He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

E nā hoa heluhelu o ke ala ʻūlili, mai kahi kihi i Kaʻula a kahi kihi i Honokeʻā, mai ka piko o Wākea paʻa i luna a ka mole uaua o ʻĪ paʻa i lalo, ke aloha nui iā kākou a pau. E ʻoluʻolu, e nā hoa heluhelu, e kala mai i kēia wahi mea kākau i ka hala ʻana o nā mahina he ʻekolu ma mua o kēia hoʻopuka hou ʻia ʻana o kēia mahele o ka moʻolelo. Ma ka paʻi ʻia ʻana aku i kēia nūpepa hou, ua piha nā makahiki he ʻelua i kā kākou uhai ʻana i ke kuamoʻo kahiko o ko kākou aliʻi kaulana, ʻo Umi-a-Liloa. A ma kaʻu hoʻolaha hou ʻana aku i kēia moʻolelo hiwahiwa a ka Hawaiʻi, ua piʻi maila ka mahalo i loko oʻu no ka hana noʻiau a ka poʻe kūpuna i kā lākou haku ʻana i nā moʻolelo kahiko o Hawaiʻi nei a i kā lākou paʻi mua ʻana i kēia mau moʻolelo ma nā nūpepa ma ka ʻōlelo makuahine o ka ʻāina nei. He hana koʻikoʻi kā lākou mālama ʻana i nā moʻolelo o ko kākou ʻāina, a ua hoʻoili ʻia kēlā kuleana ma luna o kākou, nā pua kaulana o Hawaiʻi e mohala hou mai nei, a na kākou e hoʻomau aku nō i kēia kuamoʻo no ka pono o ko kākou lāhui. Wahi a kekahi mau haku moʻolelo kaulana o Hawaiʻi, ʻo J. E. Bush lāua ʻo S. Paaluhi,  “Aole he loihi o ka noho ana o ka lahui a nalo aku mai ke ao, ke hoomaloka a hoopoina lakou i ka hiipoi ana me na ohohia nui i na moolelo a me na mele o na ano a pau, a kamailio mau imua o ka poe opio i kumu e mau ai na hooipo a me na liʻa ana o ka naau o ke kanaka i ke aloha aina mamuli o ka hooni ana o na moolelo a me na mele e pili ana i kona one hanau, na wahi pana, a me na hana kaulana a kona mau kupuna” (Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Ian. 5, 1893). E nā hoa heluhelu, e huli a e nānā pono kākou i nā moʻolelo o ko kākou ʻāina ʻōiwi, e like me ka moʻolelo nei no ʻUmi, a e haʻi aku i kēia mau moʻolelo i ka poʻe ʻōpio, i mea e mau ai ke aloha no ko kākou ʻāina kihi loa ʻo Hāmākua i loko o ka naʻau o ka poʻe kānaka. He keʻehina paʻa kēia ʻike kuʻuna o ka poʻe kūpuna no kākou e kū ai me he pali lele koaʻe lā me ka haʻaheo a me ke aloha hoʻi no ko kākou kulāiwi. No laila, e hoʻi nō kākou i ke kuamoʻo o ka moʻolelo nei no Umi, a i Maui nō hoʻi kākou e holo ai e hoʻolauna pū me nā kaikunāne o Piʻikea, ʻo Lono-a-piʻi, ka mua, (kapa ʻia ʻo Piʻilani ma kēia mana o ka moʻolelo) lāua ʻo Kihaapiʻilani, ka muli.
 
Na Noʻeau Peralto
15 Kepakemapa 2016
Paʻauilo, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi

