Some Epithets.

A list of epithets that are well-suited and dignified for some wahi pana [storied places] of Hawaiʻi nei has been prepared. Readers, please send me a letter with corrections to my misunderstandings or perhaps my incompetence. Please also append other names and send to me short sayings pertaining to those storied places and an account of the activity done at that place. Like “Ka niu moe o Kalapana” [The reclining coconut trees of Kalapana], “Ka wai o Waiʻānapanapa” [The waters of Waiʻānapanapa], “nā pōhaku neʻe o Kaupō” [The moving stones of Kaupō], “ka wahine ʻami o Hāʻena” [The dancing woman of Hāʻena], “ka wahine haʻalewa i ke kai” [The swaying woman in the sea]. These stories will be printed for the benefit of the people.

These are the poetic names of the seven islands: “Hawaiʻi o Keawe” [Hawaiʻi of Keawe], “Maui o Kamalālāwalu” [Maui of Kamalālāwalu], “Molokaʻi a Hina” [Molokaʻi of Hina], “Lānaʻi o Kaululāʻau” [Lānaʻi of Kaululāʻau], “Oʻahu o Kākuhihewa” [Oʻahu of Kākuhihewa], “Kauaʻi o Manokalanipō” [Kauaʻi of Manokalanipō], “Niʻihau o Manoʻōpūpapaʻi” [Niʻihau of Manoʻōpūpapaʻi]. What about the other islands? Here are some unusual names, “Hawaiʻi palu lāʻī” [Hawaiʻi, lickers of tī leaves], “Maui puhi lau ʻulu” [Maui of the breadfruit leaf smokers], “Oʻahu maka ʻewaʻewa” [Oʻahu of the disdainful eyes], “Kauaʻi poʻo hakahaka” [Kauaʻi of the vacant heads].

I am not in possession of the names well-suited for the tempestuous billows of the eight seas. However, these are just some names, and some are related to some place, they being, “nā ʻale uliuli o ke kai kōā ʻo ʻAlenuihāhā” [the dark billows of the ʻAlenuihāhā Channel], “nā ʻale hānupanupa o Pailolo” [the choppy billows of Pailolo], “ke kai nehe i ka ulu hala o Puna” [the rustling sea among the pandanus groves of Puna], “ke kai hāwanawana o Kawaihae” [the whispering sea of Kawaihae], “ke kai lumalumaʻi o Kewalo” [the capsizing sea of Kewalo], “ke kai leo nui o Niukūkahi” [the loud-voiced sea of Niukūkahi], a me “Punaluʻu i ke kai kauhaʻa a ka malihini” [Punaluʻu, where the sea dances for the malihini].

Clever words for the boundaries, from east to west, are “mai ka lā piʻi mai o Kumukahi a ka welona o ka lā i Lehua” [From the rising sun of Kumukahi to the setting sun of Lehua]. “mai ka lā ʻōili i Haʻehaʻe a hāliʻi i ka mole o Lehua” [from the appearing of the sun at Haʻehaʻe to where it is covered at the foundation of Lehua], “mai ka lā oni aʻe ma Makanoni i ka lae kaulana o Kumukahi a ka lā welo i ka ʻilikai ma lalo aku o ka mole ʻolu o Lehua i ka wai huna a ka paoʻo” [from where the sun stirs at Makanoni on the famous cape of Kumukahi to where it sets upon the surface of the sea, beneath the pleasant base of Lehua of the hidden waters of the paoʻo fish].

These are the boundaries [iwi ʻāina] of Hawaiʻi. Hilo, from Mawae to the cliffs of Kaula. Hāmākua, from there until Honokea. Kohala, from there to Keahualono. North Kona, from there until Puʻuohau. South Kona, from there until Kaheawai. Kaʻū, from there until Okiokiaho. Puna, from there until Mawae. What about the districts of the other islands?

There are famous waves at every shore. Here are some, “Ka nalu haʻi muku o Uo ma Lahaina” [Uo, the wave at Lahaina that breaks to the left], “Kalehuawehe ma Wakīkī” [Kalehuawehe at Waikīkī], “ka nalu haʻi o Keanini ma Kapueokahi, ma Hāna” [the breaking wave of Keanini at Kapueokahi in Hāna]. Where are the other famous waves?

