HIIAKA CONTINUES HER PRAYERS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
The Heroes, too, who dwell in the mountains,
Our Comrades they, who range the forest;
Women-gods of the ether who heal—
Powers that hold with thee, God Laká:
He gives men the rich-ripe mountain-apple.
The Gods pour out their healing water;
The bunchy thatch-grass waves in awe;
God Echo whose voices rumble afar;
And the Landscapist Ku and the Princess
Who plucked and ate the fateful ulei.
The women who sit in the outskirts,
All clad in robes of funeral black—
Great love has prompted their coming.
I Hiiaka, the shadow, have come,
From love to my birth-mate, my sister.
Be this, then, the birth-place of life!
Oh for life! for life! give us life!
“How is it with you, O Lohiau?” inquired Hiiaka.
“Continue to kneel at the shrine. Prostrate yourself at the lake of our mistress,” answered Lohiau.
Thereupon, Hiiaka, greatly encouraged, resumed her praying and chanted in a clear tone:
A ka luna i Kilauea,
A Wahine-kapu i ka Lua;
Kapu na papa elima o ka Lua;
Kapu Kilauea i ke ahi a ka Wahine—
Kapu ia Ka-moho-alii, he alii hanau kapu.
E ho’i au e ike me ku’u haku.
Ke haku’iku’i mai nei ka lani;
Owaowá ka honua;
Ua moe kánaka kai o ka honua;
Ua ala kukui a Kane.
Kane-po, hooulu mai;
He hiamoe kapu kou hoala ana.
E ala e, Kahiki-ku;
E ala e, Kahiki-moe;
E ala ho’i au, ua hiki mai oe;
Ua ala ka lani, ua ala ka honua;
Ua ala ka uka, ua ala ke kai.
Akahi la o ke aloha i hiki mai ai;
Ke ho’onaue nei, naue ku’u houpo.
I ka houpo ka lele hewa a Kane;