Waika
music by John Spencer
Ku aku la 'oe i ka malanai
A ke ki pu'upu'u
Nolu ka maka o ka
'ohawai a uli
Niniau 'eha ka pua o Koai'e
'Eha i ke anu
Ka nahele 'o
Waika
Hui:
Aloha Waika ia'u me he ipo la
'O ke Ko'olau
Pua i ka
nahele 'o Mahuleia
E lei hele i ke alo 'o mo'olau
He lau ka
huaka'i hele i ka pali loa
He lau ka huaka'i hele i ka pali loa
A he
aloha e, a he aloha e
A he aloha e, a he aloha e
Hele hihiu
pili noho i ka nahele
O ku'u noho wale iho no i kahua e e'i
Ahe aloha e-e!
O kou aloha ka i hiki mai io'u nei
Mahea la ia i nalo iho
nei
Smitten art thou
With the blows of love
Luscious
the water-drip in the wilds
Wearied and bruised is the flower Koai'e
Stung by the frost,
The herbage of Waika
Chorus:
Waika loves me as a sweetheart
Dear as my heart, the yellow eye
Of
Koko'olau
My flower in the tangled wood, Mahuleia
A travel wreath to lay
on love's breast
A shade to cover my journey's long climb
A
shade to cover my journey's long climb
And this, it is love
And this, it
is love
Love-touched,distraught. mine a wilderness home
But
still do I cherish the old spot
For love, it is love
Your love visits me
even here
Where has it been hiding till now
Hole Waimea
(Spear-makers of Waimea ) - Chant
Hole Waimea i ka ihe a ka makani
Hao mai nä`ale a ke Kïpu`upu`u
He lä`au kala`ihi ia na ke anu
I `ö`ö
i ka nahele o Mahiki
Hui:
Ku aku i ka pahu
Ku a ka
`awa`awa
Hanane`e ke kikala o ko Hilo kini
Ho`i lu`ulu`u i ke one o
Hanakahi
Ku aku la `oe i ka Malanai a ke Kïpu`upu`u
Holu ka
maka o ka `öhäwai a uli
Niniau `eha ka pua o ke Koai`e
Ua `eha i ka
nahele o Waikä
Waimea strips the spears of the wind
Waves tossed in
violence by the Kïpu`upu`u rains
Trees brittle in the cold
Are made into
spears in Mahiki forest
Chorus:
Hit by the thrusts
Hit by
the cold
The hips of Hilo's throngs sag
Burdened, they return to the
sands of Hanakahi
Smitten with the blows of love
Pelted and
bruised by the Kïpu`upu`u rains
Wearied and bruised is the flower of Koai`e
Stung by frost, the herbage of Waikä
Source:
This is a mele inoa (name chant) for Kamehameha I, that was inherited by his
son, Liholiho. This is a tale of the Kïpu`upu`u, a band of runners whose name is
taken from the cold wind of Mauna Kea that blows at Waimea on the big island of
Hawai`i. They were trained in spear fighting and went to the woods of Mahiki, a
woodland in Waimea haunted by demons and spooks, and Waikä to strip the bark of
saplings to make spears. Hole means to handle roughly, strip or caress
passionately. In the forest they sang of love, not of work or war. Hanakahi is
the district on the Hamakua side of Hilo, named for a chief whose name means
profound peace. Malanai is the name of gentle wind. Pua o Koai`e is the blossom
of the Koai`e tree that grows in the wild, a euphemism for delicate parts. Parts
of this old chant, full of double entendre or kaona, was set to music by John
Spencer and entitled Waikä.
These are
two of the current meles songs/chants we are learning. Book a class as part of
your stay! These classes are held on our deck overlooking the river. The rate is
hourly.
Source: Translated by Robin Makua - Waika is taken from the ancient
chant "Hole Waimea", a name song for Kamehameha I, inherited by his son,
Liholiho. This is the tale of the Kipu`upu`u, a band of runners whose name is
taken from Waimea`s pelting rain. Malanai is the gentle breeze. They were to be
trained in spear fighting and went to Mahiki in Waimea, a woodland haunted by
demons and spooks. There they would strip or hole, the bark of saplings to make
spears. Hole also means to handle roughly or caress passionatley. In the forest
they sang of love, not of work or war. Pua o Koaie is the fragrant blossom of
the Koaie tree that grows in the wild, and is an euphemism for the delicate
parts of the body. Ko`olau is a contraction for the yellow flower or yellow eye
(maka lena) of the ko'oko'olau plant, used to brew tea. Mo`olau and hulilau
(slang) is used figuratively for a woman's breasts. Po-lolo is a combination of
2 words: po (night) and loloa (long), with the last a dropped. This form of
speech is called kepakepa. Ulumano is a violent wind that blows in the night on
the western side of Hawaii. Kamehameha I's troops were wrecked by this wind off
Nawawa. There, a whole village was burned to light the way to the shore. A`e is
a violent wind that blows from different points in succession or a circular
storm. Waluihe is for the 8 spears that are applied to this wind as it struck
from 8 different points. This phenomena was observed by ancient Hawaiians.
Holi`o is the name of a wind with entirely different characteristics from the
two aforementioned. Hanakahi is a district on the Hamakua side of Hilo, named
for a chief whose name means profound peace. Set to music by John Spencer, this
mele is full of eupheisms and double entendre or kaona that is reminiscent of
Hawaiian poetry. The story, as told by Lawrence Neula and his niece, Lorna Lim,
is that John Spencer was near Kohala when the music came to him. He began
searching desparately for a piano, and finally found one in the home of Maryann
Lim of Kohala, where this mele was first played.
Bed and Breakfast Hilo Hawaii
Mele
View from our deck of the waterfalls Home
