ka mana
O ke Akua iwaho la, i líli.
Elieli, kau mai!
Pelei-oho-lani informs me that the following verses are found in another version of this mele immediately following verse 183:
O kukulu ka pahu a ka leo hokiki74 kanawai,
He kua75 a, he kai76 oki’a, he ala77 muku.
TRANSLATION
Let the drum, tho torn, snarl out the law
Of the burning back, deep ocean’s gulf,
And God’s short bridge to heaven by the bow.
Ua lilí ka lani me ka ua;
Ua o’oki ka lani, poele ka honua
I ka hanau ana o na hoali’i:
Hanau ke kaikamahine ho’onout78 o ka lani;
Hemo mai he keiki kane;
Oili ka ua koko iluna.
Hanau o Kuwalu79 me kana kane,
O Ku-ihi-malanai-akea:
A ai, e Pele, i kou aina—
Ai’na ka ohi’a, ka ulu hala i kai o Lele-iwi.
He moku Pana-ewa, he oka wale Ka-ú;
He pu’u o Pele nui.
Kahi, e Pele, i kou aina, hoolewa ke au.
Elieli, kau mai!
Ku i Wai-lua ka pou hale a ka ipo;
Hoolono i ka uwalo, ka wawa nui
O Ulupo80 ma oli nei; aohe uwalo mai, e.
Aloha ino o Ikuwá81 ma oli nei.
Ke lele la ka eká mua,82
Ka ino a ka makani.
Ukiuki, kolo e, Kau-lana,