86 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 38 



He lua i Molokai, ua ena e Pele. 

 35 Ke baoloolo e la ke ao, 



Ke lele la i-luna, i-lalo; 



Kawewe ka o-o i-lalo, i akea. 



Ninaii o Wakea, 



Owai iiei akua e eli nei? 

 40 Owau no, o Pele, 



Naua i eli aku ka lua i Lanai a a. 



He lua i Lanai, ua ena e Pele. 

 Ke baoloolo e la ke ao, 

 Ke lele la i-luna, i-lalo; 

 45 Kawewe ka o-6 i-lalo i akea. 

 Ninau o Wakea, 

 Owai nei akua e eli nei? 

 Owau no, o Pele, 

 Nana i eli aku ka lua i Maui a a. 



50 He lua i Maui, ua ena e Pele. 



Ke baoloolo e la ke ao, 



Ke lele la i-luna, i-lalo; 



Kawewe ka o-o i-lalo, 1 akea. 



Ninau o Wakea, 

 55 Owai, nei akua e eli nei? 



Owau no, o Pele, 



Nana i eli aku ka lua i Hu'ebu'e a a. 



He lua i Hu'ebu'e, ua ena e Pele. 

 Ke baoloolo e la ke ao, 

 60 Ke lele la i-luna, i-lalo; 



Kawewe ka o-6 i-lalo, i akea. 

 Eli-eli, kau mai ! 



[Translation] 



Song 



(In turgid style) 



A pit lies (far) to tbe East, 

 Pit bet by tbe Fire-queen Pele. 

 Heaven's dawn is lifted askew. 

 One edge tilts up, one down, in tbe sky : 

 5 Tbe tbud of tbe pick is heard in tbe ground. 

 The question is asked by Wakea, 

 What god 's this a-digging? 

 It is I, it is Pele, 



Who dug Nlibau deep down till it burned, 

 10 Dug fire-pit red-beated by Pele. 



Night's curtains are drawn to one side. 

 One lifts, one bangs in tbe tide. 

 Crunch of spade resounds in tbe earth. 

 Wakea 'gain urges tbe query, 

 15 What god plies tbe spade in the ground? 

 Quoth Pele, 'tis I: 



