170 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bill. 38 



The author of the mele was a Hawaiian named John Meha, who 

 died some years ago. He was for many years a member of the Ha- 

 waiian Band and set the words to the music given below, which has 

 since been arranged by Captain Berger. 



[Translation] 

 Side by Side 



1. Outspreads now the dawn, 

 Arching itself on high — 

 But look ! a wondrous thing, 

 A thrill at touch of the side. 



Chorvs: 

 Most dear to the soul is a love-touch; 

 Its pulse stirs ever the heart 

 And gently throbs in the breast — 

 At thrill from the touch of the side. 



2. In time awakes a new charm 

 As you turn and gently caress; 

 Short comes the breath — at 



The thrill from the touch of the side. 

 Chorus. 



The fragments of Hawaiian music that have drifted down to us 

 no doubt remain true to the ancient type, however much they may 

 have changed in quality. They show the characteristics that stamp 

 all primitive music — plaintiveness to the degree almost of sadness, 

 monotony, lack of acquaintance with the full range of intervals that 

 make up our diatonic scale, and therefore a measurable absence of that 

 ear-charm we call melody. These are among its deficiencies. 



If, on the other hand, we set down the positive qualities by the 

 possession of which it makes good its claim to be classed as music, 

 we shall find that it has a firm hold on rhythm. This is indeed 

 one of the special excellencies of Hawaiian music. Added to this, we 

 find that it makes a limited use of such intervals as the third, fifth, 

 fourth, and at the same time resorts extra vaganth', as if in compensa- 

 tion, to a fine tone-carving that divides up the tone-interval into 

 fractions so much less than the semitone that our ears are almost 

 indifferent to them, and are at first inclined to deny their existence. 

 This minute division of the tone, or step, and neglect at the same 

 time of the broader harmonic intervals, reminds one of work in which 

 the artist charges his picture with unimportant detail, while failing 

 in attention to the strong outlines. Among its merits we must not 

 forget to mention a certain quality of tone-color which inheres in the 

 Hawaiian tongue and which greatly tends to the enhancement of 

 Hawaiian music, especially when thrown into rhythmic forms. 



The first thing, then, to repeat, that will strike the auditor on 

 listening to this primitive music will be its lack of melody. The voice 

 goes wavering and lilting along like a canoe on a rippling ocean. 