These are the famous rains of Oʻahu nei. The Kūkalahale, Kawaohio (in Honolulu); Kuahine, Waʻahila, from Mānoa; Pōpōkapa from Nuʻuanu; Puanaie, Makaiwi from Waikīkī; Makaukiu from Makiki; Pōʻaihale from Kahaluʻu in Koʻolau Poko. On Kauaʻi, the ua loku [pouring rain] of Hanalei. On Maui, Lanipaʻina of ʻUlupalakua; ʻĀpuakea and Lanihaʻahaʻa of Hāna; Hōʻehaʻili of Waiehu; Kiliʻoʻopu of Waiheʻe; Peʻepāpōhaku of Kaupō; ʻUlalena of Piʻiholo, Makawao; Paʻūpili of Lele, Lahaina; ua nihi aa of Kawaipapa, Hāna. On Hawaiʻi, there are many proud names for Hilo’s rains, such as, “ʻEleʻele Hilo e panopano i ka ua” [Dark is Hilo, clouded with the rain], “ka ua Kanilehua, Hukiheʻenehu, hāliʻi i kanahele, līlīlehua o Panaʻewa” [the Kanilehua rain, the Hukiheʻenehu, the rain that blankets the forest, the Līlīlehua of Panaʻewa]. Some names are broadly associated with Puna, those are the “ua Moanianilehua, ua kau lāʻau o Maka” [the Moanianilehua rain, the rain that rests upon the trees of Maka]. There are on Hawaiʻi “ka ua ʻĀpaʻapaʻa of Kohala, ke Kīpuʻupuʻu o Waimea, nāulu of Kawaihae Uka, pupūhale o Hāmākua, Hāʻao o Waiohinu” [the ʻĀpaʻapaʻa of Kohala, the Kīpuʻupuʻu of Waimea, the Nāulu of Kawaihae Uka, the Pupūhale of Hāmākua, the Hāʻao of Waiohinu].

The winds of each area are also famous by epithets. Here are some, “ka makani Mumuku o Kawaihae Kai” [the Mumuku wind of Kawaihae Kai], “ka makani Moaʻe ʻaʻala o Puʻulena” [Moaʻe ʻaʻala wind of Puʻulena] in Puna, “malua kiʻi wai, ka malanai, kehau, ka puʻulena” [the Māluakiʻiwai, Malanai, Kēhau, Puʻulena] of Hilo, “kāʻili wai o Ihuanu” [the water-snatching of Ihuanu] at Kohala. On Maui, “ka makani Maʻaʻa o nā ʻulu o Lele ma Lahaina” [the Maʻaʻa of the breadfruit of Lele at Lahaina], “makani kololio of Waikapū [Kololio of Waikapū], “kāʻahaʻaha lei o Waiheʻe” [the Kāʻahaʻaha lei of Waiheʻe], “kāʻili aloha o Kīpahulu” [Kāʻilialoha of Kīpahulu], “honihoni papalina o Kaupō” [cheek-kissing wind of Kaupō], “hoʻolua o Kaiaina ma Hāna” [Hoʻolua of Kaiaina at Hāna]. Here on Oʻahu, here are some, “ka makani Kaiāulu o Waiʻanae, holoʻūhā o Kekaha, hoʻe o Moanalua, kuehu lepo, anu moaʻe o ʻEwa, kō momona ko Kahauiki ma Kalihi” [the Kaiāulu wind of Waiʻanae; Holoʻūhā of Kekaha; Hoʻe of Moanalua; Kuehu Lepo, Anu Moaʻe of ʻEwa; Kōmomona of Kahauiki in Kalihi].

