Hula Traditions
Basic Mele and 'Oli
Kunihi ka mauna i ka la'i e
'Ae, Kunihi ka mauna i ka la'i e,
O Wai'ale'ale la i Wailua.
Huki a'e la i ka lani ka papa 'auwae o Kawaikini,
'Alai i a'e la e Nounou,
Nalo Kaipuha'a, ka la'ula mauka o Kapa'a e.
Mai pa'a i ka leo, he 'ole ka hea mai e.
"Pane", "The answer"
E hea i ke kanaka e komo maloko,
E hanai 'ai a hewa i ka waha.
Eia no ka uku la o ka leo,
A he leo wale mai no e.
Peaceful is the steep ridge of the mountain,
Wai'ale'ale all the way to Wailua.
The heavens are pulled to the watery flatland of Kawaikini.
The suns rays are blocked by Nounou.
Lost is Kaipuha'a, along the broad path upland of Kapa'a.
Don't quite this voice, a voice calling out.
The answer from within: The Pane
A response comes to the person to enter
Come and eat to your mouth is satiated
Here is your reward for your call
It is just a voice.
Kunihi ka mauna is used by students to request permission to enter the halau hula. It is chanted at the closed door from outside. The poetry of this chant is veiled in kaona or hidden meaning and refers to a solar event which takes place when the sun reaches its most northern position north of the equator on June 22 directly above moku manamana island north of Ni'ihau and Nihoa, this is the the summer solstice. The opposite event occurs on December 22 when the sun reaches its southern most position above an island in the southern hemisphere called Tupuai and then begins its return to the north. The path of the sun on June 22 travels across the world from the east lighting a path to the altar in the heiau and many ancient temples throughout the world. This path is called Ke 'ao-polohiwa-a-Kane. In the southern hemisphere the winter solstice is called Ke-'ao-polohiwa-a-Kanaloa consecrated to Kanaloa or Tangaroa. On Kaua'i the rays of the sun run across the mountain ridge of Nounou and reach Ha'ena and then the main hula altar located at Ke'e. The path continues westward to Ni'ihau and toward the sacred sites and heiau built by the ancients in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Traditional chant is layered in rich metaphor and language code. The ancients composed these chants to pass on knowledge from one generation to the next.
'Ae, Kunihi ka mauna i ka la'i e,
O Wai'ale'ale la i Wailua.
Huki a'e la i ka lani ka papa 'auwae o Kawaikini,
'Alai i a'e la e Nounou,
Nalo Kaipuha'a, ka la'ula mauka o Kapa'a e.
Mai pa'a i ka leo, he 'ole ka hea mai e.
"Pane", "The answer"
E hea i ke kanaka e komo maloko,
E hanai 'ai a hewa i ka waha.
Eia no ka uku la o ka leo,
A he leo wale mai no e.
Peaceful is the steep ridge of the mountain,
Wai'ale'ale all the way to Wailua.
The heavens are pulled to the watery flatland of Kawaikini.
The suns rays are blocked by Nounou.
Lost is Kaipuha'a, along the broad path upland of Kapa'a.
Don't quite this voice, a voice calling out.
The answer from within: The Pane
A response comes to the person to enter
Come and eat to your mouth is satiated
Here is your reward for your call
It is just a voice.
Kunihi ka mauna is used by students to request permission to enter the halau hula. It is chanted at the closed door from outside. The poetry of this chant is veiled in kaona or hidden meaning and refers to a solar event which takes place when the sun reaches its most northern position north of the equator on June 22 directly above moku manamana island north of Ni'ihau and Nihoa, this is the the summer solstice. The opposite event occurs on December 22 when the sun reaches its southern most position above an island in the southern hemisphere called Tupuai and then begins its return to the north. The path of the sun on June 22 travels across the world from the east lighting a path to the altar in the heiau and many ancient temples throughout the world. This path is called Ke 'ao-polohiwa-a-Kane. In the southern hemisphere the winter solstice is called Ke-'ao-polohiwa-a-Kanaloa consecrated to Kanaloa or Tangaroa. On Kaua'i the rays of the sun run across the mountain ridge of Nounou and reach Ha'ena and then the main hula altar located at Ke'e. The path continues westward to Ni'ihau and toward the sacred sites and heiau built by the ancients in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Traditional chant is layered in rich metaphor and language code. The ancients composed these chants to pass on knowledge from one generation to the next.
Ho'opuka e ka La ma kahikina
Ho'opuka e ka la ma kahikina
Me ka huaka'i hele no Kumukahi
Ha'a mai na 'iwa ma ku'u 'alo
Me ke 'alo kapu o ke 'a'iwa'iwa
Ho'i no e ke kapu me na ali'i
E ola makou a pau loa la
Ea la ea la ea.
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele
Aia la o Pele
Aia la o Pele i Hawai'i ea
Te ha'a maila i Maukele ea
'Uhi 'Uha mai ana ea
Ke nome a'ela ia Puna ea
Ka mea nani kai Pali'uli ea
Te pulelo a'ela i na pali ea
Aia ka palena i Maui ea
'Aina o Ka'ulula'au ea
'Ihea taua e la'i ai ea
I te 'alanui a'e li'a nei ea
Ha'ina ia mai ta puana ea
No Hi'iaka no he 'inoa ea.
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele.
Me ka huaka'i hele no Kumukahi
Ha'a mai na 'iwa ma ku'u 'alo
Me ke 'alo kapu o ke 'a'iwa'iwa
Ho'i no e ke kapu me na ali'i
E ola makou a pau loa la
Ea la ea la ea.
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele
Aia la o Pele
Aia la o Pele i Hawai'i ea
Te ha'a maila i Maukele ea
'Uhi 'Uha mai ana ea
Ke nome a'ela ia Puna ea
Ka mea nani kai Pali'uli ea
Te pulelo a'ela i na pali ea
Aia ka palena i Maui ea
'Aina o Ka'ulula'au ea
'Ihea taua e la'i ai ea
I te 'alanui a'e li'a nei ea
Ha'ina ia mai ta puana ea
No Hi'iaka no he 'inoa ea.
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele.
Ke ha'a la Puna
Ke ha'a la Puna i ka makani
Ha'a ka 'uluhala i Kea'au
Ha'a Ha'ena me Hopoe
Ha'a ka wahine 'ami i kai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
O Puna kai kuwa i ka hala
Pa'epa'e ka leo o ke kai
Ke lu la i na pua lehua
Nana ikai o Hopoe
Ka wahine 'ami i kai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele
Ha'a ka 'uluhala i Kea'au
Ha'a Ha'ena me Hopoe
Ha'a ka wahine 'ami i kai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
O Puna kai kuwa i ka hala
Pa'epa'e ka leo o ke kai
Ke lu la i na pua lehua
Nana ikai o Hopoe
Ka wahine 'ami i kai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Hula le'a wale ikai o Nanahuki
Heinoa no Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele