EMERSON] UNWEITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII 237 



much her junior, but this did not prevent his infatuation. Early 

 one morning she rose, leaving him sound asleep, and took canoe for 

 Molokai to serve as one of the escort to the body of her relative, 

 Keola, on the way to its place of sepulture. 



Some woman, appreciating the situation, posted to the house and 

 waked the sleeper with the information. Ka'iama hastened to the 

 shore, and as he strained his vision to gain siglit of the woman of his 

 infatuation the men at the paddles and the bristling throng on the 

 central platform^the j)ola — of the craft, vanishing in the twilight, 

 made on his imagination the impression of a hazy mountain thicket 

 floating on the waves, but hiding from view some rare flower. He 

 gave vent to his feelings in song: 



Mele 



Pua ehii kamalena " ka nka n Kapa'a ; 

 Lnhi-ehu iho la ^ ka pua i Maile-huna ; 

 Hele a ha ka iwi ^ a ke Koolau, 

 Ke puji mai 1 ka maka o ka naheleliele, 

 5 I hali hoo-mnt'i,'* hoohalana i Wailua. 

 Pa kahea a Koolau-waliine, 

 O Pua-ke'i, e - e - e - e ! 

 He pua laukona '" ka uioe e a loir ai ; 

 O ia moe la, e kaulele hon,/^ 

 10 No ka po i hala aku aku iiei. 



Hoilio kaua a eloelo, e ka hoa. e, 

 A hooka hi ! 



[Translation] 



tS'OHf/ 



Mistj^ and dim. a bush in the wilds of Kapa'a, 

 The ijaddlers I tend to their work, as the tiower-laden 

 Shrub inclines to the earth in Maile-hiina ; 

 They sway like reeds in the breeze to crack their bones — 

 5 Such the sight as I look at this tossing grove. 

 The rhythmic dip and swing on to Wailua. 

 My call to the witch sliall fly with the breeze. 

 Shall be heard at Pua-ke'i, e-he, e-he ! 

 The flower-stalk Laulcona beguiles man to love, 

 10 Can bring back the taste of joys once our own, 



" Pmh ehu kamalena (yellow child). This exclamation is descriptive of the man's visual 

 impression on seeing the canoe with its crowd of passengers and paddlers, in the misty 

 light of morning, receding in the distance. The kamalena is a mountain shrub having a 

 yellow flower. 



'' Luhl ehu iho la. Refers to the drooping of a shrub under the weight of its leaves and 

 flowers, a figure applied to the bending of the paddlemen to their work. 



" Hele a ha ka iwi. An exaggerated figure of speech, referring to the exertions of the 

 men at their paddles (hn, to strain). 



'' / hali hoomi't. This refers in a fine spirit of exaggeration to the regular motions of 

 the paddlers. 



« Pua laukona. A kind of sugar-cane which was prescribed and used by the kahunas as 

 an aphrodisiac. 



' Kaulele hou. To experience, or to enjoy, again. 



