The sacrifice offered at the kuahu in connection with the
production of this hula consisted of a black pig, a cock of
the color termed ula-hiwa—black pointed with red—a white
hen, and awa. According to some authorities the offerings
deemed appropriate for the sacrifice that accompanied each
hula varied with the hula, but was definitely established for
each variety of hula. The author’s studies, however, lead him
to conclude that, whatever may have been the original demands
of the gods, in the long run they were not overparticular and
were not only willing to put up with, but were well pleased
so long as the offering contained, good pork or fish and
strong awa.
_Mele_
Ku piliki’i Hanalei-lehua,[396] la;
Kao’o[397] ’luna o ka naéle,[398] la;
Ka Pili-iki i ka Hua-moa, la;
E ka mauna o ke a’a lewalewa[399] la.
5 A lewa ka hope o ko’u hoa, la,
[Page 211] A ko-ú ka hope o ke koléa, la—
Na u’i elua.[400]
Ki-ki’i ka ua i ka nana keia, la.[401]
[Footnote 396: _Hanalei-lehua_. A wilderness back of Hanalei
valley, Kauai, in which the lehua tree abounds. The features
of this region are as above described.]
[Footnote 397: _Kaó’o_. To bend down the shrubs and tussocks of
grass to furnish solid footing in crossing swampy ground.]
[Footnote 398: _Naé’le_. Boggy ground; a swamp, such as pitted
the summit of Kauai’s central mountain mass, Waiáleále.]
[Footnote 399: _A’a lewalewa_. Aerial roots such as are put
forth by the lehua trees in high altitudes and in a damp
climate. They often aid the traveler by furnishing him with a
sort of ladder.]
[Footnote 400: _U’i elua_. Literally two beauties. One
interpreter says the reference is to the arms, with which one
pulls himself up; it is here rendered “flanks.”]
[Footnote 401: _Ki-ki’i ka ua i ka nana keia, la_. The meaning
of this passage is obscure. The most plausible view is that
this is an exclamation made by one of the two travelers while
crouching for shelter under an overhanging bank. This one,
finding himself unprotected, exclaims to his companion on the
excellence of the shelter he has found, whereupon the second
man comes over to share his comfort only to find that he has
been hoaxed and that the deceiver has stolen his former
place. The language of the text seems a narrow foundation on
which to base such an incident. A learned Hawaiian friend,
however, finds it all implied in this passage.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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