Hawaiian Women's Patriotism Is Famous

A huge mahalo goes out to Inoaʻole of Nupepa Hawaiʻi, who contributed the translation, a.k.a. "work in progress" below. Inoaʻole's work is both wonderful and prolific, so peruse the site for a huge number of fascinating pieces from the Hawaiian language newspapers.

Famed Is The Patriotism!!!

Like lightning flashing,
Such is my Patriotism,
At the ends of the earth,
Everywhere is the news of Hawaiʻi.

On Thursday afternoon, some Ladies of the Women’s Patriotic League Committee returned from the residence of their Vice President Mrs. J. A. Cummins at Pāwaʻa, and when they came near the street corner where the road goes up to Mānoa, some carriages filled with passengers of haole tourist from the east who had come on the steamer Belgic passed by.

The malihini asked the driver, “Hey there, what are these traveling women?”

The driver replied, “They are Ladies of the Women’s Patriotic League.”

When the malihini heard the words, “Ladies of the Women’s Patriotic League,” they quickly jumped down, removed their hats, and introduced themselves, giving their aloha to the Hawaiian Ladies.

They turned and called to their traveling companions riding the other vehicle, to come down; they quickly jumped down, removed their hats, and gave their aloha to the Hawaiian Ladies, whereby the Ladies offered their aloha with an expressions of wonder on their faces at this meeting with these malihini.

The exchange of words at that time went like this:

“We heard and saw in the newspapers of our land about your efforts, the Hawaiian women, striving to perpetuate the Independence of your land, and asking to reinstate your Queen upon the Hawaiian Throne. Your idea which you have worked for because of your love for your land is something that we and our country of America greatly admire.

“O Ladies, the great majority of Americans do not have appreciation for what was been hastily done upon you with true malevolence.

“We are remiss that we have no time to visit to see your Queen, for our time here is very short.”

The Ladies responded with graceful, mild words to these visiting Gentlemen, and they extended their aloha good bye in return, and the pleasantries upon the road gave way. As the saying goes, “Left in Puna are the friends.”

It was aloha which nurtured me,
In my days of hunger,
It was fond recollections which quenched me,
When I was in thirst.

The entire world is filled with fame of your Patriotism, O Ladies of Great Hawaiʻi of Keawe.

The editor has inserted diacritics in this version of the story. Should you be interested in viewing the original, simply click here.