The Story of Hawaii: History, Customs, Mythology, Geography & Archaeology. Fowke Gerard

stands the mountain in calm,

      Profile of Wai-ale-ale at Wai-lua.

      Gone the stream-spanning plank of Wai-kini,

      Filched away by Nou-nou;

      Shut off the view of the hill Ipu-ha'a,

      And the upland expanse of Ka-pa'a.

      Give voice and make answer.

      Dead silence--no voice in reply.

      In later, in historic times, this visitor, whom we have kept long waiting at the door, might have voiced his appeal in the passionate words of this comparatively modern song:

Mele Kahea ⁶⁰

Ka uka holo-kia ahi-manu o La'a,⁶¹

      I po-ele i ka uahi, noe ka nahele,

      Nohe-nohea i ka makani luhau-pua.

      He pua oni ke kanaka--

      He mea laha ole la oe.

      Mai kaua e hea nei;

      E hea i ke kanaka e komo maloko,

B hanai ai a hewa⁶² ka wa'ha.

Eia no ka uku la, o ka wa'a.⁶³

      [Translation]

       Password--Song

      In the uplands, the darting flame-bird of La'a,

      While smoke and mist blur the woodland,

      Is keen for the breath of frost-bitten flowers.

      A fickle flower is man--

      A trick this not native to you.

      Come thou with her who is calling to thee;

      A call to the man to come in

      And eat till the mouth is awry.

      Lo, this the reward--the canoe.

      The answer to this appeal for admission was in these words:

       Mele Komo

      E hea i ke kanaka e komo maloko,

      E hanai ai a hewa waha;

      Eia no ka uku la, o ka leo,

      A he leo wale no, e!

      [Translation]

       Welcoming-Song

      Call to the man to come in,

      And eat till the mouth is estopt;

      And this the reward, the voice,

      Simply the voice.

      The cantillation of the mele komo: in answer to the visitor's petition, meant not only the opening to him of the halau door, but also his welcome to the life of the halau as a heart-guest of honor, trebly welcome as the bringer of fresh tidings from the outside world.

⁵⁶ Sophocles (Antigone, 705) had said the same thing:[Greek: me nun en ethos pounon en sautô phorei ôs phes su, kouden allo, tout' orphôs echein]--"Don't get this idea fixed in your head, that what you say, and nothing else, is right."

⁵⁷ Hatoa. As previously explained, in this connection halau has a meaning similar to our word "school," or "academy," a place where some art was taught, as wrestling, boxing, or the hula.

⁵⁸ Ka-popala. A verdant region on the southeastern flank of Mauua-Loa.

⁵⁹ Wai-ale-ale (Leaping-water). The central mountain-mass of Kauai.

⁶⁰ This utterance of passion is said to have been, the composition of the Princess-Kamamalu, as an address to Prince William Lunalilo, to whom she was at one time affianced and would have married, but that King Lihohho (Kamehameha IV) would not allow the marriage. Thereby hangs a tragedy.

⁶¹ La'a. The region in Hawaii now known as Ola'a was originally called La'a. The particle o has become fused with the word.

⁶² Hewa ka waha. This expression, here tortured, into "(till) the mouth awry," is difficult of translation. A skilled Hawaiian scholar suggests, it may mean to change one from, an enemy to a friend by stopping his mouth with food.

⁶³ Wa'a. Literally a canoe. This is a euphemism for the human body, a gift often too freely granted. It will be noted that in the answering mele komo, the song of admission, the reward promised is more modestly measured--"Simply the voice."

      VII.--WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF THE HALAU

       Table of Contents

      The first duty of a visitor on being admitted to the halau while the tabu was on--that is, during the conduct of a regular hula--was to do reverence at the kuahu. The obligations of religion took precedence of all social etiquette. He reverently approaches the altar, to which all eyes are turned, and with outstretched hands pours out a supplication that breathes the aroma of ancient prayer:

      Pule Kuahu (no Laka)

      O Laka oe,

O ke akua i ke a'a-⁶⁴ nui.

      E Laka mai uka!

      E Laka mai kai!

O hoo-ulu⁶⁵ o Lono,

      O ka ilio nana e haehae ke aha,

      O ka ie-le ku i ka wao,

      O ka maile hihi i ka nahele,

O ka lau ki-ele⁶⁶ ula o ke akua,

O na ku'i⁶⁷ o Hauoli,

O Ha'i-ka-malama,⁶⁸

Wahine o Kina'u.⁶⁹

Kapo ula⁷⁰ o Kina'u.

      O Laka oe,

      O ke akua i ke kuahu nei la, e!

      E ho'i, e ho'i a nolao i kou kuahu.

      Hoo-ulu ia!

      [Translation]

      Altar-Prayer (to Laka)

      Thou