Digital Collections
Celebrating the breadth and depth of Hawaiian knowledge. Amplifying Pacific voices of resiliency and hope. Recording the wisdom of past and present to help shape our future.
Kristen Masuoka
I kēlā kau i hala iho nei, ua mālama ‘ia kekahi papa ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma ke kulanui i Mānoa. ‘O ka makahiki mua ia, kau ‘elua. No kahi ha‘awina kākau, koi ‘ia ka ‘imi ‘ana i ‘ōlelo no‘eau i ho‘opa‘a ‘ia ma ka puke ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, he ‘ōlelo ia i hoihoi i ka haumāna nāna e noi‘i aku. A laila, haku ‘ia he mo‘olelo hou i mea e wehewehe ai i ka ‘ōlelo i koho ‘ia, me ka ‘ī ‘ana nō ho‘i i ua ‘ōlelo ho‘okahi ala. Eia mai ‘elima mo‘olelo po‘okela i loa‘a mai. Pili ‘ekolu mo‘olelo i ke ‘ano o ko kākou nohona i kēia au; hō‘ike mai nā mo‘olelo i koe i ka mo‘olelo ka‘ao ‘ana o kekahi wā. Ma ka ‘ōlelo no‘eau a me ka ‘ōlelo makuahine nō na‘e e pili mau ai nā au ‘oko‘a.
Ua hele aku ‘o Kalani a me Kawika i ke kaona i ka pō Pō‘aono no ka mea ua makemake lāua e ‘imi i nā ipo hou. Ua komo lāua i nā lole hou a ua hō‘ala ‘ia i ka wai kolona pipi‘i no nā wāhine a pau i laila. I ko lāua manawa i hiki i ke kaona, ua ‘ike lāua i ‘elua wahine e noho ana i ka hale inu lama.
Kalani: E Kawika, e nānā ‘oe iā lāua.
Kawika: Hū! ‘Oi aku ka nani o ka wahine ma ka ‘ao‘ao ‘ākau ma mua o ka wahine ma ka ‘ao‘ao hema. E kama‘ilio ana au i ka wahine nani. U‘i loa ‘o ia!
Kalani: Tsā! ‘A‘ole au makemake i ka wahine pupuka.
Kawika: Aloha ‘ino.
Ua hele aku ‘o Kawika e kama‘ilio i ka wahine nani a ua kama‘ilio ‘o Kalani i ka wahine ‘ē a‘e.
Kawika: Aloha mai kāua. ‘O wai kou inoa?
Malia: Aloha. ‘O Malia ko‘u inoa.
Kawika: ‘O Kawika ko‘u inoa. Nani loa ‘oe.
Malia: Mahalo. (‘aka iki) ‘O ‘oe pū.
Kawika: Mahalo nui loa. Pehea ‘oe i kēia pō?
Malia: Maika‘i au. Akā, momona au i kēia lole?
Kawika: ‘A‘ole nō . . . He aha kāu hana?
Malia: He mea ‘ohi kālā au ma Zippy’s.
Kawika: ‘Oia‘i‘o nō? Makemake ‘oe i ka hana i Zippy’s?
Malia: ‘Ano pa‘akikī ka hana i Zippy’s. Pohihihi loa ka helu ‘ana i ke kālā.
Kawika: (‘aka‘aka)
Malia: He aha kou pilikia?
Kawika: E kala mai ia‘u.
Malia: ‘A ‘o ‘oe? He aha kāu hana?
Kawika: He wilikī au.
Malia: Auē. Makemake ‘oe i ka hana i ka hale ma‘i?
Kawika: He aha? ‘A‘ole au hana i ka hale ma‘i. He wilikī au!
Malia: Huikau loa au. He po‘o ‘eha ko‘u.
Kawika: He mea ‘ole ia. E Malia, e ho‘i mai au ma hope.
Ua nānā ‘o Kawika iā Kalani e hulahula ana me ka wahine ‘ē a‘e. Ua kāhea ‘o Kawika iā Kalani e kama‘ilio me ia. Ua hele lāua i ka lumi ho‘opau pilikia.
Kalani: Hū! Kupaianaha loa ‘o Leilani! ‘A‘ole ‘o ia nani loa, akā akamai a ho‘omāke‘aka loa ‘o ia. He kauka ‘o ia ma Queen’s. Pehea kāu wahine?
Kawika: Hūpō loa ‘o ia! ‘A‘ole hiki ia‘u ke kama‘ilio iā ia. Hoihoi ‘ole ‘o ia. ‘Oi aku ke akamai o ka‘u ‘īlio ma mua ona.
Kalani: (‘aka‘aka) Aloha ‘ino. Keikei kūlana hale wili, ‘a‘ohe mea hana o loko!
© Kristen Masuoka, 2003.
Keikei kūlana hale wili, ‘a‘ohe mea hana o loko. A fine-looking mill, but no machinery inside. Good-looking but unintelligent. Taken from a hula song. —Mary Kawena Pūku‘i, ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, #1702.