Kaʻahumanu

HE KANIKAU NO KAʻAHUMANU

Mihalanaau i kuakahiki ka newa ʻana,
Silently borne by the current, spinning beyond the known realms

Ke kahana ka leina aku nei liuliu,
Passing in spiritual departure, readied

Liua paʻia aku nei i kū analia,
Dizzied and stricken, ethereal

I analipo i analio
For the great beyond, the furthest reaches

Lilo akula i ka paia kua a kāne,
Swept off to the far bowers of Kāne’s realm

I ke ala muku maʻawe ʻula a Kanaloa,
On the clipped, scarlet-streaked path of Kanaloa

Keʻehi kūlani akula ka hele ʻana,
Stepping forth into the heavens

E Malolokihakahakuleiohua,
O Malolokihakahakuleiohua

Ke aliʻi i kulu hiʻolani a i newa aku nei,
The royal who has passed into sleep, drifting off

I lele akula i ke kohi ʻana o ka pawa,
Who leapt into the breaking of dawn

I ke anohia kōhikōhi ano o ka pō,
Into the solemn, silent separation of the night

Ka lilo ane, ia;
The loss of the life breath, ’tis

iala, ō-ī-ē.
’Tis her, ō-ī-ē.

ʻOia hoʻi, he uē, he aloha iā ʻoe, ā
So it is, a cry, an expression of love for you, ā

A aloha liua lio paʻiauma ka manawa,
A tight, dizzying feeling of the heart in mourning

Pākoni huʻi ke aloha loku i ke ake,
Deep love throbbing and aching inside

Wehe wāhi ka pilipaʻa o ka houpo,
Cleaving open the heart’s bond

Nahā ka paʻa, ka peʻa kua o ke kanaka,
The secure covenant, the human burden, is broken

Heleleʻi, hiolo ka pua o ka waimaka,
Tears flow forth, streaming down

Lele leiʻō, līʻō loko i ka mihi,
Inside is a flurry, a wild flurry of regret

Mihi o ke ʻalohi o kuʻu haku maoli,
Sadness for the splendor of my true liege

A kaʻawale ʻokoʻa ia aloha ʻana,
That love being completely gone

Aloha aku o ke aloha hoahānau,
A farewell for the fellow congregation member

ʻAʻole he hoahānau ponoʻī noʻu,
Not a blood cousin of mine

He hanauna kūʻokoʻa i loli i ka Haku,
But a separate fellowship transformed by the Lord

I hānau ʻia e ka ʻUhane Hemolele,
Born of the Holy Spirit

E ka Makua hoʻokahi o mākou,
By the one Father of us all

I pilikana i laila e wena aku ai,
To make family ties to bond therein

Ilina inoa kaikuahine noʻu,
Gifted with the right to call you my sister

Auē nō hoʻi kuʻu kaikuahine,
Alas, my beloved sister

Kuʻu hoa hoʻoikaika a ka luhi leo ē, ia,
My beloved fellow striver in spreading the word, yes

iala, o-i-e.
’Tis her, ō-ī-ē

ʻOia nō, ʻo ʻoe ke aloha, ka ʻū a loko ā,
Truly, you are the love, the heart’s lament

Ā, aloha ʻoe, ka hakukau o ka manaʻo,
Ah, beloved are you, always in mind

Ke koʻokoʻo o ka leo e ili aku ai,
The support that drives the voice

E ʻimi pū ai, ʻo ka waiwai ka pono ē, ia,
To search together, virtue being the treasure, ’tis

iala, o-i-e.
’Tis her, ō-ī-ē.

ʻO ka wahine ʻalo ua Waʻahila o Kona,
The woman who endures the Waʻahila rain of Kona

Nihi makani, ʻalo ua Kūkalahale,
Moves in the wind, faces the Kūkalahale rain

Noho ānea kula wela o Pahua,
To dwell on the arid plain of Pahua

Wahine holo ua hoʻāo [a]nuanu e, ia, Woman who traverses the cold rain of enlightening

Holo a nele i ka pono, ua paoa,
Goes forth into the lack of virtue, unsuccessful

Ua hihi aku hihi mai, ke aloha ʻole,
A lack of regard tangles all sides

ʻAʻole pono, he ʻenemi noho pū ē, ia.
No virtue, dwelling among enemies, ’tis

ʻAhā, aia akula i [ka] lani,
Aha, ’tis there in heaven

Ka ʻUhane a ke kino wailua,
The Holy Spirit and the spirit’s essence

Kinoakalau pāhaʻohaʻo,
Amazing transfiguring form

ʻŌiwi haona hiʻona ē,
Form divested of features

Haili aka, kino ʻano lani,
A spectral image, a heavenly body

Hoa ʻānela o ka lani mā,
Fellow angel of those in heaven

Ke luana wale lā i ka lani,
In repose there in heaven

Ua luakaha ka noho ʻana,
A comfortable existence

Ke halelū ʻia lā i laila,
Where praises are sung

I loko o ka paredaiso nani,
In the beautiful paradise

I ke ao mau loa o ka Haku ē, ia,
In the eternal realm of the Lord, ’tis

ʻO ko kākou mau Haku nō ia,
He is Lord of us all

ʻO ka Haku mau nō ia, ʻoia nō,
He is the eternal Lord, truly so

ʻO ka manaʻo ia [a] loko e ake nei,
That is the hope for which the heart yearns

E ake aku nei ē, ē.
Yearning, yes.

Mei 22, 1843 LAHAINALUNA
DAVIDA MALO

Ka Lama Hawaii, Volume I, Number 17, 8 August 1834

Translated by Hina Kneubuhl, edited by Puakea Nogelmeier.

Visit the website of Awaiaulu to learn more about this organization.

A huge thanks to Jake Marote for the three photos in this story. See his work on Instagram @jake_of_all_trades and on his website.