Dear reading companions of the steep trails, from one corner of this ʻāina at Kaʻula to the other corner at Honokeʻā; from the piko o Wākea above, to the tough taproot of ʻĪ below, great aloha to you all. If you would please, excuse this humble writer for having let three months pass before publishing this next installment of the moʻolelo. With the printing of this latest issue of our newspaper, we have now completed two years on this journey of following along the old pathway of our famous chief, Umi-a-Liloa. In republishing this treasured moʻolelo of our people of Hawaiʻi, I have gained a great deal of respect and gratitude for the skilled artistry of our ancestors in their composition of these moʻolelo and in their printing of these moʻolelo for the first time in the newspapers of Hawaiʻi in the mother tongue of this ʻāina. Their care for the moʻolelo of our ʻāina was a heavy responsibility to carry for generations, and now that responsibility has been passed on to us, the famous flowers of Hawaiʻi, re-emerging anew. It is up to us to carry on these traditions for the benefit and prosperity of our nation. According to two esteemed nineteenth century stewards of our moʻolelo Hawaiʻi, J. E. Bush and S. Paaluhi, “It does not take very long for a nation to disappear from the earth, should they disregard and forget to cherish and tend to, with great enthusiasm, their moʻolelo and mele of all sorts, and should they also neglect to continue to discuss them with the youth. For this is a source that maintains the lust and desire in the naʻau of a person to aloha ʻāina, as the moʻolelo and mele about their birth place, stories places, and the famous deeds of their ancestors stir them into action” (Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Jan. 5, 1893). Dear reading companions, let us seek out and carefully study the moʻolelo of our native homelands, such as this moʻolelo for Umi, and let us tell these stories to our children so that we may perpetuate the aloha that we have in our naʻau for this beautiful “land of the long corner,” Hāmākua. This knowledge of the traditions of our ancestors creates a firm platform for us to stand like the famous cliffs of this ʻāina, with pride and with aloha for our homelands. Therefore, let us return to the path of this moʻolelo for Umi; and to Maui we go, to become familiar with the brothers of Piʻikea—Lono-a-piʻi, the eldest (referred to as Piʻilani in this version of the moʻolelo) and Kiha-a-piʻilani, the youngest.
 
Noʻeau Peralto
September 15, 2016
Paʻauilo, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi

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Kaʻuiki, Hāna, Maui. Photo by Author, 2012.

Helu VIII.
 
I ko laua noho ana ma Kauiki, i Maui, o Piilani, me Kihaapiilani. Ua kauoha ae ko lakou makuakane ia Piilani, e malama i kona mau pokii, oiai laua aole i nui ia mananawa [sic]. Aole nae o Piilani i malama i kela kauoha a ka makuakane. Noho pu iho la laua, o na hoa ai o Piilani, he poe e wale aku no, aole he wahi i-a ma ko Kihaapiilani alo, pau loa aku no ka i-a ma ko lakou papa aina, kau wale aku no keia ma ko lakou kua. No ke kokoke o ka ipukai Ohua ma kona alo, lalau iho la o Kihaapiilani elua Ohua, a ho-o ma kona waha, ike mai la o Piilani i ka ai ana a Kihaapiilani, i ua ipukai Ohua la, lalau aku la o Piilani, a i aku la i kona kaikaina, “Nawai la i ai iho nei ka ipukai Ohua?” I aku la kona kaikaina, “Naʻu no i ai aku la, aole hoi aʻu wahi i-a.” E kiola aku ana o Piilani i ka ipukai Ohua, a pa ma ka lae o Kihaapiilani, naha ae la ka ipukai ma kona lae, paumaele kona mau maka i ke kai o ka Ohua, a wewela loa iho la.
 
Nolaila, oia ke kumu o kona holo mahuka ana, a noho ae oia ma Makawao, ma kela wahi pana o Kalaniwai, a moe wahine oia malaila. [E ike auanei kakou i ka hiki ana o Kihaapiilani i Hawaii, i o Piikea la kona kaikuahine, o ka Umi kaua ana ia ia Maui.] I kona moe ana malaila i ka wahine, aole i ikeia o Kihaapiilani keia, ua manao kona mau makuahonowai, he wahi kanaka kuaaina loa ia. Olelo iho la kona mau makuahonowai i ka palaualelo, i ka moe wale no iloko o ka hale, aole hele i ka mahiai. Lohe no keia ia olelo ana a kona makuahonowai no ia nei, ala ae la kona kakahiakanui, iho i ka ako lau i kai o Haiku, ma kela wahi pana o Kaluaaama.

Chapter VIII.
 