There are also very famous unusual things, they being “ke kauila holu o Puʻukapele” [the pliant kauila of Puʻukapele], “ke one kani o Nōhili” [the sounding sands of Nōhili], “ka pahapaha o Polihale” [the pahapaha seaweed of Polihale], “ka wailiʻulā o Mānā” [the mirage of Mānā], “ka wai ʻula ʻiliahi o Waimea” [the red sandalwood waters of Waimea], “ka limu kaha kanaka (peuu) o Manuʻakepa” [the man-smiting moss at Hanalei], “ke ahi lele o Kamaile hene ka ʻauhau” [the firebrands of Kamaile, the hau stalks sloping] on Kauaʻi. There at Niʻihau are “ka ʻulu hua i ka hāpapa, ke kō ʻeli o Halāliʻi” [the breadfruit that fruit on the flats and the sugarcane of Halāliʻi dug up by hand]. On Molokaʻi is “Wailau ke alapiʻi a ka ʻōpae” [Wailau the ladder to the shrimp]. On Oʻahu is “ka lā kapakahi ma Waiʻanae” [the lopsided sun at Waiʻanae], “ke ehukai o lalo o Puaʻena ma Waialua, ka ʻāina kūpōlua i ka laʻi” [the sea spray of the lowlands of Puaʻena at Waialua, the land of great calm], “ka iʻa hamau leo o ʻEwa, ka ʻāina koʻi ʻula i ka lepo” [the fish of ʻEwa that silences the voice, the land reddened by the rising dust]. “nā pali hāuliuli o Koʻolau” [the dark cliffs of the Koʻolau], “ke one kaha loa ma Waikīkī” [long stretch of sand at Waikīkī], “kāwelu holu o Lanihuli” [the swaying kāwelu grass of Lanihuli], “ka poi lehua i hoʻowali ʻia e ka ipo lauliʻi o Mānoa” [the lehua poi stirred by the sweetheart of Mānoa], “Kaʻauhelemoa o Pālolo” [Kaʻauhelemoa of Pālolo], “ke alahele a Kaʻahupāhau ma Puʻuloa” [the route of Kaʻahupāhau at Puʻuloa], “ka līpoa ʻaʻala o Kalehuawehe ma Waikīkī” [the fragrant līpoa seaweed of Kalehuawehe at Waikīkī], “ke awa laʻi lulu o Kou ma Honolulu nei” [the peaceful harbor of Kou here in Honolulu]. On Maui, “ka pili a Kakaʻe, ka malu ao o nā pali kapu a Kakaʻe ma Wailuku” [the companion of Kakaʻe, the cloud shelter of the sacred cliffs of Kakaʻe, of Wailuku], na wai aha ka la koeha o Lahaina” [na wai aha ka la koeha o Lahaina], ka wai hoʻihoʻi lāʻī o ʻEleile” [the water of ʻEleile that carries back the tī stalk], “ke pani wai o ʻĪao” [the dammed waters ofʻĪao], “Kaupō ʻai loli” [Kaupō the eaters of sea cucumber], “Hāna a ka iʻa iki” [Hāna of the tiny fish], and there are many other names. At Hilo there is “ke kawa lele maʻopu o Piʻikea, ke one wali o ʻOhele, ke kōliʻuliʻu o Hilo, ka wai lele o Waiānuenue, ka wai hu o ka Pepe, ka wai o ka Pukamani” [the diving place of Piʻikea, the fine sands of ʻOhele, drinking the waters of the distant sky of Hilo, the waterfall of Waiānuenue, ka wai hu o ka Pepe, ka wai o ka Pukamani]. Puna is famous for “ka paia ʻala i ka hala, nā puʻu uai, ka milo holu o Waiākea, Kūkiʻi ua luhe i ka wai” [fragrant bowers of pandanus, the moving hills, the swaying milo of Waiākea, Kūkiʻi, drooped over the pool].

There are also famous waters on each district. But this list is sufficient for one time. Readers, please complete this properly by writing letters to C. M. Hyde.

Honolulu, Nov. 13, 1886

C. M. Hyde publishes an article on the same subject, “Hawaiian Poetical Names for Places,” in the 1887 edition of Thomas Thrum’s Hawaiian Almanac and Annual.

Hyde’s list of ʻōlelo noʻeau is appended to H. L. Sheldon’s list in, “Some Hawaiian Proverbs,” in the 1883 edition of Thomas Thrum’s Hawaiian Almanac and Annual.