HIIAKA ALONE WITH LOHIAU
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
Kilohi aku au o ka mauna o ka Lua,
E haoa mai ana ke a;
Ka laau e ho’o-laau—
Ho’o-laau mai ana ke ki’i,
Ke moe, i o’u nei.
Ia loaa ka hala, ka lili, kaua, paio;
Paio olua, e.
TRANSLATION
Pu’u-lena breathes a furnace blast;
Your mount, Kahuna, is a-blaze;
I choke in its sulphurous reek.
I see the mountain belching flame—
A fiery tree to heaven upspringing;
Its deadly shade invades my stony couch.
Is there fault, blame, strife, or reproach;
Let the strife be between you two.
To this proposal of her chivalric companion, who would throw upon the woman the whole burden of fault, punishment, and strife, Hiiaka made answer in this address to Pele:
Puka mai ka Wahine mai loko mai o ka Lua,
Mai loko mai o Muliwai o ka Lena,2
Mai ka moku3 po’o a Kane.
E noho ana o Kane-lau-apua4 i ke one lau a Kane;
Ninau mai uka, “Nowai he wa’a?”5
No ka hoa-paio o Ai-moku6 wahine:
Ninau a’e i kona mau kaikaina;
A lele e na hoali’i—
Ka owaka o ka lani,
Ka uwila nui, maka ehá i ka lani.
Lele mai a huli, popo’i i ka honua;
O ke kai uli, o ke kai kea;
O ke ala-kai a Pele i hele ai.
E hele ana e kini7 maka o ka La o Hu’e-ehu’e,
E nana ana ia luna o Hualalai;
Aloha mai ka makani o Kaú.
Heaha la ka paú8 o ka wahine?
He palai, he lau-i, ka paú hoohepa o ka wahine, e Kini, e.
Ha’aha’a iluna ke kihi9 o ka Mahina;
Pau wale ke aho i ke Akua lehe-oi;10
Maka’u wale au i ke Akua lehe-ama.11
Eli-eli kapu, eli-eli noa!
Ua noa ka aina i ka puké12 iki, i ka puké nui,