While Piʻilani and Kihaapiʻilani were living at Kaʻuiki, [in Hāna] on Maui, their father entrusted Piʻilani with the care of his younger siblings, because at that time they had still not reached maturity. Piʻilani, however, did not obey the wishes of his father. One day as they sat together to eat, Piʻilani’s eating companion, all of whom were strangers to him, were given all of the fish. There were no fish placed before Kihaapiʻilani to eat. All of the fish had been placed in the dishes of the others who faced their backs to Kihaapiʻilani.  Because the only food near to him was an ipukai (calabash) filled with ʻōhua (baby fish), Kihaapiʻilani reached inside, grabbed two ʻōhua, and stuck them in his mouth. Piʻilani saw Kihaapiʻilani eating from the ipukai ʻōhua, and he immediately grabbed it away from him. He then said to his younger brother, “Who is it that ate from this ipukai ʻōhua?” His brother then responded, “It is I that ate from it. I had nothing else to eat.” Piʻilani then threw the ipukau ʻōhua at the forehead of Kihaapiʻilani, breaking it in to pieces, and spattering the brine of the ʻōhua into his eyes, burning them.
 
It is for this reason that Kihaapiʻilani ran off, seeking refuge in Makawao, at that wahi pana (storied place) called Kalaniwai. There he stayed and came to live with a woman. [We will soon get to see Kihaapiʻilani’s arrival on Hawaiʻi Island at the place where his sister, Piʻikea, was residing, and Umi’s battle on Maui.] As he lived there with that woman, no one knew that he was Kihaapiʻilani. The parents of his wahine thought he was simply someone from the backcountry. They called him lazy, because he seemed to only sleep inside the house and would not go out to farm the land. Kihaapiʻilani heard of these words that his in-laws were saying about him. So one day he woke up in the early morning, and went down to Haʻikū, at that famous place called Kaluaʻaʻama, to gather lau (sweet potato slips for planting).

Makawao, Maui. Photo by Author, 2015.

Lau ʻuala. Photo by Author, 2014.

I kona iho ana i kai, ike mai la kekahi wahi elemakule, o Kukuiokaʻulani, e iho aku ana keia i ke kula, i aku la o Kukuiokaʻulani i kekahi wahi elemakule, “He Alii paha keia, he kanaka paha, he kahuna paha?” I ka nana ana mai o kekahi wahi elemakule, a ike pono ia, olelo aku la ia Kukuiokaʻulani, “Aole keia he kahuna, he Alii keia e iho mai nei, ina hookahi anuenue; alaila, he kahuna ia, aole elua anuenue o keia e iho mai nei, he Alii keia.” Holo like ae la ia i ko laua manao; no ka mea, ua loheia ka nalowale ana o Kihaapiilani, o ko laua noho no ia a hoea ana, aia no ko laua hale ma kahi e iho mai ana o ua Alii nei. Aloha aku ua mau wahi elemakule nei. Aloha hoi paha ke Alii, aole keia i aloha aku, hamau aku la keia, “Hamau, he nani ia, ua ike iho no olua iaʻu, e huna olua iaʻu a nalo, a mai hoike olua iaʻu.”
 
Iho aku la no keia a hiki i Kaluaaama, aia malaila ka lau uala, aole hoi o ka ako pono o ka lau, e like me ka ako ana, penei ka ako ana a ua Alii nei. Hoahoa ae la ia i ka lau o ka pue hookahi, a mohola pono, ako pahu pu ae la ia, a koe i kahi o ka lepo, a pela kana hana ana a pau ka mala. Hiki mai ka mea nana ka mala uala, a ike iho la ia, nui kona kumakena, hopu aku la ka mea nana ka mala uala i ka laau, hahau iho la ma kona kua, aole nae eueu ae, ako no keia a nui kana lau uala, hana no keia a haawe, a hoi iuka o Kalaniwai.
 
