EMERSON] UNWRITTEN LITEEATUKE OF HAWAII 77 



Bird sacred to Ku-hai, the shark-god — 

 5 Shrieks, " Light not on terrace of Lei-no-ai, 



Lest Uuii-lau fiercely assail you." 



Storm sweeps the cliffs of the islet ; 



A covert they seek neath the hills, 



In the sheltered lee of the gale, 

 10 The cove at the base of Le-hu-a. 



The shady groves there enchant them, 



The scarlet plumes of lehua. 



Love-dalliance now by the water-reeds. 



Till cooled and appeased by the i-ain-mist. 

 15 Pour on, thou rain, the two heads press the pillow: 



Lo, prince and princess stir in their sleep 1 



The scene of this mele is laid on one of the little bird-islands that 

 lie to the northwest of Kauai. The iwa bird, flying heavily to his 

 nesting place in the wiry grass {kala-pahee) ^ symbolizes the flight 

 of a man in his deep-laden pirogue, abducting the woman of his love. 

 The screaming sea-birds that warn him off the island, represewted 

 as watch-guards of the shark-god Kuhai-moana (whose reef is still 

 pointed out), figure the outcries of the parents and friends of the 

 abducted woman. 



After the first passionate outburst {Puni'a iluna o l-a Halau-a-ola) 

 things go more smoothly {ola * * *). The flight to covert from 

 the storm, the cove at the base of Le-hu-a, the shady groves, the scar- 

 let pompons of the lehua — the tree and the island have the same 

 name — all these things are to be interpreted figuratively as emblems 

 of woman's physical charms and the delights of love-dalliance. 



Mele 



TALE III 



(Ai-ha'a) 



Ku aku la Kea-afi, lele ka makani mawaho, 



Ulu-mano, ma ke kaha o Wai-o-lono. 



Ua moani lehua a'e la mauka ; 



Kani lehua iluna o Kupa-koili, 

 5 I ka o ia i ka lau o ka hala, 



Ke poo o ka hala o ke akn'i. 



E ku'i e, e ka uwalo. 



Loll ka mu'o o ka hala, 



A helelei ka pua, a pili ke alanui : 

 10 Pu ia Pana-ewa, ona-ona i ke ala, 



I ka nahele makai o Ka-unu-loa la. 



Nani ke kaunu, ke kaunu a ke alii. 



He puui ina'i poi na maua. 



Ua hala ke Kau a me ka Hoilo. 

 15 Mailaila mai no ka hana ino. 



luo mai oe, nolio malie aku no hoi an; 



Hopo o' ka inaiua, ka wai, e-e; 



Wiwo au, hopohopo iho uei, e-e I 



