Mele Kaʻapuni no Keawe Kū i ka Moku
Chant for the Island of Hawaiʻi: Mele Kaʻapuni No Keawe Kū I Ka Moku
In the Hawaiian storytelling tradition, chants and songs are composed to commemorate people, events, relationships and even excursions. This traveling chant takes listeners on a tour of the Island of Hawaiʻi to places special to composer Kamaka Kūkona and his hula lineage.
“The land of Keawe” refers to a king of the island, the great-grandfather of King Kamehameha I. One reference to the Island of Hawaiʻi is Moku O Keawe, the island of Keawe. This chant, a fine example of Hawaiian poetry at work, names many special places, winds and rains.
As in many hula traditions, this chant begins by paying homage to Pele, the volcano goddess. Uahi, the smoke referenced in the first verse, is one manifestation of Pele and is often seen during ceremonies held at Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
Kaapuni hoi i na ale o ke kai
Kau aku kuu maka i ka uahi
Halii noho paa i ka ili kai
Helelei e ta ua i ka moana la e
Aia i ke anu o Waimea
Maeele i ka ua kipuupuu
Puehu ae na ihe i ka makani
I mahiki e ka loa o ka nahele
He lei ke aloha e
Kiekie Kau kua makani
He umauma pa ia e ke aeloa
He loa ka ikena mai Haau
Au aku i ka nalu o Palahemo
He iliili hanau a he ihi ula la e
Eo e ka wehi no kuu aina
Hanau i ka ua kanilehua
No Hilo Paliku a i Hilo One
He aloha nou e Hilo Hanakahi
E ala E ala e
一首写给 Keawe 平静大陆的夏威夷之歌
海潮围绕着我
我凝望着烟灰色的天幕
如同巨毯笼罩着辽阔的海面
雨水落在海上，消逝于无形
在寒冷的威美亚 (Waimea)
Kipuupuu 之雨让寒意更甚
狂风凛冽有如刀割
在 Mahiki 有一片广袤的森林
正如用爱意结成的花环
Kau 背对着狂风，巍峨挺立
敞开胸怀拥抱着 Aeloa
在 Haau 浩渺的景色中
在 Palahemo 滚滚的浪涛里
在鹅卵石之中，神圣的后代诞生了
遥相唱和，为我的故乡写一曲赞颂之歌
写在 Kanilehua 的雨里
从 Hilo Paliku 写到 Hilo One
喔，还饱含着对你 - Hilo Hanakahi 的款款深情