I kona hoi ana a hiki i kahi o ua mau wahi elemakule nei, hoomaha iho la oia malaila, ninau mai la na wahi elemakule, “Owai kou inoa?” I aku ke Alii, “O Kihaapiilani koʻu inoa.” Alaila, hoomaopopo ae la ua mau wahi elemakule nei, e like me ka laua mea i kukakuka ai, ninau hou aku la laua, “Pehea ka huakai nui a ke Alii, o ka hele malu ana mai?” Pane mai la ke Alii, “E imi ana i hoa kumakaia no kuu kaikuaana, no Piilani.” Hai aku la ke Alii imua o na wahi elemakule, i ka mea a ke kaikuaana i hana ino ai imua o kona lae, a lohe ae la na wahi elemakule, i aku la laua i ke Alii, “Ua make ko kaikuaana, aia ka mea e make ai, o kela hale e hamama mai la ka puka, e ku mai la i Waikapu, aia ilaila ke kaikuahine o maua, o Pao kona inoa, hele no oe a hiki ilaila, a nana no e kuhikuhi mai i kahi e make ai, o ka make ka hoi ia.” Ua holo i ko ke Alii manao; i aku la ke Alii ia laua, e hoi oia a hiki iuka o Kalaniwai, e kanu i ka lau ana a pau, mahiai ia a o-o ka uala, haaleleia, na na makuahonowai ona, i uku no ko lakou malama ana i ke Alii.
 
(Aole i pau.)​

​While he was walking down through the kula lands towards the coast, an old man named Kukuiokaʻulani saw him coming. Kukuiokaʻulani then said to another old man, “Is this perhaps an Aliʻi? A commoner? A kahuna, perhaps?” The other man looked up, and when he was able to see Kihaapiʻilani, he said to Kukuiokaʻulani, “That is no kahuna. That is an Aliʻi coming here. If there was one rainbow that appeared, it would be a kahuna. However, there are two rainbows above this man coming, so this must be an Aliʻi.” They both agreed, as they had heard that Kihaapiʻilani had disappeared. So there they waited until he arrived, as their houses were located in the very place that the Aliʻi was coming to. When Kihaapiʻilani arrived, the two old men greeted him, “Aloha to you who is perhaps a chief.” Kihaapiʻilani, however, did not reciprocate the gesture of aloha. He instead quieted them, “Be quiet. Since you have recognized me here, you must conceal my identity. Do not reveal me to anyone.”
 
He then continued on to Kaluaʻaʻama, where he would come to find the lau ʻuala (sweet potato slips) that he sought. He did not, however, gather them properly, as one should ʻako (pluck, trim) them. The Aliʻi simply pulled apart the vines, spread them out, and cut them off, leaving only the bare dirt on each mound throughout the entire māla (patch). The farmer of that māla eventually returned, and saw Kihaapiʻilani doing this. The ʻuala farmer became so upset that he grabbed a stick and began hitting him on his back. Kihaapiʻilani, however, was not startled by this at all. He continued to gather his lau ʻuala until he had plenty, bundled them up, and began his return to the uplands of Kalaniwai.
 
During his return, he stopped at the place of those two old men he had encountered earlier. There he rested, and one of the old men asked him, “What is your name?” The Aliʻi responded, “Kihaapiʻilani is my name.” It then became clear to the old men, just as they had discussed with each other earlier: this was indeed Kihaapiʻilani. Then then asked him, “What is the reason for the Aliʻi’s travels here? Are you perhaps seeking protection?” The Aliʻi responded, “I am seeking someone who can assist me in betraying my brother, Piʻilani.” The Aliʻi, Kihaapiʻilani, then told the old men about the way that his brother had mistreated and disrespected him by defiling his forehead. When the old men heard his story, they said to the Aliʻi, “Your brother will be killed, and the one who can help you kill him lives in that house over there with the open door in Waikapū. There in that house lives our sister. Her name is Pao. Go there and she will direct you to the place where he shall be killed. Death is sure to come.” With that, the Aliʻi was in agreement, and he said to them that he was to return to the uplands of Kalaniwai to plant all of his lau ʻuala. He would cultivate the ʻuala until it had fully matured, then leave it there for the parents of his wahine, to compensate them for their care of the Aliʻi.
 
(To be continued)

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Kākau ʻia e J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mal. 29, 1862
Hoʻopuka hou ʻia a ʻunuhi ʻia e Kealaulili

Written by J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mar. 29, 1862
Republished and translated by Kealaulili

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